Reports of Sexual Child Abuse on the Rise in California

According to a recent news story written by Jason Henry for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, there seems to be a discouraging trend of rising sexual abuse allegations against teachers in California, jumping 70% from reports in 2013. While everything about the subject is upsetting, perhaps one of the most troubling aspects is that there does not seem to be any clear reasoning behind why the increase has been taking place in the last few years. Some suspect that the popularity of cell phones has increased ease of unauthorized and unmonitored communication between students and teachers, but there is no empirical evidence yet to directly support this claim.

Mike Msylinksi, a California Teachers Association spokesman, tried to calm the nerves of parents and guardians across the state by reassuring everyone that the 43 reported cases last year do not represent even the slightest fraction of the educational workforce in California. The CTA alone has about 325,000 unionized members. It goes without saying, though, that just one incident of sexual abuse against a child from a trusted official is one case too many.

Some professionals believe the increase of allegations only indicates a rise in reporting the sexual abuse and not necessarily an increase of the incidents themselves. In other words, more and more children and teenagers in California and across the nation are feeling safe enough to tell their parents or guardians about any harassment that may have befallen them. The importance of this silver lining cannot be stressed enough – children should feel no shame.

Helping Abused Children and Teens in San Francisco

At The Matiasic Firm, we have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of abused children and adolescents and their loved ones, and it is a matter of personal pride for our team to deliver services that are both professional and compassionate. If your family needs help, our child sexual abuse attorneys are there for you, free of judgment, and can assist you seek the restitution you and your child deserve.