Here\'s what an expert recommends to curb sexual assault in schools

A pair of new incidents at at madison schools... in one case, a 12-year- old girl is accused of injuring two officers... and is now facing facing tentative charges of battery to law enforcement... officers say the girl hit a classmate and threatened another with a fire extinguisher yesterday morning at jefferson middle school.

Police say the girl was supposed to be suspended... but refused to leave school grounds.

Staff members requested help from madison police... and officers say the girl got into a fight with them... one officer was treated for whiplash and shoulder injuries... and another suffered a split lip.

In a second incident, a 16- year-old boy is facing tentative charges of repeated sexual assault after one of his female classmates came forward about him forcefully groping her over the course of several weeks.

This is at least the second sexual assault we learned of in madison schools in the last two weeks.

Today, amy reid sat down with an expert to find out what could happen to stop this... at the rape crisis center, it all comes down to culture -- how we talk and act about sexual assault.

They don't blame one person, or even one type of person, which means the responsibility to fix this lies with all of us.

10:32 i talk to young people in schools quite often and hear stories of them telling administrators and teachers and being told they're just being dramatic or given some other excuse for, maybe it wasn't so bad or it wasn't as bad as they feel like it is :51 as the director of education for the rape crisis center, missy mael may hear it more than any of us.

10:55 it does break my heart.

Actually i just heard it today.

:57 at a school.

It was, well these young girls are just very dramatic and it was a whole group of them telling me this story :05 she said that culture needs to change.

According to her, multiple studies prove false reporting of sexual assault is only between 2 and 8 percent, on par with other crimes.

So we start by believing victims when assault happens.

But there's more we can do before it ever does.

13:03 what i would like to see is real, honest conversations about sex, sexual assault, consent, especially consent :12 she said these conversations do happen to an extent in health class, but more can be done both there and at home.

Right now she's working with the madison metropolitan school district's title nine coordinator to help train liason's that can help with that, but more policies could go in place at the district level.

Mmsd policy says engaging in non-consensual sexual contact or conduct with another student carries their highest response level, which could lead to suspension or expulsion.

But it's not clear what their policy is for victims. so she encourages parents to ask for themselves.

16:52 ask your school administrators what is the process, if something happens to my child, what does it look like if they come to you and report it, what are you going to do about it, and step by step, what will happen with my child in these instances :08 we reached out to the district to ask them these questions, but they weren't available today to comment.

Mael said another thing parents can do to help combat this is to watch for warning signs in their children, including being withdrawn and not wanting to attend class.

If you are worried about your child, mael said you are welcome to reach out to the crisis center hotline.

That number is 608-251-7273 amy reid reporting