Sexual Violence In Our Schools K-12

September 1, 2021

Sexual harassment and violence in K-12 schools is also a very real issue and significantly under reported. The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights data collection reported sexual violence in schools rose over 50% from approximately 9600 reports in the 2015-16 school year to almost 15,000 in the 2017-18 school year.  Many parents and kids are often unaware of the protections Title IX mandates for students in grades K through 12 in schools receiving federal funding. Additionally, it is more common for administrators at this level to be unaware of what their obligations are under federal law and often lack qualified Title IX coordinators.

Ultimately, this leaves us with a serious lack of reliable data to fully understand the issue and what needs to be done to prevent sexual violence in our children’s schools and poorly trained staff in charge of whatever prevention efforts are currently in place.

Joining us, to help us better understand the full scope of the issue, is Heidi Goldstein, the board chair for Stop Sexual Assault In Schools, a non-profit organization that was specifically created to address sexual harassment/assault and K-12 students’ rights. She is also a member of the Berkley Unified School District Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee, and an adult advisor to the student grassroots advocacy organization, BHS Stop Harassing.

 

Topics Covered Include:

  • What led to the formation of BHS Stop Harassing and what the students have been doing?
  • Why are schools failing to let parents and students know what their rights and protections are under Title IX?
  • What are the biggest compliance challenges for K-12 schools and why are they happening
  • What is the Sexual Harassment: Not In Our School program and how does it work
  • What can parents and students do to advocate for themselves and prevent sexual violence in their schools?

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