Implementing AB 1913 will support schools in proactively preventing child abuse

OPINION – The stories of child abuse are heartbreaking and devastating. Responses to those stories are often something along the lines of, “How could this have happened?”

Those kinds of responses are completely justifiable, yet often reactionary and in vain—the child has already suffered.

Public policy in California has long been focused on the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect. All children deserve safety, justice and to be advocated for, always. But in many ways, this has been too little, too late—emphasizing what to do after the abuse of a child has already occurred.

We are grateful that California will soon focus on preventing child abuse before it happens. That’s why we supported Assembly Bill 1913—the Child Abuse Prevention Act—and why we’re pleased that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into effect. This bill, authored by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo), will help make California a national leader in proactively keeping schools safe and advance important efforts to prevent harm to our state’s children.

In 2016 alone, child protective services agencies across the country substantiated, or found strong evidence to indicate that, over 57,000 children were victims of sexual abuse. About 93% of victims knew their abuser, according to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. The majority of sexual assault victims are under the age of 30. Abuse can and does happen anywhere, most often at or near the victim’s home, but we know that there are abusers who take advantage of the reputation and public trust of schools.

While critical that these victims were identified and supported and that child protective services investigated, the effects of the abuse will often be long-lasting. Victims of childhood sexual abuse are four times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse and experience PTSD as adults, according to a study published in the scholarly journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

As it stands, California public school personnel must take mandated reporter training every school year. Mandated reporters are those who are legally required to report suspected child abuse and neglect. That includes school staff, medical professionals and law enforcement. The training covers what the law requires of mandated reporters, how to spot indicators of child abuse, how to talk to children about abuse and how to make a report. It’s a valuable training and is absolutely necessary, but it focuses on reacting to existing abuse.

With the governor’s signature on AB 1913, California can begin to supplement this training and provide mandated reporters with additional education—helping them proactively spot the signs of grooming and potential abuse. This education will give school personnel the tools to recognize abuse before it occurs or escalates, in addition to their training on responding to existing abuse. It will require that all Local Education Agencies in California add this supplemental training into their annual mandated reporter training, which can include trainings from resources like CharterSAFE and Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF).

We know that the adults who work in schools, first and foremost, care deeply about the wellbeing of children. The bill was supported by many of those adults, including the California Teachers Association, the Association of California School Administrators, the School Employers Association of California, the California Association of Joint Powers Authority and SELF, among others. These adults are on the front lines of creating a safe and joyful learning environment—making it necessary that they have the knowledge and skills to look out for children.

This type of proactive training, which emphasizes early detection and prevention of abuse, is helpful for the long-term mental health and wellbeing of children. According to the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, this effort would “not only aid in the early detection of potential abuse cases but also foster an environment where children feel safe and protected.”

Because the mandated reporter training already exists and is provided across the state, this additional training is straightforward to implement. It’s a rounding out of the existing mandated reporter training, rather than requiring an entirely new infrastructure.

We want children in California to be safe, protected and nurtured. We want more people to be able to say, “We prevented that from happening,” rather than “How could this have happened?” With AB 1913, we know we’re taking a strong step in that direction. By signing the legislation and prioritizing its implementation, the governor has done right by California’s educators and students.

Thuy Wong is the president and CEO of CharterSAFE, a public charter school insurance pool dedicated to empowering charter schools with a strong understanding of school hazards and approach to risk management while providing customized insurance solutions. 

Dave George is the CEO of the Schools Excess Liability Fund, a public school excess liability pool that provides quality risk management solutions to schools and the students they serve.