Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 563a

  • Independent school: means a school other than a public school, which provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both. See
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • School board: means the board of school directors elected to manage the schools of a school district, the prudential committee of an incorporated school district, the supervisory union board of directors, and the supervisors of unorganized towns and gores. See
  • School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See

§ 563a. Prevention, identification, and reporting of child sexual abuse and sexual violence

Each school board of a school district and governing body of an approved or recognized independent school shall ensure that adults employed in the schools within its jurisdiction receive orientation, information, or instruction on the prevention, identification, and reporting of child sexual abuse, as defined in 33 V.S.A. § 4912(8), and sexual violence. This shall include information regarding the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, sexual violence, grooming processes, recognizing the dangers of child sexual abuse in and close to the home, and other predatory behaviors of sex offenders. The school board or governing body shall also provide opportunities for parents, guardians, and other interested persons to receive the same information. The Agencies of Education and of Human Services shall provide materials and technical support to any school board or governing body that requests assistance in implementing this section. (Added 2009, No. 1, § 9, eff. July 1, 2011; amended 2011, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 27, eff. May 16, 2012; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 70, eff. Feb. 14, 2014.)