Tex.
Educ. Code Section 28.017
Instruction on Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking
(a)
The commissioner, in cooperation with the human trafficking prevention task force created under Section 402.035 (Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force), Government Code, and any other persons the commissioner considers appropriate, shall develop one or more sexual abuse and sex trafficking instructional modules that a school district may use in the district’s health curriculum. The modules may include:(1)
information on the different forms of sexual abuse and assault, sex trafficking, and risk factors for sex trafficking;(2)
the procedures for reporting sexual abuse and sex trafficking or suspected sexual abuse or sex trafficking;(3)
strategies for sexual abuse and assault prevention and overcoming peer pressure;(4)
information on establishing healthy boundaries for relationships, recognizing potentially abusive or harmful relationships, and avoiding high-risk activities;(5)
the recruiting tactics of sex traffickers and peer recruiters, including recruitment through the Internet;(6)
the legal aspects of sexual abuse and sex trafficking under state and federal law; and(7)
the influence of culture and mass media on perceptions of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, including stereotypes and myths about victims and abusers, victim blaming, and the role of language.(b)
The module or modules developed under Subsection (a) must emphasize compassion for victims of sexual abuse or sex trafficking and the creation of a positive reentry experience for survivors of sexual abuse or sex trafficking into schools.(c)
Before the beginning of each school year, a school district that elects to use a module developed under Subsection (a) in the district’s health curriculum shall provide written notice to the parent of each student enrolled in the district that includes the following:(1)
a statement that the district will provide instruction relating to sexual abuse and sex trafficking awareness to students enrolled in the district;(2)
a description of the material that will be used in providing instruction to students; and(3)
a statement that the parent has the right to review the material and remove the parent’s student from the instruction.(d)
If a school district does not comply with the requirements of Subsection (c), a parent of a student enrolled in the district may file a complaint in accordance with the district’s grievance procedure developed under Section 26.011 (Complaints).
Source:
Section 28.017 — Instruction on Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.28.htm#28.017 (accessed Jun. 5, 2024).
