JLF-R-REPORTING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT- ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
The Board recognizes that Maine law requires every school unit with a Pre-K through 5th grade program to adopt a policy for child sexual abuse prevention education and response. The Board adopts this policy in the interest of promoting the well-being of students and providing a supportive learning environment as well as compliance with the law.
For the purpose of this policy, “child sexual abuse” means any sexual engagement either through “hand on” or “hands off” activities between an adult and a child. Sexual engagement between children can also be sexual abuse when there is a significant age difference between the children involved or if the children are very different in development, size, or other power differential.
I. REPORTING CHILD SEXUALABUSE ABUSEAND NEGLECT-
A.ADMINISTRATIVE AnyPROCEDURE
This procedure implements the Board’s policy JLF – Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect. It summarizes the steps to be taken when a school employee suspects that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected.
The “notifying person” refers to any employee of the school unit who has reasonthe information that gives rise to suspectthe reasonable suspicion that a child has been sexuallyor is likely to be abused or neglected and is required by law or Board policy to report it.
A. The notifying person should immediately notify the building principal or other designated agent.agent
In addition to notifyingof thebuildingsuspectedprincipal/designatedabuseagent,ortheneglect.employeeThe person mayalso make a report directly tonotify the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) directly, and if appropriate, the District Attorney (DA).Neither the employeeprincipal orvolunteer nor the building principal/designated agent shouldattemptimmediatelyto further question or interviewnotify thechildSuperintendent.norotherwise undertake an investigation.
B. The
Schoolbuilding volunteers who have reason to suspect that a child has been sexually abused may report their suspicions directly to DHHS.
B. If the reporting employee or volunteer does not receive written confirmation from theThe building principal/designated agent or Superintendent withinshould 24immediately hours of their report thatmake a report hasby been madetelephone to DHHS, theand employeeif orrequested volunteerby shallDHHS, makeshould an immediate report directly to DHHS. In such cases, the employee or volunteer shall then completeprovide a copywritten report of the schoolsuspected unit’sabuse Suspectedor Childneglect Abuseto andDHHS Neglectwithin Reporting48 Formhours. (JLF-E). If the person suspected of abuse or neglect is not the parent, guardian or other custodian of the child, the building principal or Superintendent shall also make a report to the DA.
C. If the reporting employee or volunteer does receive written confirmation from theThe building principal/designated agent or Superintendent should send a written confirmation containing the name of the person reporting, the date and time of the report and a summary of the information to the notifying person.
D. The notifying person should acknowledge in writing that he/she has received the confirmation that the report has been made by the principal or designated agent.
E. The confirmation and acknowledgement should be retained in the school’s records.
F. If the notifying person has not received written confirmation within 24 hours of theirmaking his/her report (i.e., a copy of the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Form (JLF-E), they shall sign the form as acknowledgement that the report was made and return it to the building principal/administratorprincipal or Superintendent.
D.agent Thehas administrator reporting and confirmation duties shall be the same as provided in Section III of the Board’s policy JLF, Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect.
II. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL
All school personnel shall be required to completecaused a minimum of one hour of training in child sexual abuse awareness and prevention, with trainingreport to be updatedmade atto leastDHHS onceand, everyif fourappropriate, yearsthe thereafter.DA, Newthe employeesnotifying mustperson completeshall trainingimmediately within six months of hire.
Training must be “evidence-informed” (i.e., based on research and best practices) and delivered bymake a qualifiedreport instructorto (i.e.,DHHS aand, personif with appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience or training in child sexual abuse awareness and prevention). The trainer may be an employee or volunteer with an agency/organization specializing in sexual assault and/or child sexual abuse or an employee ofappropriate, the schoolDA. unit (e.g., school social worker, guidance counselor, school nurse, health educator) who has received appropriate training from such an agency/organization.
The goals of the training for school personnel are:
• Increased awareness of developmentally appropriate and inappropriate sexual behaviors in children;
• Increased ability to recognize indicators of child sexual abuse;
• Enhanced ability to respond effectively when a student or student’s friend or peer discloses sexual activity or the staff member suspects child sexual abuse has occurred; and
• Awareness of local resources available to students, parents, schools, and community members, and how these resources may be accessed.
Training should also address confidentiality/disclosure concerns (beyond the mandated reporting).
III. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION EDUCATION IN THE PRE-K THROUGH 5TH GRADE CURRICULUM
The school unit will provide child sexual abuse prevention programming to its Pre-K through grade 5 students. Such instruction will be aligned with the health education standards of Maine’s system of Learning Results for this grade span, and incorporated into the written school health education curriculum.
Programming of appropriate scope and sequence will be delivered by qualified instructors, who may be from a local or regional agency/organization with experience and expertise in sexual assault and child sexual abuse of by a school unit employee deemed competent by the Superintendent/designee to deliver such instruction. If the instructor is a school unit employee, the Board anticipates that this will be a person with the knowledge, skills, sensitivity and “comfort level” necessary to deliver the curriculum in the classroom setting, i.e., school nurse, school social worker, guidance counselor, or teacher with experience in health education. Any instructor who is a school employee is expected to take full advantage of the evidence-informed educational resources available on websites hosted by the DOE and/or MECASA. Any instructor who is a school employee should be familiar with the local community-based agencies/organizations that provide assistance or services to children and families that are experiencing or have experienced sexual assault or child sexual abuse.
It is the intent that the curriculum, as delivered in the classroom, will:
• Include age-appropriate education regarding physical and personal boundaries; including biologically accurate body terminology;
• Help children identify unsafe or uncomfortable situations including a range of feelings, touches, or violations of physical boundaries;
• Help children identify safe adults with whom they can talk about unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
• Help children identify and develop skills to support a friend who may be experiencing unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
• Inform students of multiple ways they can report concerns including in person, by phone, email, online reporting tools, or other technology-based communication methods.
Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA §§ 254(18), 4502(5-C)
22 MRSA §4011-A
20-A MRSA §§ 5051-A(1)(C); 5051-A(2)(C)
20 USC § 1232g, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Cross Reference: JLF – Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
JLF-E – Suspected Child Abuse/Abuse and Neglect Report Form
Adopted: May 20, 2019
Revised: June 15, 2026