Skip to main content

Arizona Department of Education Facebook Page

Arizona Department of Education LinkedIn Page

Arizona Department of Education Instagram

Arizona Department of Education Twitter

Arizona Department of Education YouTube

mobile menu
Arizona Department of Education Homepage
  • Home
  • Parents
    • Parents & Families
    • Arizona Purple Star School Program
    • Early Childhood & Preschool
    • Empowerment Scholarship Account
    • Military Career Information
    • School Report Cards
    • Transcripts & Test Scores
    • U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Program
  • Educators & Administrators
    • Academic Standards
    • Accountability
    • Assessment
    • Business & Finance >
      • School Finance
      • State & Federal Grants
      • School Safety
    • Certification & Leadership >
      • Certification & Career
      • Educator Recruitment & Retention
      • Effective Teachers & Leaders (Trainings)
      • Training & Professional Development
    • Post-Secondary Resources
    • Support & Improvement >
      • School Improvement
      • School Support
  • Programs
    • Academic Achievement >
      • Academic Achievement
      • Afterschool & 21st Century Learning Centers
      • Character Education
      • English Learners | OELAS & Migrant Education Program
      • Homeless, Foster Care, & Refugee Programs
      • Title I
    • Adult Education
    • Arizona Purple Star School Program
    • Career & Technical Education
    • Educator Leadership >
      • Charter School Program
      • Effective Teachers & Leaders
      • School Safety
      • School Safety Program
    • Gifted/Advanced Learning >
      • Gifted/Advanced Learning
      • College Credit by Examination
      • Dual Enrollment
      • Gifted Education
    • Health & Nutrition Services
    • Office of Indian Education
    • Special Education
  • About ADE
    • About the Department
    • Accounting & Procurement
    • Contact Us
    • Employment Opportunities
    • News Releases
    • State Board of Education
    • State Board for Charter Schools
    • Submit a Complaint
  • Data & Systems
    • Arizona Digital Educators Library (ADEL)
    • Data Governance
    • Information Technology
    • PAASport
    • Public Educator Search
    • School & Student Data
    • School Report Cards
    • Teacher Input Application (TIA)
  • ADEConnect
    • ADEConnect
    • Common Logon
  • Search
  • Home
  • Special Education
  • Special Education Blog
  • EXTERNAL PD INFO: Zoom Panel for Educators, "It's Really About Safety: A Panel Discussion on Sexual Abuse in Schools"

EXTERNAL PD INFO: Zoom Panel for Educators, "It's Really About Safety: A Panel Discussion on Sexual Abuse in Schools"

  • Tue, May 11 2021  •
    • Transition News
    • Updates

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following stakeholder communication opportunity from the Arizona Response to Sexual Violence & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Collaborative:

The Arizona Response to Sexual Violence & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Collaborative recently released, Preventing Sexual Abuse in Arizona Schools: Suggested Protocols for Students with Intellectual, Developmental and Other Disabilities.

At nearly seven times the risk of sexual abuse as their peers, Arizona students with disabilities are vulnerable to exploitation. This new report focuses on helping Arizona schools design better ways to protect students with disabilities from sexual abuse.

Some of the suggested best practice recommendations include:

  • Resources and strategies to support students who report abuse
  • Required training for mandatory reporters
  • Policies that promote supervision and digital communication guidelines for all school personnel
  • Accessible and inclusive lessons on sexual health and relationships

 

One of the most critical recommendations towards prevention is also seen as the most controversial: offering accessible and inclusive lessons on sexual health and relationships. Research finds that young adults with mild to moderate cognitive disability are sexually active at similar rates to their peers without a disability, yet are less likely to learn about sexual health from trusted adults. Receiving ineffective or inaccessible sex education, or no sex education at all, has also been found to be a correlating factor in the sexual abuse of youth with disabilities. Recent research found other factors that contribute to abuse. “Some students with disabilities grow up with adults providing hands-on personal care and may not have an understanding of when they are touched inappropriately,” said Erica McFadden, Executive Director of the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and one of the leaders of the Collaborative. “Some may not understand when they are a victim of sex trafficking. For that reason, our youth with disabilities should be receiving information on how to identify unsafe situations and what to do about it.”

"The inclusion of students with disabilities and their respective accessibility and accommodation needs in school abuse prevention policies is critical,” said Betty McEntire, chair of the Collaborative’s sexual abuse prevention in schools workgroup. “It not only ensures a safe learning environment, but also provides educators and school administrators the tools needed to respond in an inclusive manner.”

The Collaborative will be hosting a Zoom panel for educators Thursday, May 13 at 9:00—10:30 a.m. and for community members Tuesday, May 18 at 6:00—7:30 p.m. to discuss the research findings and policy recommendations and take questions and answers from the audience. For more information about the report, contact Erica McFadden at [email protected] or (602) 542-8977.

View all Special Education posts

Recent Special Education Articles

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT: Special Education Data Dashboard is Now Open: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Wed, May 7 2025
INTERNAL PD INFO: Learning Series for Grades 4-9 Mathematics Supporting Collaboration Between Special Education and General Education  Wed, May 7 2025
DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT: Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wed, May 7 2025
IDEA CONFERENCE INFO: Register for Arizona’s 2025 IDEA Conference! Tue, May 6 2025
Internal PD Opportunity: New Learning Series for Grades K-3 Mathematics Supporting Collaboration Between Special Education and General Education Fri, May 2 2025

Related Articles

SECONDARY TRANSITION INFO: Arizona State Board of Education Rule Change Webpage
Tue, Mar 25 2025
INTERNAL PD INFO: Space is limited! Register for PSM/Secondary Transition In-Person Training
Wed, Mar 5 2025
INTERNAL PD INFO: Secondary Transition Training Opportunities for the 2023–2024 School Year
Wed, Jul 19 2023
PS & Monitoring: Hot Topic Special Education Early Childhood Transition
Tue, May 2 2023
INTERNAL PD INFO: Nominate Outstanding Individuals for Arizona’s Secondary Transition Services Awards
Mon, Mar 13 2023
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • School Report Cards
  • State Board of Education
  • State Board for Charter Schools
  • Web Accessibility

© 2025 Arizona Department of Education

  • Statewide Policies
  • Site Map