Over the past several years, many states, including Illinois, have passed laws with the intent of increasing awareness of child sexual abuse. You may have heard of this legislation under its more common name, Erin’s Law, in honor of Erin Merryn, a brave young woman who has advocated across the country for laws that increase awareness of this crime against children.
One of the requirements of Erin’s Law is that schools provide an age-appropriate curriculum to all students focused on personal body safety and sexual abuse prevention. Lessons may include a variety of discussions, activities, videos, and role play scenarios. The purpose of presenting these lessons in school is to provide children with the information and tools needed for personal safety in a nurturing and caring environment open for disclosure of any incidents.
The lessons presented to our students meet the requirements of Erin’s Law and will focus on the following concepts:
- Safe and unsafe touch
- The “Ask First Rule” (Example: Asking parents/guardians before going to a friend’s house.)
- How to say “No” and tell a trusted adult
Nationwide, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be the victim of child sexual abuse by the age of 18. Through this program aimed at educating and empowering students, we want to provide your child with knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe.
District 158 believes that all of our students benefit from participating in this program. For further details about Erin’s Law lessons, please reach out to your child’s school.
Additional parent/guardian resources can also be found at www.erinslaw.org.
