BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: SCR 73
AUTHOR: Yee
INTRODUCED: March 13, 2012
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: May 16, 2012
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Child sexual abuse curriculum.
SUMMARY
This resolution encourages school districts to include
instruction related to child sexual abuse in the
curriculum.
BACKGROUND
The Health Framework, adopted by the State Board of
Education on March 6, 2002, includes references to child
sexual abuse, including rape and sexual exploitation.
ANALYSIS
This resolution encourages schools to include instruction
related to child sexual abuse in the curriculum.
Specifically, this resolution:
1) Encourages school districts to include instruction
related to child sexual abuse in their curriculum in
order to help pupils understand the difference between
appropriate and inappropriate conduct in situations
where child sexual abuse could occur, and to provide
pupils with resources on how to handle these
potentially dangerous situations.
2) States several findings and declarations relative to
the indicators, effects and treatment of child sexual
abuse.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the resolution . According to the author,
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"Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000
times a year, but the number of unreported instances
is far greater because the children are afraid to tell
anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for
validating an episode is difficult. The effects of
sexual abuse extend far beyond childhood."
2) Permissive Education Code . This resolution encourages
an action that can currently be undertaken pursuant to
existing law. While unnecessary to add to statute,
this approach is appropriate for a resolution.
3) Age appropriate . This bill encourages school
districts to include instruction related to child
sexual abuse in the curriculum. This bill does not
specify that the instruction must be age appropriate;
presumably school districts would ensure that such
instruction is appropriate for the pupils receiving
that instruction. Staff recommends an amendment to
specify that any instruction related to child sexual
abuse be age appropriate.
4) Related legislation . ACR 125 (Beall) acknowledges
April 2012 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and
includes references to child sexual abuse but is not
specific to pupil instruction. ACR 125 is pending in
the Senate.
5) Prior legislation . SB 13 (Correa, 2011) would have
required schools that elect to provide teen dating
violence prevention education to ensure that the
instruction meets certain criteria, and requires the
State Board of Education to incorporate teen dating
violence and sexual violence curriculum into the
health curriculum framework. SB 13 failed passage in
this Committee.
AB 578 (Honda, 2000) would have required the Superintendent
of Public Instruction to develop training standards
for teachers on domestic violence and sexual assault
recognition and appropriate prevention responses. This
bill stipulated the use of these standards as optional
for school districts. AB 578 was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
ACR 32 (Harkey, Res. Ch. 64, 2011) declared April 29, 2011,
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as the day of the annual Talk About Abuse to Liberate
Kids (TAALK) -a-Thon sponsored by TAALK, and
encourages all adults in California to be
knowledgeable and outspoken about the prevention of
child sexual abuse.
SUPPORT
None on file.
OPPOSITION
None on file.