Erin's Law

SENATE BILL 856: ERIN’S LAW

In 2015, Oregon passed Senate Bill 856, which mandates that students receive age-appropriate instruction to help them recognize and respond to unsafe situations, and to increase awareness of child sexual abuse.* You may have heard of this legislation under its more common name, "Erin's Law." Erin’s Law requires public schools to provide a minimum of four child sexual abuse prevention education lessons a year for children in pre-kindergarten through high school.

One requirement of this law is that schools provide an age-appropriate curriculum to all students relating to sexual abuse prevention, which may include a variety of discussions, activities, videos, and role-playing of safety phrasing through scenario situations. The purpose of the lessons is to provide students, in a nurturing and caring environment, the tools needed for personal safety. Over the course of the school year, your student’s teacher(s), a counselor, and/or another trained professional will be presenting lessons to the class to meet the requirements of Erin’s Law. Parents/guardians should be available for further discussion with students at home.

At most grade levels, sexual violence prevention (Erin’s Law) curriculum is worked into classroom comprehensive sexuality education in accordance with OAR 581-022-2050. At the elementary level, counselor’s will be using additional curriculums called Sources of Strength and Second Steps, Child Protection Unit to provide age-appropriate abuse prevention education. 

*Please know that in accordance with OAR 581-022-2050, GBSD will continue to allow parents (and students 18 and older, and legally emancipated minors) to request that his/her child be excused from that portion of the instructional program required by this rule. Please refer to the Opt-Out section of the Comprehensive Sexual Education Plan.

About Erin’s Law

Erin’s Law is named after childhood sexual assault survivor, author, speaker and activist Erin Merryn.In 2012, Erin introduced the legislation in her home state of Illinois, requiring that all public schools implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program. The bill was named after her by the legislators, and has  been adopted by 31 states nationwide.

Oregon adopted Erin’s Law in June 2015.

For Assistance with Abuse: