Educators and Schools
Safeguarding, Sexual Violence Prevention & Student Support Resources
Welcome, educators, school leaders, counselors, coaches and everyone who works with young people. The relationships you build with students can place you in an important position to notice concerns, create safer environments and respond with care when a child or young person needs help.
Take your time and begin wherever it is most useful to you. You’ll find classroom curricula, safeguarding guidance, professional training, prevention resources and practical information for responding to disclosures. Whether you are strengthening your school’s prevention practices, preparing staff, teaching students or responding to a concern, we hope these resources help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
This page includes resources for K–12 schools, youth-serving organizations, colleges and universities. Legal duties and institutional procedures vary by jurisdiction and professional role, so use the official requirements that apply where you work.
You can also explore more videos and playlists on our YouTube channel.
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
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If a child or student is in immediate physical danger, contact the emergency service where they are located.
In the United States, call 911. For other countries, use the local emergency number or our Global Reporting Contacts.
Contents
Recognizing grooming and warning signs
Online safety and preventing exploitation
Responding when a child tells
Learn more about responding to disclosure
Reporting concerns and getting help
Classroom curricula and student prevention programs
Staff safeguarding and professional training
Training for sports and youth-serving organizations
Become a trainer or prevention educator
College and university prevention
Speakers and community education
Recognizing grooming and warning signs
Grooming is a pattern of behavior in which a person builds trust, access, authority, secrecy or dependence in order to lower boundaries and make abuse or exploitation easier to carry out or conceal. It may involve a child or young person, their family, peers, or a wider school, sports club or community. Teachers, counselors, coaches and other trusted adults can be especially well placed to notice patterns that may otherwise be missed.
Warning signs
- An adult gives one child special attention, gifts, privileges or favoritism.
- They look for opportunities to spend time alone with the child, such as offering rides, babysitting, private lessons or sleepovers.
- They ask the child to keep secrets or describe the relationship as “special” or “just between us.”
- They test physical or emotional boundaries, including tickling, wrestling, lap-sitting, entering private spaces while a child is changing or bathing, or using sexual jokes under the guise of “education.”
- They isolate the child from parents, friends or other trusted adults and present themselves as the only person who truly understands them.
- They befriend parents or family members and gain their trust as a way of becoming closer to the child.
- Online, someone may ask many personal questions, move conversations to private or encrypted apps, request images, offer money or game credits, or threaten to distribute images.
- With teenagers, grooming can appear to be a romantic relationship with an older “boyfriend” or “girlfriend,” accompanied by gifts, alcohol, drugs or intense flattering attention.
- A child or young person may become unusually secretive about a phone or device, have unexplained gifts or money, withdraw from others, experience mood changes or display sexual knowledge beyond what would be expected for their age.
One sign on its own does not prove that abuse is occurring. Patterns of concerning behavior are a reason to pay attention and follow appropriate safeguarding procedures.
Grooming: Recognising the Signs
Visit website → From NSPCC Learning, professional guidance explaining where grooming can happen, behaviors to watch for, signs that may appear in children and young people, and factors that can increase vulnerability.
School Employee Sexual Misconduct: Red Flag Grooming Behaviors by Perpetrators
Visit website → From Charol Shakeshaft and colleagues, a free, open-access 2021 research chapter examining grooming behaviors associated with school employees who sexually abuse students.
Signs of Child Grooming: What to Watch For
Visit website → From Praesidium, guidance on grooming warning signs that may appear in families, schools, sports and online environments, written for adults and organizations responsible for protecting young people.
How Child Sexual Predators Groom Children
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 5-page fact sheet explaining how offenders may groom children, adults, families and entire communities to gain access, conceal their behavior and avoid detection.
Preventing Grooming by Child Sexual Predators
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 9-page fact sheet with practical steps for recognizing and interrupting grooming and helping children build safety skills and confidence.
Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 7-page fact sheet covering physical and behavioral signs that may indicate child sexual abuse, along with information about finding help.
Choosing Safe Adults: Friends & Family Caregivers
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, guidance designed to help adults consider who is safe to care for children, understand how offenders may gain trust and pay attention to how other adults interact with a child.
Online safety and preventing exploitation
Digital safety is increasingly part of safeguarding. Educators and youth-serving professionals may encounter concerns involving online grooming, enticement, sextortion, unsafe messaging or sexual exploitation. These resources can support classroom education, staff preparation and conversations with students and families.
