Schools need to monitor dangerous student conduct before an attack occurs
Schools should be a safe-haven for children to learn, play, and develop skills that will enhance their lives. Sadly, this is not the reality for hundreds of thousands of children each year who suffer sexual abuse at an educational institution. While many instances of sexual abuse in schools are perpetrated by adults, it is also all too possible for children to be sexually abused by other students. The Los Angeles student sexual abuse lawyers at Justice For Abuse can help your child and family through this traumatic experience.
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Student-on-student sexual violence in California
Cases involving sexual abuse between teachers and students often grab headlines, but student-on-student abuse happens far more often than we think it does. Between 2011 and 2015, more than 17,000 reports of sexual assault between K-12 students were filed throughout the country.
California reported 4,630 of those assaults, which the state defined as “any forcible oral, anal, or vaginal penetration, lewd behavior with someone 15 or younger, and unwanted intimate touching throughout or under clothes for arousal or gratification.” What the state did not record was which schools were involved, or what districts filed reports.
Online sexual abuse is still abuse
Physical sexual assault, such as rape or forced oral copulation, is easier for many parents to understand: you cannot touch someone without his or her consent. But what do you do if your child is being abused or harassed online?
In some cases, the school may be held liable if your child was the victim of online sexual bullying. This can include:
- Sending or requesting nude pictures or videos
- Creating “deep fakes” of your child performing sex acts, and then using those pictures/videos to extort your child, or to humiliate your child (“sexploitation”)
- Leaving sexual comments on social media pages
- Harassing your child about gender identity, sexual preference, or the way his or her body looks
- “Doxing” your child (sharing out personal information)
Holding California schools accountable for their role in abuse
Teachers and administrators are obligated to create an environment in which every student is protected from harm. Allowing students to suffer sexual abuse at the hands of other students is simply unacceptable, and schools must be held accountable for their role in such tragedies.
Sexual bullying and hazing are prevalent
In 2018, a student at Don Lugo High School in Chino was held on the ground while football players simulated sex acts. The sexual hazing was caught on video, which showed that there was no supervision by faculty or staff during the attack. When the school district investigated, the school board decided not to hold the coach accountable for that lack of supervision.
All too often, lack of supervision allows these types of hazing cultures to continue – and all too often, no adults are held accountable for their role in doing so. Our California sexual bullying lawyers fight to ensure that all parties are held to account for their actions or inactions, in these cases.
Special needs children and sexual abuse
Children with special needs are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse from other children. Our firm has achieved victories for many children with special needs who suffered sexual abuse from other students, including a $3 million settlement for a student who was sexually assaulted by his male classmate and a $1 million settlement for a girl with special needs who was sexually assaulted by two boys while riding a bus.
The effects of sexual abuse on children
Child sexual abuse can negatively impact the child’s education, future job performance, future earnings, physical, and psychological health and sometimes serves as a catalyst for unhealthy relationship patterns in the future. This is true no matter how old your child, or the perpetrator, is.
According to the American Psychological Association, the initial or short-term effects of abuse usually occur within two years after the abuse subsides. These effects vary depending upon the circumstances of the abuse and the child’s developmental stage, but may include regressive behaviors (such as a return to thumb-sucking or bedwetting), sleep disturbances, eating problems, behavior and/or performance problems at school, and nonparticipation in school and social activities.
How Justice For Abuse fights for victims of student sexual abuse
The Los Angeles child sexual abuse attorneys at the law firm of Justice For Abuse have successfully represented sexual abuse victims who were abused at school by other students, holding the perpetrator and the school and/or school district accountable, resulting in multimillion-dollar settlements. We will:
- Ensure your child gets the medical attention he or she needs
- Work with outside experts, such as counselors or doctors
- Handle all media requests to ensure your child’s privacy is upheld
- Monitor all social media activity regarding your child, as well as any trending stories
- Handle all depositions and witness interviews
These types of cases can become high-profile cases very quickly. You deserve a team who knows how to stay cool under pressure, yet still treats you and your child with the discretion and dignity you all deserve.
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