Massachusetts has significant gaps in child protection laws, the majority of abusers never even get recorded into records. The main issue occurs when adults don't have the training or the legal duty to report abuse. Children often feel silenced and victims feel overlooked because they are children. The more overlooked cases the higher rates of child abuse and neglect become un noticed and more frequent. This Massachusetts state bill is not only about the safety of children, but we need to ensure that mandated reporters and state staff are trained on how to report and deal with situations like this to look out for children. Without this precaution and protection Massachusetts abuse rates will continue to rise in cases. 

According to enoughabuse.org 90% of child sexual abuse goes un-noticed since victims often feel silenced. 1 in 10 students or approximately 10% of students report a form of sexual misconduct or abuse from teachers coaches and counselors. Taking into consideration the amount of students in Massachusetts that would mean that as many as 100,000 local children are vulnerable to this harm. A study in 2024 shows that 14 out of 1000 kids are reported as victims of abuse or neglect which is double the national average.

Massachusetts State bill S.127 helps fix this problem by ensuring that mandated reporters have the correct training so that students can know that they can easily access help in a safe and non judgmental way. This would also lower the percentage and help children know that the adults around them have training and practice with these experiences making them feel more welcome to talk about their abuse. By signing, you are showing Paul R. Feeney that our community demands change. We urge you to call or email the office of  Paul Feeney and tell them to vote YES on this bill.