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The results also indicate that most Illinois Parents are shocked that Illinois lags behind other states for Educator Sexual Misconduct laws and enforcement.

OAK PARK, IL, UNITED STATES, December 17, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- KIDS TOO, whose mission is protecting children in schools from harmful adults, acts, and ideologies, announced today the results of their Parent Survey targeting Illinois parents and caregivers. The extensive questionnaire provided background information on a range of issues such as: educator sexual misconduct; parental rights; digital safety; and age-appropriate literature.

In the result findings, the issue of Educator Sexual Misconduct took the lead: 99% of Illinois parents are dismayed that Illinois lags behind other states in protecting children from Educator Misconduct.

According to the Department of Education, this issue has been an overlooked and ongoing nationwide epidemic for more than 20 years, with 1 in 10 kids grades K-12 will be sexually abused by an educator or staff member. In Illinois, the Chicago Tribune wrote an investigative series citing the pervasiveness and lack of oversight of educator sexual misconduct cases in Chicago Public Schools. As a result, the Chicago Public Schools and its annual report that is supposed to provide transparency to the community.

This is why KIDS TOO advocated for Faith’s Law, which was rolled out to school districts state-wide last year to more clearly define Sexual Misconduct policies and training for adults on what grooming tactics to identify among their peers. Its trailer bill created an opportunity for school administrators to process Employee History Reviews to help reduce scenarios where a predatory teacher runs away from sexual misconduct allegations and moves to a new school district.

Illinois needs to do far more to stop enabling this destructive behavior from predatory adults in schools and protect our children. KIDS TOO advocates that the minimum efforts include:
- Mandating tougher laws that hold these predators accountable for their behavior.
- Revamping vetting policies that would make it impossible for a predator to be hired as a teacher.
- Closing loopholes in current legislation that safeguard teens from adult predators in schools.

Unlike movies that try to normalize and romanticize teen-teacher relationships; these educators taking advantage of young and impressionable youth for sexual gain are not love affairs. They are the beginning of a lifetime mental health crisis and recovery from traumatic events caused by a trusted adult.

Fifteen states including Florida and the District of Columbia have already passed legislation to ensure the safety in their schools of sexual predators. In Illinois, attempts to pass a similar law to protect teens have stagnated.

For more information on KIDS TOO legislative efforts to protect children from Educator Sexual Misconduct, and for a report on this groundbreaking survey, visit KIDSTOO.ORG.

About KIDS TOO
KIDS TOO is an Illinois-based non profit that works alongside parents and educators to ensure schools provide a trauma-free environment.

Tania Haigh
KIDS TOO
+1 708-416-6787
thaigh@kidstoo.org
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