Know2Protect
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a national campaign focused on preventing and combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse, with information and educational resources for families, schools and communities.
Pledge2Protect
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Know2Protect campaign, an opportunity to learn more about online child exploitation, commit to helping protect children and find ways to share prevention information with others.
Kids & Teens
Visit website → From Know2Protect, information written for young people about staying safer online, recognizing uncomfortable or inappropriate interactions and knowing when to seek help.
All Resources & Educational Materials
Visit website → From Know2Protect, a central collection of educational materials, tip sheets and guides for educators, parents, caregivers, children and teens.
Texting Safety
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 7-page fact sheet covering direct messaging in apps and games, digital footprints, sexting, cyberbullying and conversations adults can have with children about safer texting.
Parenting in the Online World Webinars
Visit website → From the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, live online sessions addressing trends identified through Cybertip.ca and ways adults can talk with children and teenagers about online safety. Visit the website for current dates and language options.
Responding when a child or student tells you
Children and young people sometimes disclose abuse first to a teacher, counselor, coach or another trusted adult outside their family. How you respond in those first moments matters. Your role is to listen, support the young person and follow the appropriate safeguarding and reporting process—not to investigate the allegation yourself.
Stay calm and listen
Keep your voice and expression steady. Allow the child or student to speak in their own words and at their own pace. Listen without pressing for unnecessary details.
Believe and validate, without making promises you cannot keep
Simple responses can help:
- “I believe you.”
- “It’s not your fault.”
- “You did the right thing by telling me.”
- “I’m going to get help from people whose job is to help keep you safe.”
Do not promise secrecy or promise that everything will be fine. Explain honestly and gently that you may need to share what they have told you with people responsible for safety or reporting.
Avoid blame and leading questions
Questions such as “Why did you do that?” or “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” can sound like blame. If clarification is necessary, use brief, open prompts and avoid suggesting answers. Detailed questioning should be left to appropriately trained professionals.
Do not make the child repeat the account unnecessarily
Repeated questioning can be distressing and may affect a later forensic or investigative interview. Record what the child or student told you as accurately as possible, using their own words, along with the date and time, and follow the reporting requirements that apply to your role.
Protect dignity and privacy
Speak somewhere appropriately private and share information only with people who need it for safety, reporting, support, or a required institutional response. When possible, offer simple choices—such as where to sit or whether they need a break—to help preserve a sense of control.
Understand that disclosure may unfold over time
A young person may initially disclose only part of what happened. Details may emerge gradually, or they may later withdraw or change part of an account. Continue to listen without pressure and follow safeguarding procedures rather than trying to determine credibility yourself.
Do not confront the person accused
Do not confront a person accused of abuse in front of the child or student or attempt to investigate the situation yourself. Confrontation may increase risk, create pressure, or interfere with an investigation or institutional process.
Follow the correct reporting route
If there is immediate danger, contact emergency services. Otherwise, follow the child-protection, law-enforcement, safeguarding, Title IX, or other institutional procedures that apply to the situation and your role.
Reporting duties vary by jurisdiction. In the United States, state laws differ on who must report, what threshold triggers a report, where the report must go, and whether notifying a supervisor also satisfies an individual reporting duty. Do not assume that one school policy applies everywhere.
Hearing a disclosure can also be difficult for the adult receiving it. Seek appropriate professional or organizational support while continuing to protect the young person’s privacy.
Learn more about responding to disclosure
California Mandated Reporter Training
Visit website → From the California Department of Social Services, official online mandated-reporter training with tracks for school personnel, child-care providers and other professionals. Training is free to access; a fee may apply for a completion certificate.
Recognising and Responding to Abuse
Visit website → From NSPCC Learning, UK guidance for teachers and youth workers on listening carefully, responding supportively, avoiding promises of confidentiality, documenting what a child says and passing concerns through safeguarding procedures.
Responding to Direct Disclosures
Visit website → From Safe Kids Thrive, run by the Children’s Trust of Massachusetts, practical guidance for staff and volunteers on receiving disclosures, avoiding leading questions, protecting confidentiality, not confronting a suspected abuser and making appropriate reports.
How to Respond
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Website, guidance on responding when a child, teenager or adult survivor discloses sexual abuse, along with information about support resources.
