Child exploitation includes many human-caused threats — child sex trafficking and human trafficking, sextortion and online enticement, commercial sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material, and adult sexual misconduct (ASM) — and can manifest in schools in various ways. For example, instances of child exploitation could occur on or via school grounds, school-issued devices, school buses, or school networks; during school-sponsored extracurricular activities; on the way to/from school; and at home. No matter where ASM takes place, education agencies and key personnel, including school safety planning teams, school counselors, school social workers, or school psychologists, should be prepared to help ensure students get academic and behavioral health support.

Education agencies can take the first step to protect students from ASM by developing or revising child exploitation-related annexes, such as an ASM Annex or a Sextortion Annex. The range of behaviors that may be considered ASM (from inappropriate to illegal) underlines the importance of clear policies and procedures that document the responsibilities of specific staff members for preventing ASM or the appearance of ASM. Behaviors considered ASM are subject to interpretation; therefore, these “gray areas” should be spelled out in school and school district policies, including instances in which it directly ties into child trafficking and sextortion. Guidance may be found in A Training Guide for Administrators and Educators on Addressing Adult Sexual Misconduct in the School Setting. The REMS TA Center offers the following resources on addressing and preventing ASM:

• Module in the Specialized Training Package;
• Online Course; and
• Train-the-Educator Live Training by Request.

We have recently updated our ASM Live Training by Request topic to include additional information on mandated reporting, psychological first aid, aiding and abetting perpetrators of ASM, and virtual classrooms. Request this training topic for your education agency by using the link below.

There are many steps that schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) can take to improve both the internal emergency preparedness capacity of the school or IHE, as well as that of the surrounding community, and not all have to be complex or time intensive. One great way to start is to distribute the REMS TA Center’s NEW glossary, “Key Terms in School and Higher Ed Emergency Management Planning,” to members of the core planning team as a part of Step 1 in the six-step planning process of EOP development. The Key Terms Glossary is a useful tool for familiarizing team members, including staff members and community partners, with emergency management topics, terms, and concepts and ensuring they are using the same language throughout the planning process.

Beyond planning team members, schools and IHEs can also increase the preparedness of the greater school or campus community by joining the Resolve to Be Ready initiative. Led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this initiative encourages individuals and families to make a resolution to improve their preparedness for a range of emergencies. Use the social media toolkit that contains preparedness tips, graphics, and social media content that can be customized and improve individuals’ understanding of basic emergency preparedness concepts. This month and into the new year, consider distributing the REMS TA Center’s Key Terms Glossary to staff members and engaging in the Resolve to Be Ready initiative with the broader community using the hashtag #ResolveToBeReady.

Over the last decade, the number of charter schools in the United States has increased from 5,000 to 7,500, doubling student enrollment to more than 3 million students. The REMS TA Center provides free services and products to all schools, including charter schools! Likewise, the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide) is intended for individuals and planning teams at charter schools and other K-12 non-public schools. The School Guide shares planning principles, the six-step planning process, and the plan content that charter schools can use to develop high-quality EOPs to help ensure their campuses and students are safe. To expand upon the guidance, the REMS TA Center recently released a NEW fact sheet, “Charter Schools: Emergency Management Planning for All Settings,” that tailors the six-step planning process to the specific needs of charter schools, many of which may not operate in traditional school buildings and have unique considerations.

The fact sheet encourages charter schools to form strong community partnerships during their safety planning efforts, engaging students and families, first responders, and other public service agencies. These partnerships are critical not only for emergency management planning, but also for ensuring there is a collective process for responding to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of the students in the building, before, during, and after an incident occurs to ensure their overall well-being. The National Charter School Resource Center recently released a publication describing how charter schools can create communities of care, particularly to support student mental health.

Emergency management planning requires that education agencies work with their community partners to prepare not only for emergency incidents that take place within a school building or during the school day, but also incidents that may take place in all settings and during all times. This includes creating plans to respond to incidents that take place before and after school hours, on field trips, in virtual classroom settings, as well as during large events, which are often planned as the first semester of the academic year often concludes.

The end of an academic semester and calendar year provides a great opportunity to review school and campus EOPs to ensure that they clearly outline goals, objectives, and courses of action for emergency incidents that take place outside of the traditional school and campus settings and times. Consider the following activities as you work with partners to continually enhance EOPs that protect the whole school community.

• Review your EOPs to determine whether they integrate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. CPTED is a great multidisciplinary strategic approach to deter criminal behavior and protect the whole school community. Download the related module in our Specialized Training Package to learn more.
• Conduct a site assessment to check for any safety and security concerns or vulnerabilities using the REMS TA Center’s SITE ASSESS mobile application as members of the community, beyond students and staff, participate in events being hosted within the school building or on school grounds.
• Take our School EOPs In-Depth: Planning for Large Events online course or download the related module in our Specialized Training Package to help you define large events and the special vulnerabilities they pose to schools.

As we close out 2022, the REMS TA Center thanks you for subscribing to our LISTSERV and demonstrating your commitment to school and higher ed safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness in your community. It has been a pleasure to offer free products and services for schools, school districts, IHEs, and their community partners to use in EOP development; we hope they were helpful. Below are a summary of 2022 highlights from the REMS TA Center, which we could not have done without you and your peers throughout the nation.

We appreciate your stewardship, engagement, and safety leadership all year long. The REMS TA Center wishes you a safe and happy holiday season and looks forward to providing you with training and technical assistance in 2023.