COLUMBUS – Under a bill approved with bipartisan support in the state House Tuesday, schools in Ohio would be required to provide education about sexual abuse and violence to children, starting in kindergarten.
Supporters say the measure — known as “Erin’s Law” — requires that each local school district include “age-appropriate instruction” in child sexual abuse prevention in its health curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.
The bill, sponsored by Representatives Christina Hagan (R-Alliance) and Dan Ramos (D-Lorain), now goes to Senate.
“The sad reality is that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused in this nation by the age of 18,” Hagan said. “With these tools of prevention we can change the tide on the harmful ramifications of such trauma and invest in the well-being of our youngest Ohioans.”
Districts and schools would have the freedom to choose what kind of instruction would be taught, Hagan said.
Ohio would be the 28th state to enact some version of “Erin’s Law,” named for author and activist Erin Merryn, who was the victim of continued abuse as a child and is now nationally recognized as a leader in promoting sexual abuse prevention education to children.