Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

1 in 4 women and 1 in 20 men self-report having been sexually abused as children, almost always by someone they knew, trusted, or loved. 87% of sexual abuse cases are never reported. It is estimated that 93% of sexual abuse victims know their abusers. Additionally, 35-50% of abusers are less than 18 years of age.

What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Any sexual activity between an adult and a child or adolescent is abusive and illegal. It can also be sexual activity between two children of significantly unequal power and development caused by differences in age, size, or mental or physical development.

Child sexual abuse can include both touch and non-touching behaviors. Both are damaging to children and teens and both are against the law (Information gathered from EnoughAbuse.org Program Materials).

Resources

Erin’s Law

On May 27th, 2015, Governor Sandoval signed into law Senate Bill 394, also known as Erin’s Law. This law requires pupils in public schools to be provided with age-appropriate instruction in personal safety specified in the bill to mean “recognition of various hazards and dangers that are particular to children, including, without limitation, the danger associated with unsafe persons, both known and unknown to the child, abuse…and awareness of age-appropriate steps a child may take to avoid, lessen or alleviate those hazards and dangers, including, without limitation, reporting threats of harm to a responsible adult”. In an effort to assist schools with meeting this requirement, which will take full effect in 2020, with minimal disruption to instructional time and no cost to the schools Signs of Hope, Nevada Child Seekers, Prevent Child Abuse Nevada, Safe Nest, and members of law enforcement have assembled this information packet on violence prevention programs available to Clark County schools.

Violence Prevention Program Menus

• Elementary School Menu
• Middle School Menu
• High School Menu

2015 Nevada Public Opinion Survey on Child Sexual Abuse Quick Facts

• 8 out of 10 residents believe child sexual abuse is a serious problem in Nevada; 9 out of 10 citizens believe it is preventable.
• 94% agree that community-wide efforts to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect would be helpful in reducing child abuse and neglect.
• 93% believe adults and communities rather than children should take prime responsibility for preventing child sexual abuse.
• 92% of respondents agree there is a role for every person, neighborhood, group, organization, business, and entity to prevent child abuse and neglect.
• 92% of residents are confident that they would know how to respond appropriately if they suspected or knew that someone in their family or an acquaintance was physically or sexually abusing a child or teen.
• 43.8% of respondents knew nothing or very little about child sexual abuse.
• 65% of citizens surveyed said they would be willing to participate in local training to learn more about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it.
• Download the Quick Facts Sheet

Statewide Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse

The purpose of the Nevada Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse is to identify and implement strategies, goals, and recommendations for preventing child sexual abuse in Nevada.

For More Information about the Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, please visit the Task Force Website: Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Website