A study was published over two years ago that concluded that ~10% of public school children were subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of school staff.
Not necessarily exactly, depending on whether you use the term “sexual abuse” as it is legally defined. I presume the study you are referring to is the “Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature” done by the Dept of Education in 2004 at the request of Congress (
ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf)
The study was a literature review of other studies that had been done on sexual misconduct, not specifically sexual abuse.
"The distinction between “sexual misconduct” and “sexual abuse” is significant in legal and other terms. However, both are of concern to parents and the Department.
The author’s use of the two words interchangeably throughout the report is potentially confusing to the reader. Federal law gives separate and specific meaning to the words “sexual abuse,” and such words should not be confused with the broader, more general concept of “sexual misconduct.” Specifically, “sexual abuse” has been a defined term for over 17 years [18 U.S.C. § 2242]. It involves an act where one knowingly “causes another person to engage in a sexual act by threatening or placing that other person in fear. . .” or “engages in a sexual act with another person if that other person is—(A) incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct; or (B) physically incapable of declining participation in, or communicating unwillingness to engage in, that sexual act. . . .” Id. “Sexual abuse” carries a penalty of a fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both. Id. "
The section on prevalence begins on page 16. Of the studies reviewed, they viewed one as the most useful
“Because of its carefully drawn sample and survey methodology, the AAUW report that nearly 9.6 percent of students are targets of educator sexual misconduct sometime during their school career presents the most accurate data available at this time.”
“3.1.1.1 AAUW data and Shakeshaft secondary analysis. This analysis used data collected for American Association of University Women in Fall 2000 by Harris International. Eighth through 11th grade students in the sample responded to a survey administered by trained interviewers during English classes. The survey asked students about their experiences of various forms of sexual harassment or abuse in school”
The questionnaire included
During your whole school life, how often, if at all, has anyone (this includes students, teachers, other school employees, or anyone else) done the following things to you when you did not want them to?
• Made sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or looks.
• Showed, gave or left you sexual pictures, photographs, illustrations, messages, or notes.
• Wrote sexual messages/graffiti about you on bathroom walls, in locker rooms, etc.
• Spread sexual rumors about you.
• Said you were gay or a lesbian.
• Spied on you as you dressed or showered at school.
• Flashed or “mooned” you.
• Touched, grabbed, or pinched you in a sexual way.
• Intentionally brushed up against you in a sexual way.
• Pulled at your clothing in a sexual way.
• Pulled off or down your clothing.
• Blocked your way or cornered you in a sexual way.
• Forced you to kiss him/her.
• Forced you to do something sexual, other than kissing.
For each behavior the respondent identifies as having experienced, she or he is asked a series of follow-up questions, including the role of the offender (student, teacher, counselor, etc.), where the incident took place, and when the incident happened. All analyses of these data are based upon the stems above, which constitute civil and criminal definitions of sexual abuse and harassment.
Responses from students who indicated they had experienced one of the listed behaviors were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequencies. This analysis (Shakeshaft, 2003) indicates that 9.6 percent of all students in grades 8 to 11 report contact and/or noncontact educator sexual misconduct that was unwanted. 8.7 percent report only noncontact sexual misconduct and 6.7 percent experienced only contact misconduct. (These total to more than 9.6 percent because some students reported both types of misconduct.) Of students who experienced any kind of sexual misconduct in schools, 21 percent were targets of educators, while the remaining 79 percent were targets of other students."
So, the report supports a statement that 9.6 percent of all students in grades 8 to 11 reported having experienced at some point in their school life contact and/or noncontact educator sexual misconduct that was unwanted. This, while disturbing, is not identical to saying that “10% of public school children were subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of school staff.”
A study said that less than 10% of schoolchildren are abused by school staff? Who cares!?! If only one child across the country is sexually abused at the hands of an adult; then it is too many! Is less than 10% an acceptable figure for you? Well, it isn’t for me. I don’t care if you’re a Catholic priest, a Baptist minister, a youth group co-ordinator, a baseball coach, a cheerleading coach, a staff member at the YMCA or the Boys and Girls Club, a Boy Scout Troop Master; if you sexually abuse a child under your care, you will face the consequences, here on Earth and in the next life.