Sexual Harassment & Abuse

Read more about how schools respond to unwelcome sexual comments, gestures, or actions
An Instagram post with a reference to school shooting led to criminal charges for students at Findlay High School in Ohio.
An Instagram post with a reference to school shooting led to criminal charges for students at Findlay High School in Ohio.
School Climate & Safety 10 Social Media Controversies That Landed Students in Trouble This School Year
From shooting threats to Nazi chat groups, students have been punished by school officials for their posts on social media.
Benjamin Herold, July 6, 2017
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8 min read
School Climate & Safety Schools Using Smart Phone Technology Against Sex Assaults
The same technology that keeps kids glued to their smart phones is being used by some schools as protection against sexual assaults.
The Associated Press, May 22, 2017
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4 min read
School Climate & Safety How Should Schools Deal With Student Sexual Assaults?
Schools facing reports of student-on-student sexual assault long have been warned by the courts about potential monetary liabilities. The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has offered schools guidance on how to prevent and respond to such attacks.
The Associated Press, May 22, 2017
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety A Look at Student-on-Student Sex Abuse Verdicts, Settlements
The Associated Press reviewed verdicts and settlements across the country in lawsuits brought against schools over student-on-student sexual abuse.
The Associated Press, May 22, 2017
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5 min read
School Climate & Safety Growing Grassroots Movements Confronting School Sex Assault
A pair of Oregon school districts were intent on identifying warning signs that students might be contemplating a campus shooting when they stumbled on a threat far more pervasive yet much less discussed—sexual aggression among classmates.
The Associated Press, May 22, 2017
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10 min read
In 2012, the mother of a 2nd grade student at the school filed suit against the Downtown Miami Charter School in Miami, after she said she pleaded in vain for months for administrators to protect her son from sexual abuse by an older boy at the charter school. Eventually, the 7-year-old tried to kill himself by walking into traffic with his eyes closed, according to the family’s lawsuit.
In 2012, the mother of a 2nd grade student at the school filed suit against the Downtown Miami Charter School in Miami, after she said she pleaded in vain for months for administrators to protect her son from sexual abuse by an older boy at the charter school. Eventually, the 7-year-old tried to kill himself by walking into traffic with his eyes closed, according to the family’s lawsuit.
Alan Diaz/AP
School Climate & Safety Students Sexually Abused by Peers Face Struggles in Court
The barriers are formidable, and can lead to long, grueling fights: Public schools in many states enjoy powerful shields, including caps on damages if they lose a lawsuit and high legal hurdles to prove misconduct.
The Associated Press, May 22, 2017
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9 min read
Christopher Lee looks through a window secured by bars towards a barbed wire fence at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in St. Peter, Minn. Lee has been locked up in the program since 2005, four days before he turned 19.
Christopher Lee looks through a window secured by bars towards a barbed wire fence at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in St. Peter, Minn. Lee has been locked up in the program since 2005, four days before he turned 19.
Jim Mone/AP
School Climate & Safety Schools Face Vexing Test: Which Kids Will Sexually Attack?
Thousands of school-age offenders are treated annually for sexual aggression in the United States, yet experts see no standard profile of personality, background, or motivation.
The Associated Press, May 15, 2017
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4 min read
School Climate & Safety What Research Says About Student-on-Student Sex Assault
The true extent of student-on-student sexual assault in elementary and secondary schools is unclear. There are no national requirements for schools to track and disclose such incidents, as there are for colleges and universities, and sexual violence in general is widely under-reported.
The Associated Press, May 2, 2017
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3 min read
School Climate & Safety Stats Revealed by AP Investigation of Student Sex Assaults
As part of its project tracking student-on-student sexual assaults, The Associated Press analyzed a national database of crime information collected by the FBI. The data also contains demographic details not available from state education agencies.
The Associated Press, May 2, 2017
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2 min read
School Climate & Safety What Parents Can Do in Cases of Student Sex Assault
What can parents do if they believe their child has been the victim of sexual abuse at school?
The Associated Press, May 2, 2017
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety How the AP Tracked Student-on-Student Sex Assault
Sexual assault on college campuses has made headlines for years, but The Associated Press sought to determine whether it also is a problem among younger students and, if so, to what extent.
The Associated Press, May 2, 2017
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2 min read
School Climate & Safety Student Sex-Assault Reports, State-by-State
Most states track student sexual assaults, though methods are inconsistent and reporting sometimes incomplete, the Associated Press found in a year-long investigation.
The Associated Press, May 1, 2017
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18 min read
School Climate & Safety Kindergarteners Among Youngest Victims of Sex Assault by Students
About 5 percent of all sexual attacks reported on school property in a recent two-year period happened to 5 and 6 year olds, according to the AP analysis.
The Associated Press, May 1, 2017
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8 min read
Chaz walks down Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine, on Feb. 24. Chaz has testified that he was raped by other kids three times in his first year in junior high, even after repeatedly complaining of harassment to teachers and administrators. Chaz’s saga is more than a tale of escalating bullying. Across the U.S., thousands of students have been sexually assaulted, by other students, in high schools, junior highs, and even elementary schools—a hidden horror educators have long been warned not to ignore.
Chaz walks down Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine, on Feb. 24. Chaz has testified that he was raped by other kids three times in his first year in junior high, even after repeatedly complaining of harassment to teachers and administrators. Chaz’s saga is more than a tale of escalating bullying. Across the U.S., thousands of students have been sexually assaulted, by other students, in high schools, junior highs, and even elementary schools—a hidden horror educators have long been warned not to ignore.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
School Climate & Safety AP Investigation Reveals Hidden Horror of Sex Assaults by K-12 Students
Across the U.S., thousands of students have been sexually assaulted by other students in high schools, junior highs, and even elementary schools—a hidden horror educators have long been warned not to ignore.
The Associated Press, May 1, 2017
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22 min read
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