Gatesville Independent School District

• Sexual abuse in the Texas Family Code is defined as any sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare as well as a failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct with a child. A person who compels or encourages a child to engage in sexual conduct commits abuse. It is illegal to make or possess child pornography or to display such material to a child.
  
  Anyone who suspects that a child has been or may be abused or neglected has a legal responsibility, under state law, to report the suspected abuse or neglect to law enforcement or to Child Protective Services (CPS).
  
  A child who has been or is being sexually abused may exhibit physical, behavioral, or emotional warning signs, including:
  • Difficulty sitting or walking, pain in the genital areas, and claims of stomachaches and headaches;
  • Verbal references or pretend games of sexual activity between adults and children, fear of being alone with adults of a particular gender, or sexually suggestive behavior; or
  • Withdrawal, depression, sleeping and eating disorders, and problems in school.

Be aware that children and adolescents who have experienced dating violence may show similar physical, behavioral, and emotional warning signs.

Child trafficking of any sort is prohibited by the Penal Code. Sex trafficking involves forcing a person, including a child, into sexual abuse, assault, indecency, prostitution, or pornography. Labor trafficking involves forcing a person, including a child, to engage in forced labor or services.

Traffickers are often trusted members of a child’s community, such as friends, romantic partners, family members, mentors, and coaches. Some traffickers make contact with victims online.
 

• Changes in school attendance, habits, friend groups, vocabulary, demeanor, and attitude;
• Sudden appearance of expensive items (for example, manicures, designer clothes, purses, technology);
• Tattoos or branding;
• Refillable gift cards;
• Frequent runaway episodes;
• Multiple phones or social media accounts;
• Provocative pictures posted online or stored on the phone;
• Unexplained injuries;
• Isolation from family, friends, and community; and
• Older romantic partners.
• Additional warning signs of labor trafficking in children include: Being unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips;
• Being employed but not having a school-authorized work permit;
• Being employed and having a work permit but clearly working outside the permitted hours for students;
• Owing a large debt and being unable to pay it off;
• Not being allowed breaks at work or being subjected to excessively long work hours;
• Being overly concerned with pleasing an employer and/or deferring personal or educational decisions to a boss;
• Not being in control of his or her own money;
• Living with an employer or having an employer listed as a student’s caregiver; and
• A desire to quit a job but not being allowed to do so.

• Anyone who suspects that a child has been or may be abused, trafficked, or neglected has a legal responsibility, under state law, to report the suspected abuse or neglect to law enforcement or to Child Protective Services (CPS).
  
  A child who has experienced sexual abuse or any other type of abuse or neglect is encouraged to seek out a trusted adult. Children may be more reluctant to disclose sexual abuse than physical abuse and neglect and may only disclose sexual abuse indirectly. As a parent or trusted adult, it is important to be calm and comforting if your child or another child confides in you. Reassure the child that he or she did the right thing by telling you.
  
  If your child is a victim of sexual abuse, trafficking, or other maltreatment, the school counselor or principal will provide information on counseling options for you and your child available in your area. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) also manages early intervention counseling programs.
  
  To find out what services may be available in your county, see Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Programs Available in Your County.
  
  Reports of abuse, trafficking, or neglect may be made to the CPS division of the DFPS at1‑800-252-5400 or on the web at Texas Abuse Hotline website.
  
  Further Resources on Sexual Abuse, Trafficking, and Other Maltreatment of Children
  The following websites might help you become more aware of child abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, trafficking, and other maltreatment of children:
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway Factsheet
  • KidsHealth, For Parents, Child Abuse
  • Office of the Texas Holder's Child Sex Trafficking Team
  • Human Trafficking of School-aged Children
  • Child Sexual Abuse: A Parental Guide from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault
  • National Center of Safe Supportive Learning Environments: Child Labor Trafficking