SB 61 - This act creates the Missouri Teen Dating Violence Prevention Education Act, to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and information to prevent and respond to teen dating violence. School districts or charter schools may provide teen dating violence prevention education as part of the sexual health and health education program it provides to students in grades seven through twelve. Each school district or charter school may establish a curriculum or materials to address this issue, which may be used by school districts. School districts and charter schools may use school personnel or outside consultants, as described in the act, for the education. Components for teen dating violence prevention education are described in the act. (Sections 170.023 to 170.028)
This act allows school districts and charter schools to establish and implement an age-appropriate curriculum to educate students about domestic violence. A domestic violence curriculum may contain components to raise awareness, promote healthy behaviors in relationships, allow students to identify the signs that an individual may be a victim of domestic violence, and allow students to identify behaviors associated with an abuser. A curriculum may also contain an emphasis on the primary prevention of violence perpetration.
A curriculum may also address the risk factors for perpetration of domestic violence and contain information about behavior that may occur with domestic violence. In addition, it may advise students about the physical and mental injuries that may occur. A curriculum may include information about how victims may seek assistance or how friends or family of victims may assist them.
A school district or charter school may cooperate with other governmental, nonprofit, or private entities, as described in the act, to develop a curriculum. (Section 170.265)
This act is identical to SB 562 (2014), SB 200 (2013) and is similar to SB 587 (2012).
MICHAEL RUFF