Reporting concerns and getting help
United States
- Immediate danger: Call 911 or the appropriate local emergency service.
- Suspected online child sexual exploitation, online enticement, sextortion, or child sexual abuse material: report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). NCMEC identifies the CyberTipline as the designated U.S. reporting mechanism for suspected online child sexual exploitation.
- Federal crime or exploitation concern: contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or contact local law enforcement.
- Suspected child abuse or neglect: use your state or territory’s official child-protection reporting route. State laws differ on who must report, when a report is required, and whether school or organizational notification is also required.
- Concern about an adult’s behavior, including your own thoughts or behavior: Stop It Now! provides confidential prevention-focused help and guidance at stopitnow.org.
Outside the United States
Use the local emergency service, law-enforcement agency, child-protection authority, or other official safeguarding route that applies where the child or student is located. Stop ALL Rape’s Global Reporting Contacts can help you locate country-specific reporting resources.
Stop ALL Rape is a global resource hub. We connect visitors to information, organizations, and professionals; we do not receive crime reports, conduct investigations, or provide direct crisis services.
Classroom curricula and student prevention programs
These programs provide structured lessons, workshops and prevention education for students across different age groups. Review each program for age range, facilitator requirements and suitability for your school or community before implementation.
Not a Number
Visit website → From Love146, a five-module human-trafficking prevention curriculum for young people ages 12–18. It is designed for schools and youth programs and is delivered by trained facilitators.
Just Ask Prevention
Visit website → From Safe House Project, a prevention curriculum designed to teach students how to recognize and respond to trafficking risks. The program includes material for younger children as well as older students.
Youth Prevention – Keeping Students Safe
Visit website → From Unbound Now, prevention curricula for grades 6–12, including the Sentinels video series, along with resources for school personnel and parents.
Y-ACT – Youth Against Child Trafficking
Visit website → From PACT, customizable, student-centered workshops for young people and youth workers covering healthy relationships, exploitation and warning signs. Sessions can be adapted in length and format.
Youth Programs
Visit website → From United Against Human Trafficking, prevention education for elementary, middle and high school students, with additional programming for parents and caregivers.
Teacher & Counselor Materials – Grades K–3
Visit website → From Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, educator guidance for delivering age-appropriate prevention lessons, recognizing possible abuse and understanding mandated-reporting responsibilities.
Teacher & Counselor Materials – Grades 4–6
Visit website → From Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, classroom guidance, information about signs of abuse and supporting material for prevention lessons designed for students in grades 4–6.
Teacher & Counselor Materials – Teen
Visit website → From Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, resources for educators teaching teenagers about abuse prevention, including guidance for responding when a student discloses abuse.
Staff safeguarding and professional training
Effective safeguarding depends on more than individual awareness. Schools and youth-serving organizations can strengthen prevention through staff education, clear boundaries, safer recruitment, reporting procedures and an organizational culture in which concerns can be raised early.
Stewards of Children
Visit website → From Darkness to Light, an evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention training for adults. Training is available online and through facilitators; contact the organization for current pricing and delivery options.
School Personnel
Visit website → From Unbound Now, on-demand and live professional training covering trafficking indicators, youth vulnerabilities and response protocols for school personnel.
Circles of Safety for Youth-Serving Organizations
Visit website → From Stop It Now!, customized prevention training, manuals and follow-up support for schools, camps, day-care programs and other youth-serving organizations, with an emphasis on creating safer organizational environments.
Circles of Safety Training Menus
Visit website → From Stop It Now!, information about available Circles of Safety formats, including one-day and two-day programs, live virtual training, self-paced learning and webinar options. Contact the provider for current scheduling and pricing.
Virtual Classroom Series
Visit website → From Stop It Now!, live online professional-development courses, including Awareness to Action and Training of Trainers. Visit the website for current dates, availability and fees.
Tailored Trainings
Visit website → From Stop It Now!, customized workshops built around an organization’s specific prevention and safeguarding needs. Contact the provider for current formats, pricing and availability.
Training for Education Professionals
Visit website → From Lucy Faithfull Foundation, UK training for education professionals on harmful sexual behavior, safety planning and related safeguarding topics, with practical tools designed for school settings.
Safer Recruitment in Educational Settings
Visit website → From Lucy Faithfull Foundation, an online course for head teachers, safeguarding leads, governors and others involved in recruitment, focused on reducing the risk of unsuitable people gaining access to children through educational settings. Visit the website for current booking options and fees.
