Hearing a report that your child has been harmed is incredibly difficult, but there are important steps you can take to support them and address the situation effectively.

1. Ensure Immediate Safety. make sure your child is safe from immediate harm.

2. Document the Incident. Make sure to preserve any relevant information.

3. Consider Emotional Support. Your child might need professional help to process what they’ve gone through. Consider finding a counselor or therapist who specializes in trauma. Ask us for referrals.

4. Create a Plan of Action. This is where we can help. Often, it is confusing and overwhelming to consider your legal and non-legal options while also supporting your child emotionally. Our The Path service will help guide you through the process.

Hearing a report that your child has been accused of harm can be incredibly alarming, but there are important steps you can take to support them and address the situation effectively.

1. Ensure Immediate Safety. Make sure your child is safe from immediate harm.

2. Gather Information Make efforts to understand what the accusation is and make sure to preserve any relevant information.

3. Consider Emotional Support. Your child might need professional help to process what they’ve gone through. Consider finding a counselor or therapist who specializes in trauma. Ask us for referrals.

4. Work with Professionals. This is where we can help. Often, it is confusing and overwhelming to consider your legal and non-legal options while also supporting your child emotionally. Our The Path service will help guide you through the process.

Title IX is a federal law that protects students from discrimination based on sex in schools that accept federal funding (so all public schools and some independent schools). This means that schools cannot treat students differently because of their gender, whether it’s in academics, sports, or other school activities. It also means that schools have take certain steps to protect students against sexual harassment.

Here’s a great resource.

The answer to that question depends on the state in which you live. In New York State, the age of consent is 17. That means, any person under the age of 17 is by law considered incapable of consenting to sexual activity regardless of the circumstances.

Child pornography, generally speaking, is a sexually explicit image or video depicting a person under the age of 18. Both New York State and federal laws prohibit the creation and possession of child pornography. What parents may not realize, though, is that even teenagers who take or share sexually explicit images might themselves be technically committing a crime. Consulting counsel when your child shares a nude image will help you understand the potential risks.

In New York, a "mandatory reporter" is a person who is required by law to report any suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. This includes professionals who work closely with children, such as teachers, doctors, social workers, and police officers.

If a mandatory reporter sees signs of abuse or neglect, or if a child tells them about it, they must report their concerns to the New York State Child Abuse Hotline. This law is in place to protect children and ensure that any potential harm is investigated promptly. Failing to report can result in legal consequences for the mandatory reporter.