What Are Rights If My Child Was Sexually Abused in School?
When you send your child off to school, you expect that they will be safe and secure. Teachers, administrators, and others are supposed to keep your child from harm while in their care. Unfortunately, children are not always safe when they are at school. Alarmingly, about 1 in 10 children will be a victim of sexual abuse by the time they reach the age of 18. As a parent, you may wonder what rights you have if your child is sexually abused in school. An experienced California child sexual abuse attorney will help you seek justice for the violation.
What is Child Sexual Abuse?
Child sexual abuse encompasses a broad category of crimes. Sexual assault includes a variety of acts, such as rape, sodomy, oral sex, and more. Assault occurs when the child is touched inappropriately with part of the body or an object. This includes penetration, sexual contact, or intentional touching of a child’s genitals or private areas. In addition, masturbating in front of a child also falls under the general category of sexual assault.
Sexual exploitation happens when an adult persuades a child to participate in sexual acts or uses photos of a child for sexual purposes. Commercial exploitation includes child sex trafficking, in which an adult provides a child with money or other items to persuade them to participate in sexual acts. Children of any age can be victims of child sexual abuse.
What Happened At School?
Child sexual abuse crimes often go unreported. Some children are afraid to come forward when something happens. Other times, a child may not be sure that what occurred was wrong or or that you child was sexually abused. Young children may be unable to verbalize these matters. However, a child may show signs of sexual abuse. Some of these signs are changes in routines, new fears, bedwetting, sleep issues, and compulsions, among others. A child may be fearful of attending school. If you notice some new and alarming behaviors in your child, it could be due to the occurrence of sexual abuse.
Legal Rights if Your Child Was Sexually Abused.
If you learn that your child is the victim of sexual abuse at school, you are likely feeling betrayed and devastated. You have some legal rights that you should be aware of in cases of child sexual assault. There are two potential legal processes you can pursue in the matter. Report the abuse to the police. You may also file a civil claim. California Law AB 218 is legislation that expanded the statute of limitations to allow child sexual abuse victims a longer time frame to file a claim. It is important to note that more than one person may be held accountable for child sexual abuse. The school could be held responsible, as well as the abuser because the institution failed to uphold its duty of care. A child sexual abuse attorney will help sort out the situation, gather evidence, and vigorously seek justice for your child.
Child sexual abuse is a traumatic event in your family. If you believe your child is a victim of sexual abuse at school, contact our compassionate California child sexual abuse law firm at Beck Law, P.C., at (707) 576-7175 to discuss your case today.
