Background & Introduction to the Bill:

           In 2006 the Vermont Legislature passed the “Sexual Violence Prevention Act”. Included in the diction of the Bill was a five year strategic plan for the implementation of the bill. “The Vermont Approach: A Strategic Plan for Sexual Violence Prevention” was produced by the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department of Health, and the Anti-Violence Partnership at the University of Vermont. The goal of the plan was to begin a statewide, collaborate, comprehensive approach to ending sexual violence in communities. (Annual Report to the Legislature from The Vermont Approach, January 15^th, 2011) In conjunction the Anti-Violence Partnership at the University of Vermont was designated to set up a Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force (SVPTF) to inventory sexual violence prevention programs delivered in the state’s schools.

        The SVPTF is made up of representatives from Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, Center for Crime Victim Services, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, the Vermont Network to end Domestic & Sexual Violence, Vermont Children’s Alliances and many statewide agencies. More recently the Act One Bill of 2009 revised the SVPTF mandate of 2006 to include the completion of a “technical assistance resource guide” (TARG) by July 2010. The TARG provides an outline to schools of how to incorporate sexual violence prevention into their health education curriculum. The education begins in Kindergarten with topics such as teaching healthy boundaries around physical touch. It concludes in 12^th grade with subjects such as practicing interpersonal communication skills that support healthy relationships. All of the material included in the curriculum is developed based on the cognitive level of the child with the focus being the prevention of victimization and perpetration. The Bill went into affect as of July 1^st this year so all schools in Vermont are currently in the process of implementing the curriculum

Resourcs & Links

Legislative Summary Covering the Bill:
http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/laws/summary/legislative_summary_09.pdf

PDF of the Technical Assistance Resource Guide (TARG) that outlines the Curriculum:
http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_health_ed/publications_resources/educ_health_ed_TARG.pdf