Such cases fall under Title IX, the federal law that prevents sex discrimination in education. But the rules for dealing with sexual misconduct and assault in secondary schools are often not clear — if they exist at all — leaving victims to feel powerless and educators to wonder about the proper steps to take, the experts said .

New York State law requires schools to create policies for handling sexual misconduct and assault, and to open investigations that must be completed promptly after incidents are reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had found that 7.4 percent of high school students reported having been “physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to to.” (The split was 11.3 percent of female students and 3.5 percent of male students.)

Last month, federal education officials ordered the Chicago public school system to overhaul the way it deals with sexual harassment and violence, citing “widespread” failures to respond to complaints of sexual misconduct and assault by students and staff members.

The federal officials detailed cases in which the Chicago district failed to support students who had been groped, grabbed and fondled by peers and failed to take action against adults who engaged in misconduct — including sexual relations — with students.

Even those who were unhappy with how Niagara Wheatfield officials handled Taylor’s case acknowledged the challenges that such allegations present. For several months, Mr. Dowdy was charged but not convicted, and thus entitled to a presumption of innocence and the right to a high school education, they said.

Still, Taylor’s case offers more evidence that school districts often seem to be stumbling in their approach to sexual abuse among students.