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North Carolina

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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives (TPPI), housed in the Division of Public Health, provide funding for local health departments, social services departments/agencies, school systems, and other community-based agencies to work with adolescents to prevent pregnancy among target populations. These agencies use “best practice models” in group settings. Techniques may include abstinence and life-skills education, youth development, parent workshops, counseling and referral, community awareness efforts, and male involvement. Topics include decision-making, leadership, information about specific areas of concern such as sexual coercion, statutory rape laws, and/or service learning.

STATUTORY RAPE

The North Carolina Department of Justice and the Office of Attorney General primarily administer the programs addressing the problem of statutory rape for law enforcement officers, the education system, and relevant counseling organizations. The North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA) is an inclusive, statewide alliance working to end sexual violence through education, advocacy, and legislation. NCCASA provides statewide training to the state’s 70+ rape crisis centers, law enforcement officials, and colleges and universities. Rape Crisis Centers across the state provide rape counseling services and resources of sexual violence to survivors on a day-to-day basis. NCCASA Provides information, referrals, and resources to individuals, rape crisis programs, and other organizations, supports rape crisis programs and other individuals in their efforts to address sexual violence in their communities, advocates for local rape crisis programs, creating networking opportunities for those involved in the rape crisis movement. On a statewide level, NCCASA works with legislators to strengthen North Carolina sexual assault statutes, advocate on behalf of survivors, coordinate Sexual Assault Response Teams across the state, and hosts the NC Campus Consortium to educate and support NC campuses and their prevention efforts. Public schools in North Carolina are required to have child sexual abuse training per Session Law 2019-245 Senate Bill 199. Local educational agencies control how they administer the training and with what resources. These trainings typically include statutory rape as being a form of child sexual abuse.

The Department recognizes the importance of education as a tool for the prevention of sexual violence, including statutory rape. Primary prevention focuses on developing strategies that target the behaviors prior to victimization. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives, housed in the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) offers training to funded parenting programs regarding fatherhood involvement and legal issues, including child support.

The Department encourages the utilization of law enforcement, domestic violence, and other community-based agencies to educate teen fathers, non-custodial fathers, and young males. These institutional and community-based programs are ongoing and adhere to acknowledged philosophies and practices. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives, housed in the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) offer training to fund parenting programs regarding fatherhood involvement and legal issues, including child support. The Department continually works to identify opportunities for appropriate program expansion while reviewing the efforts of other states.