The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) recently published its Annual Report on Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in Delaware Public Schools for the 2023-2024 academic year. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of incidents reported across school districts and charter schools, focusing on issues such as teen dating violence, sexual assault, and consensual sexual misconduct.
During the reporting period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, school districts and charter schools, also referred to as local education agencies (LEAs), reported 210 incidents involving teen dating violence, sexual assault, and consensual sexual misconduct, and 69% of the incidents were sexual assaults. Middle schools reported more than half of the incidents (54%), and 67% percent of the students who received a discipline action were males. Sexual harassment followed by consensual sexual misconduct and pornography, possession, and production, were the top discipline offense categories reported by LEAs.
Districts that reported more than five incidents are as follows:
- Appoquinimink School District: 48 incidents
- Brandywine School District: 25 incidents
- Caesar Rodney School District: 16 incidents
- Capital School District: 10 incidents
- Christina School District: 24 incidents
- Colonial School District: 7 incidents
- Indian River School District: 13 incidents
- Lake Forest School District: 7 incidents
- Milford School District: 10 incidents
- New Castle County Vocational Technical School District: 5 incidents
- Odyssey Charter School: 7 incidents
- Red Clay Consolidated School District: 8 incidents
- Smyrna School District: 9 incidents
For districts with fewer than five incidents, specific numbers are redacted for privacy. Some districts reported zero incidents during the period.
This year marks a decade since the implementation of mandatory annual reporting under the Liane Sorenson Act, enacted in June 2012. This legislation requires Delaware schools to establish policies addressing teen dating violence and sexual assault. Schools are also obligated to provide training for staff and submit annual incident reports for review by the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC).
