Child Welfare: Federal Agencies Can Better Support State Efforts To Prevent & Respond To Sexual Abuse By School Personnel. GAO-14-42

The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed national efforts to prevent sexual abuse of students by school personnel in public elementary and secondary schools. For its analysis, the GAO examined state and school district steps to prevent abuse, their reporting requirements, and their approaches for investigating allegations, and federal efforts to prevent abuse. Federal law prohibits sexual abuse in federally funded education programs and sets minimum reporting standards, but the GAO found that states and school districts are not fully meeting their responsibilities defined in federal law. States and school districts differ significantly in the ways they handle background checks . . .