BILL ANALYSIS �
SCR 73
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SCR 73 (Yee)
As Amended May 25, 2012
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :25-12
EDUCATION 7-0
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|Ayes:|Brownley, Ammiano, | | |
| |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, | | |
| |Eng, Williams | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Encourages school districts to include age-appropriate
instruction related to child sexual abuse in the curriculum to
help pupils understand the difference between appropriate and
inappropriate conduct in situations where child sexual abuse
could occur. Specifically, this resolution :
1)Encourages school districts to provide pupils with resources
on how to handle these potentially dangerous situations.
2)Makes various findings and declarations relative to child
sexual abuse and its harmful effects.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by
the Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : This resolution encourages school districts to
include age-appropriate instruction related to child sexual
abuse in the curriculum in order to help pupils understand the
difference between appropriate and inappropriate conduct in
situations where child sexual abuse could occur.
According to the author, "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. Child sexual abuse can take place
within the home, by a parent, stepparent, sibling, or other
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relative, as well as outside of the home by a friend, neighbor,
child care person, teacher, or stranger."
Health framework: The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted
the Health Framework for California Schools in 2002, which
provides guidance on topics to cover in health education in
kindergarten and grades 1-12, inclusive. The framework includes
content on child abuse, including sexual exploitation and
outlines relevant grade-level concepts and expectations that may
be introduced. Some examples of the concepts and expectations
in the various grade levels include:
1)In kindergarten and grades 1-3: Develop and use communication
skills to tell others when touching is unwanted.
2)In grades 4-6: Identify ways of obtaining help to seek
assistance if worried, abused, or neglected, information on
how to resist sexual abuse or exploitation may also be
presented.
3)In middle school: Avoid, recognize and respond to negative
social influences and pressure to become sexually active,
including applying refusal skills when appropriate.
4)In high school: Develop and use assertiveness skills and
learn self-defense techniques. Be aware of and be able to
obtain help provided for those who have been sexually abused,
molested, or assaulted.
School districts are not required to follow the health content
standards nor the frameworks, and the Education Code is
permissive and school districts may already provide such
instruction. Therefore, the approach taken by the author in
introducing a resolution to encourage this type of instruction
is appropriate.
Prevention: Several previous legislative efforts have centered
on teen dating violence/abuse (TDV/A) awareness and prevention
and including within the curriculum instruction on TDV/A
prevention and the promotion of healthy relationships.
The language in this resolution focuses on instruction related
to child abuse and on providing pupils with resources on how to
handle potential child abuse situations, but this resolution
does not mention resources for purposes of prevention.
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Age-appropriate information on how to prevent potential
situations may also be helpful.
The author states, "This measure would declare that the
Legislature 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."
Related legislation: AB 1857 (Fong), of the current legislative
session, authorizes school districts to provide education
programs that promote healthy relationships and prevent teen
dating abuse through curricular, extracurricular, and school
climate improvement activities, as specified, and requires the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to post information about
model curriculum programs on the California Department of
Education's Internet Web site. AB 1857 was held in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004319