Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive public health problem. If left undetected, CSA can result in immediate and long-term health problems, which can be mitigated through early identification. Schools are an ideal environment to implement screening measures, and school nurses (SN) are uniquely poised to intervene and respond early. The aim of…

Sex trafficking of minors is a significant problem across North America, with sizeable numbers of youth being directly or indirectly manipulated into being exploited or trafficked. Identification of these youth remains difficult, in part because of a lack of knowledge about common characteristics and in part because of victims' reluctance engaging…

In "Organizational Betrayal," educational researcher Charol Shakeshaft advocates a system-wide approach for safeguarding K-12 students against educator sexual misconduct. She shows that practical interventions such as simply asking questions can advance the safety of children. Based on decades of inquiry into cases of student abuse in…

When caregivers experience childhood maltreatment, their children may bear increased risk for maltreatment as well. Teachers have frequent opportunities to observe child behavior in the classroom and are likely to notice symptoms of maltreatment and have opportunities to intervene. Thus, teacher identification of PTSD may serve an important…

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a growing concern around the world. Education about this concern is a key component to preventing further occurrences. The Committee for Children found few educational models in U.S. schools. School counselors play a significant role in preventing, identifying, and connecting students to community…

Child abuse recognition and the protection of children is a global concern. In Sweden, the role of the school nurse (SN) is to promote schoolchildren's health and development and to identify and prevent harm. The aim of this study was to describe Swedish SN experiences of suspecting, identifying, and reporting child abuse and to compare them with…

From sexist comments and harassment through to contact offences, schools are locations where young people experience sexual abuse from peers. This paper reports findings of a multi-site study into levers for preventing peer-sexual abuse in educational settings in England. Data gathered through practice observations, case and policy reviews and…

Sexual abuse is a public health issue with long-term consequences for children's lives and education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a key reference point in safeguarding, increasingly incorporated into domestic law. This article aims to strengthen safeguarding theory and practice by reviewing human rights education (HRE) theory and…

In 2017 the California Legislature, recognizing the efficacy of education as a trafficking prevention tool, enacted the first state law in the Union mandating anti-trafficking education in the 7th through 12th grade public school curriculum. Set against the backdrop of Congress' Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, this article examines…

This study investigated personal and professional predictors of professional school counselors' (N = 220) accurate recognition and appropriate reporting of child sexual abuse. Additionally, this study examined instances when school counselors suspected child sexual abuse but intentionally elected not to report it and explored considerations that…

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a form of childhood sexual abuse involving the sexual exploitation of youth for economic gain. School-based CSEC prevention efforts have increased in recent years. While these efforts represent important progress in school-based efforts to prevent CSEC, the literature indicates that they…

Objective: This study examined the moderating and mediating effects of perceived social support on the association between precollege sexual assault (SA) and college-onset SA. Participants: A representative sample of 6,132 undergraduates. Methods: The PLUM procedure in SPSS was used to test the moderation model, with individual regressions…

In every state in the U.S., students have been victims of sexual abuse at the hands of teachers and other adults at schools. Charol Shakeshaft asks why educators, policy makers, and others connected with schools haven't done more to address this problem but have instead looked the other way, sometimes even allowing colleagues to quietly transfer…

As part of a wider study, this paper reports on Australian educators' understanding of children's typical and problematic sexual behaviour and their source of training in this area. A sample of 107 educators from government, independent and Catholic primary schools, preschools and care organisations across Australia answered an online…

The social justice issue of human sex trafficking is a global form of oppression that places men, women and children at risk for sexual exploitation. Although a body of research exists on the topics of human trafficking, literature specific to the mental health implications for counselors working with this population is limited. Counselors should…