California § 51950 - Except as required by subdivision (d), a school district may provide abuse, inclu

§ 51950. Except as required by subdivision (d), a school district may provide abuse, inclu

(a) Except as required by subdivision (d), a school district may provide abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking prevention education. (b) For purposes of this section, “abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking prevention education” means instruction on the prevalence and nature of abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking, strategies to reduce risk, techniques to set healthy boundaries, and how to safely seek assistance. (c) The Superintendent, in consultation with the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services, local educational agencies, and public entity risk pool joint powers authorities that provide risk management services to California schools, shall do all of the following: (1) On or before July 1, 2026, develop, disseminate to all school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department, and private schools, and post on the department’s internet website, resources and information regarding all of the following: (A) Building awareness and understanding of appropriate boundaries regarding adult-to-pupil interactions and relationships. (B) Building awareness and understanding of appropriate professional boundaries between pupils and school personnel and volunteers. (C) Building awareness and understanding of appropriate pupil-to-pupil interactions and relationships. (D) Building awareness and understanding of the detection and indicators of inappropriate behaviors in adults and pupils, and strategies to reduce risk and establish healthy boundaries. (E) Options to report child abuse and assault, and inappropriate interactions and relationships, and to safely seek assistance. (2) On or before July 1, 2026, develop guidance on the appropriate means of instructing pupils regarding the prevention of abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, of pupils, consistent with all of the following: (A) The instruction shall be age appropriate and differentiated by grade and instructional setting. (B) The instruction shall include the prevention of abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, of children at home, in the community, on school grounds, by school personnel, other pupils, and school volunteers, or in school-sponsored programs. (C) The instruction shall be delivered by certificated personnel who do not otherwise have regular contact with the pupils receiving the instruction and who have received training described in subdivision (h). (d) School districts, county offices of education, charter schools, state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department, and private schools may provide annual instruction, using the resources, information, and guidance developed and disseminated by the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (c), to all enrolled pupils. (e) A parent or guardian of a pupil shall have the right to excuse their child from all or part of abuse, including sexual abuse, and human trafficking prevention education, and assessments related to that education, and from the instruction described in subdivision (d), consistent with Section 51938. (f) The Superintendent may make available on the department’s internet website information about the education described in this section, resources on abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking prevention for professional learning purposes, and relevant materials for parents, guardians, and other caretakers of pupils. (g) A school district is encouraged to collaborate with its county’s child welfare probation, mental health, public health, and sheriff’s departments, juvenile court, and office of education on intervention programs for pupils and other minors. (h) As part of satisfying the requirements of Section 51934 that education be provided by instructors trained in the appropriate courses, as defined in Section 51931, continuation training shall be available and conducted periodically to enable school district personnel to learn about new developments in the understanding of abuse, including sexual abuse and assault, and human trafficking, and to receive instruction on current prevention efforts and methods. A school district is encouraged to include training on early identification of abuse, including sexual abuse, and human trafficking of pupils and other minors.