Expanding Abuse Reporting Requirements: Texas, South Carolina, Colorado and National Trends
Counselors in university and camping contexts… Am I a mandatory reporter? If an adult describes having been abused as a child, am I required to report? When? How do expanding reporting requirements impact college and university counselors? How do reporting requirements impact individuals providing spiritual guidance? Around the country, state legislatures are pursuing aggressive strategies to reduce the…
Third-Party Use of Facilities and Sexual Abuse Risk
Observations for Camps, Conference Centers, Colleges and Churches Any activity or locale where children are gathered engenders the risk of sexual abuse. Many of these gatherings take place in camps, conference centers, colleges and churches. All child-serving organizations should make reasonable effort to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse. What constitutes ‘reasonable’ effort is…
Sexual Abuse Fire Drill
Put Preparation to the Test In classrooms across the country, school administrators lead faculty and students through mock disasters (fires, shootings, bomb threats, tornados, etc.) to ensure the existence of sound safety plans, communicate expectations to all involved, and determine any necessary changes or improvements. A failure to drill potential disasters can lead to catastrophic…
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training Required at Texas Colleges and Universities – Senate Bill 1414
Effective September 1, 2011 On June 17, 2011, the Texas Governor signed SB 1414, which creates new requirements for ‘institutions of higher education’ that provide or host campus programs for minors. Sexual Abuse Awareness Training is now required by the newly enacted Section 51.976 of the Texas Education Code. What is a ‘Campus Program for…
Texas SB 471 – Changes in the Law for Child Placing Agencies and Day Care Centers – Preventing Sexual Abuse and Maltreatment
Gregory S. Love, Esq Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq in mid-June 2011, the Governor of Texas signed SB 471 into law, amending current laws related to public schools, charter schools, daycare centers, and child-placing agencies. The overarching purpose of SB 471 requires child abuse and neglect training and policies in schools and child care facilities. Though entities who are impacted…
Why is SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS TRAINING so important?
Because it’s a foundational piece of an educational model meant to reduce risk. After years of litigating sexual abuse cases, we have concluded that effective prevention occurs only when employees and volunteers have ‘eyes to see and ears to hear’ common grooming behaviors. And it’s important that ALL employees and volunteers who work directly with…