2021 MOSHAPE Convention

Nationally, approximately one in four girls and one in 13 boys experience sexual abuse at some point in childhood (CDC, 2020a). In Missouri, there were 5,225 substantiated cases of child abuse and/or neglect in Fiscal Year 2019, 34 percent of which were cases of sexual abuse Missouri Children’s Division, 2020). Additionally, in 2019 Missouri Child Advocacy Centers served over 9,000 children, 6,050 of whom reported sexual abuse (National Children’s Alliance, 2020).
Unfortunately, these statistics tell us that whether you work with youth, are raising your children, or simply a member of a community, it is probable that someone you know and care for has experienced child sexual abuse.

In 2019, the Missouri State Legislature passed a requirement for school districts to provide “trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate sexual abuse training to students in all grades not lower than sixth grade” in the school year 2020- 21 and in each school year thereafter. To successfully implement this requirement, school districts need to bring together a variety of stakeholders- health and physical education educators are key players in this process.

If your district is trying to assess how to meet this mandate, this session will provide guidance on how to assess your current curriculum/practices to evaluate where your district may already be meeting the mandate. For areas where the standard is not being met, resources and referrals to community organizations who can support your district’s child sexual abuse prevention work will be provided. Developing and implementing child sexual abuse prevention education can only be achieved through a collaborative effort. Participating in this session will provide you with the information, tools and resources needed to bring a team together in your district to implement trauma informed child sexual abuse prevention training.