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Jul 23, 2024
Dordulian Law Group’s Los Angeles school sexual abuse lawyers have decades of experience helping victims secure justice. The following blog will provide important information for parents and children on how to prevent school employee sexual misconduct and protect students. Our school sexual abuse attorneys will review the warning signs, policies, and strategies for fostering safer schools and preventing sexual violence.
School employee sexual misconduct is a serious issue affecting millions of students across the United States. Despite efforts to address this problem, it continues to persist in educational institutions of all types. Understanding why this abuse occurs and how to prevent it is critical for protecting our children and ensuring safe learning environments.
School employee sexual misconduct encompasses a range of inappropriate behaviors, from verbal harassment to physical abuse. Alarmingly, research indicates that approximately 10% of students – or 5.7 million children – are targets of such misconduct at any given time. This statistic highlights the urgent need for effective prevention strategies.
So, why do school employees sexually abuse students? The answer is disturbing yet straightforward: because they can. This simple truth underscores the importance of creating systems and cultures that make such abuse impossible.
To effectively combat school employee sexual misconduct, it’s important to understand the psychological factors that may contribute to such behavior. While there’s no single profile of an abuser, certain traits and circumstances can increase the likelihood of misconduct:
Understanding these factors can help in developing more effective prevention strategies and identifying potential risks before they escalate into abuse.
One of the key challenges in preventing sexual misconduct is recognizing the warning signs. Grooming behaviors are often subtle and can be mistaken for genuine care or mentorship. Common warning signs of teacher or coach grooming may include:
Many adults, including school staff, may witness these behaviors without realizing their significance. This lack of awareness contributes to the persistence of abuse.
Often, school staff and parents fail to identify grooming behaviors or inappropriate relationships. They may dismiss concerning signs, thinking, “It’s not my business,” or fear wrongly accusing a colleague. This hesitation allows abusers to continue their behavior unchecked.
Many people hold the misconception that sexual abuse doesn’t happen in their school or community. This “it can’t happen here” mentality leads to a dangerous complacency. The truth is, sexual misconduct can and does occur in all types of schools – public, private, urban, and rural.
Some individuals downplay the severity of sexual abuse, especially when it involves older students. Comments like “He’ll get over it” or “It’s every boy’s dream” demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of the long-term effects of abuse. Child sexual abuse is a serious public health issue with far-reaching consequences for victims.
To effectively combat school employee sexual misconduct, both public and private institutions must implement comprehensive prevention strategies. Examples of such initiatives include:
Schools need clear, enforceable policies that define appropriate adult-student boundaries. These policies should cover all interactions, including electronic communications and social media use.
Regular training for all school staff, students, and parents is essential. This training should cover:
Training should be ongoing, not just a one-time event, to reinforce the importance of these issues and keep them at the forefront of everyone’s min
Schools must foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable reporting concerns. This includes addressing fears about false accusations and emphasizing that the safety of students is paramount. Implementing anonymous reporting systems can help overcome some barriers to reporting. It’s also important to ensure that those who report concerns are protected from retaliation.
Prevention starts before an employee even enters the school. Thorough background checks, reference checks, and screening interviews are critical in identifying potential risks. Schools should also consider ongoing checks for current employees, not just at the point of hire.
Federal laws require public schools to have policies and training programs in place to prevent sexual abuse. However, these laws are often not adequately enforced. Ensuring compliance with these regulations is a critical step in protecting students. Some key federal laws include:
These laws provide a framework for prevention, reporting, and response to sexual misconduct in educational settings. However, their effectiveness relies on proper implementation and enforcement at the local level.
In California, a recent law known as the Justice for Survivors Act or AB 452 effectively removes the deadline for filing a civil claim. As of 2024, survivors of childhood sex abuse in California are no longer bound to any statute of limitations when bringing a civil claim for financial compensation. If the abuse occurred after January 1, 2024, the survivor may sue the liable party or parties – e.g., a school district, a teacher, a principal, etc. – at any time.
If you were the victim of school sexual abuse and the crime took place before 2024, the deadline for filing civil lawsuits seeking compensation is now 40 years of age. However, that deadline may differ if you discover a psychological injury such as post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) resulting from your childhood sexual abuse. In such cases, the survivor has five years to file a civil lawsuit.
Los Angeles school sexual abuse attorney and founder of Dordulian Law Group – Sam Dordulian – expressed his support for removing the statute of limitations for civil cases in a February 2023 interview with The Daily Californian.
“It takes an extremely long time for children to be able to process what happened to them to be able to come out and tell their story,” Dordulian said. “If you put an arbitrary age like 40 or 26, or whatever age you pick, you are still going to limit a lot of people who are not ready to come forward and tell their story from ever getting justice.”
While the deadline for California childhood sexual abuse lawsuits has been removed for crimes occurring after 2024, it’s strongly recommended that you file your claim as soon as possible. Filing a timely California teacher sexual abuse lawsuit will help ensure that victims of school sexual assault have the best possible chance to obtain justice.
For too long, we’ve placed the burden of prevention on children through “good touch, bad touch” education. While this has its place, the primary responsibility for preventing sexual abuse must lie with adults. We need to prioritize child safety over adult comfort and create systems that make abuse impossible.
This shift requires a multi-faceted approach:
Preventing school employee sexual misconduct is not an insurmountable task. By increasing awareness, implementing effective policies, and fostering a culture of vigilance and reporting, we can create safer schools for all students. It’s time to move from “because they can” to “because we won’t let them.” Our children’s safety and well-being depend on our collective action.
The fight against school employee sexual misconduct requires ongoing commitment and vigilance. It’s not a problem that can be solved with a single policy or training session. Rather, it requires a fundamental shift in how we approach child safety in educational settings. By working together – schools, families, policymakers, and communities – we can create an environment where every child can learn and grow free from the threat of sexual abuse.
Dordulian Law Group’s (D Law Group) school sexual abuse lawyers are available 24/7 for free and confidential consultations. We are standing by now to review your case and help your family take the first step towards securing justice.
When choosing the best Los Angeles school sexual abuse lawyer to handle your case, experience matters. At D Law Group, we’ve helped victims obtain more than $200 million in settlements and verdicts. Call our dedicated school and teacher sexual abuse attorneys today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM.
Common grooming behaviors include excessive attention or favoritism towards a student, inappropriate gift-giving, isolating a student from peers, and excessive physical contact or boundary violations. It’s important to be aware of these signs and report any concerns.
School employees may hesitate to report due to fear of making false accusations, not wanting to ruin someone’s career, or believing it’s not their place to intervene. However, it’s crucial to prioritize student safety and report any concerns, allowing proper authorities to investigate.
Schools can develop comprehensive safety policies, implement regular training programs for staff and students, create a culture of reporting, and ensure compliance with federal laws regarding sexual abuse prevention. It’s also important to foster an environment where child safety is prioritized over adult comfort.
Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
Child sexual abuse can have severe and long-lasting effects. Victims may experience increased risk of substance abuse, mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, and physical health problems later in life. It’s considered a serious public health issue due to these far-reaching consequences.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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