Help & Advice for Schools
Visit website → From Lucy Faithfull Foundation, practical guidance for schools on preventing and responding to harmful sexual behavior, along with confidential advice for education professionals.
Lucy Faithfull Foundation Services
Visit website → An overview of Lucy Faithfull Foundation services, including professional training, assessments and interventions, school support, research, the Stop It Now UK helpline and Shore resources for teenagers.
Darkness to Light
Visit website → An introduction to Darkness to Light, a U.S. nonprofit focused on preventing child sexual abuse by educating and equipping adults and organizations, including through its Stewards of Children training.
Training for sports and youth-serving organizations
Protecting Children in Sport from Grooming and Sexual Abuse
Visit website → From the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit, guidance for coaches, club staff and safeguarding officers covering grooming behaviors, warning signs, safer recruitment and organizational codes of conduct.
Become a trainer or prevention educator
Summit for Protecting Kids Online
Visit website → From The Exodus Road, a one-day summit scheduled for October 21, 2026, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs for parents, educators, counselors and youth leaders. An optional Certified Digital Safety Educator train-the-trainer workshop is scheduled for October 20; visit the website for current availability, requirements and pricing.
TEACH Academy
Visit website → From PACT, training that prepares schools and nonprofit organizations to deliver PACT prevention workshops. Programs are offered in different formats, including online and in-person options.
Not a Number Train-the-Trainer – Richmond, British Columbia
Visit website → A three-day facilitator training scheduled for October 21–23, 2026, delivered by a Love146 partner. Training covers the Not a Number curriculum, including trafficking awareness, healthy relationships, consent and safety planning. Check the registration page for current availability.
Not a Number Train-the-Trainer – St. Albert, Alberta
Visit website → A three-day facilitator training scheduled for December 2–4, 2026, delivered by a Love146 partner and covering the full Not a Number prevention curriculum. Check the registration page for current availability.
College and university sexual-violence prevention
Campus prevention requires more than one-time awareness training. Effective programs can include consent and healthy-relationship education, bystander intervention, athletics and fraternity/sorority risk reduction, survivor support, clear reporting options, and institutional accountability.
U.S. Title IX note: Colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance are subject to Title IX. The applicable federal regulations and institutional procedures can change, so schools should rely on current U.S. Department of Education guidance and their institution’s Title IX coordinator rather than older summaries.
PEER EDU
Visit website → From It’s On Us, a tiered peer-education program that prepares student leaders to teach other students about sexual assault and dating-violence prevention.
Tier I Trainings
Visit website → Foundational workshops covering prevention, sexual assault, intimate partner violence and bystander intervention.
Tier II–IV Trainings
Visit website → Additional workshops addressing topics such as alcohol and sexual violence, engaging men in prevention, online dating safety, healthy relationships, and community-level prevention.
Athletics Playbook 2.0
Visit website → Team-based workshops for college athletes addressing consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention.
Campus Organizing Program
Visit website → Resources for students interested in campus organizing and leadership focused on preventing sexual violence.
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Speakers and community education
Training & Prevention Hub
Visit website → From Our Rescue, a central collection of online courses, prevention resources, games and customized training opportunities for schools, workplaces, professionals and the public.
Book a Presentation
Visit website → From Dawn’s Place, an opportunity to request community education about sex trafficking for schools, businesses, faith communities and other groups. Contact the organization through its website for availability and any applicable fees.
Request a Speaker
Visit website → From United Against Human Trafficking, speakers and educational trainings for groups, with sessions that can be tailored to different audiences. Check the website for current arrangements.
How Stop ALL Rape Reviews Educator & School Resources
- We prioritize official government, child-protection, education, university, recognized nonprofit, and specialist safeguarding sources.
- We distinguish warning signs from proof of abuse and avoid presenting behavioral changes as a diagnosis.
- We separate child-protection reporting, criminal reporting, institutional safeguarding, and Title IX or campus processes because they are not interchangeable.
- We identify jurisdiction, age range, training requirements, and service limitations when they materially affect how a resource can be used.
- External resources are provided for education and support; listing does not imply formal endorsement by Stop ALL Rape.
Maintained by: Stop ALL Rape Editorial Team
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
Review cadence: At least quarterly, and sooner when a significant legal, safeguarding, or service change is identified.
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