Practical guidance, warning signs, and vetted resources to help parents, schools, and communities prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.

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→ Partnering with Parents

Partnering with Parents: A Guide for Schools

Communicating with Parents About Prevention Education

Parent engagement is one of the most important factors in successful CSA prevention education. When families feel informed and involved before instruction begins, concerns are rare and support is strong. Most parents, once they understand what this education actually is and is not, are supportive. The work is in reaching them early and clearly.

This section provides practical tools and language to help school staff introduce prevention education to families, address common concerns, meet legal obligations for parent education, and share resources that extend the learning beyond the classroom.

Start Before Instruction Begins

The most common source of parent concern is surprise. Schools that communicate proactively before instruction begins consistently have fewer opt-outs and less pushback than schools that send home a form without context.

A simple sequence works well:

  • Send an introductory message explaining what prevention education is, why the school is offering it, and what parents can expect. Many approved prevention providers have sample communication resources available.

  • Share the parent FAQ and invite questions

  • Provide notice of the specific dates instruction will occur and how parents can review materials or opt out

  • Follow up after instruction with a brief note on what students learned and how families can reinforce it at home. Ask your chosen prevention provider for parent resources to share.

Important Information

Talking Points for Counselors and Administrators

When speaking directly with a concerned parent, these are the most effective points to lead with:

  • This is safety education, the same category as fire safety or stranger awareness. It is not sex education.

  • Every material used in our school has been reviewed by a team of educators, health professionals, and community members and approved by the Utah State Board of Education.

  • You have the right to review everything before your child participates, and you can opt out at any time.

  • Research shows children who receive this education are more likely to tell a trusted adult if something happens to them. That outcome matters.

  • If your child says something concerning after a lesson, that is the education working. We are here to help you know what to do next.

Opt-Out Process

Utah law protects the right of parents to opt their child out of student prevention instruction. Schools should:

  • Include opt-out information in all parent communications before instruction begins

  • Make the process simple and non-judgmental: a direct contact (counselor or front office) and a clear deadline

  • Never require parents to explain or justify their decision

  • Keep opt-out records and ensure classroom teachers and the delivering provider are notified before instruction begins

There is no required statewide opt-out form. Schools may use their own process as long as parents have a clear and accessible way to exercise this right.

How to Talk to Parents About Student Prevention Education

Age-Appropriate Content by Grade

One of the most common parent questions is whether content is truly appropriate for their child's age. All USBE-approved materials are evaluated against minimum standards that include age-appropriateness criteria. In general, content across approved K-6 programs follows this progression:

Kindergarten through 2nd grade: body autonomy, safe and unsafe touch, identifying trusted adults, the difference between safe and unsafe secrets.

3rd through 4th grade: recognizing grooming behaviors, boundary setting, online safety basics, how to ask for help.

5th through 6th grade: more specific grooming and exploitation awareness, online safety and sextortion, human trafficking awareness (in programs that cover HT), and reinforcement of earlier concepts.

Note that specific content varies by provider and approved program. Schools should review the materials for the program they are using and be prepared to describe the content at each grade level if parents ask.

Prevention Education for Parents

Parent Education: Your School's Legal Obligation

Sharing resources with parents is good practice. Providing structured parent education is a legal requirement. Under Utah Code 53G-9-207, every public school district and charter school is required to offer parents of elementary students education on CSA and human trafficking prevention at least once every 3 years. This is not optional, it is a legal requirement and applies regardless of whether the school chooses to provide student prevention instruction.

Required parent education must cover:

  • How to recognize warning signs of a child who is experiencing abuse or exploitation

  • Age-appropriate ways to talk with children about body safety and abuse prevention

  • Resources available for victims of sexual extortion

If your school has not offered this education within the last 3 years, it is out of compliance with state law. Schools should document when parent education is provided and how parents were notified, as this may be subject to review.

Several USBE-approved providers offer parent education programs that meet this requirement. The approved materials list includes programs for parents and guardians specifically — these are separate from the student and adult-serving-youth materials.

Contact the USBE Prevention team for guidance on available options and approved providers: prevention@schools.utah.gov.

For more information the requirement to provide all adults working with youth child sexual abuse prevention education at least once every 3 years, visit the Educator Support section of this toolkit.

Important Information

Contact the USBE Prevention team for guidance on available options and approved providers: prevention@schools.utah.gov.

Resources to Share with Parents

These resources are designed to be shared directly with families and can be attached to any parent communication:

Additional community resources:

  • Speak Up Be Safe Program Overview (Childhelp): [link]

  • Safe Adults Are Key (Childhelp): [link]

  • Online Safety Parent Resource Kit (Childhelp): [link]

  • Identifying Abuse and Neglect (Childhelp): [link]

  • Body Safety and Boundaries (Childhelp): [link]

USBE-Approved Parent and Guardian Instructional Materials

The following programs have been reviewed and approved by USBE for use in parent and guardian education. These materials can help schools meet the three-year parent education requirement under Utah Code 53G-9-207.

  • Human Trafficking Prevention
    A PowerPoint presentation delivered by trained AAU staff in person or virtually. Covers definitions of sex and labor trafficking, common misconceptions, and how trafficking affects youth in Utah.

  • Boundary Town Parents: CSA & HT Prevention
    These are online courses that educate parents on identifying, preventing, and reporting. Knowledge and skills are provided through interactive lessons.

  • Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Abuse
    A PowerPoint presentation containing 124 slides with detailed presenter notes, designed for facilitators to present to parents and guardians.

The full list of USBE-approved instructional materials for all three audience types (K-6 students, parents, and adults serving youth) is available here: USBE Approved Instructional Materials

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