While almost everyone agrees that education and tools are required to prevent sexual violence when it comes to children, there is very little being done to prevent it from happening. Vulnerable children are still experiencing sexual bullying and sexual assault from other students.
But it becomes a real problem with the adults who are supposed to be supervising them — the teachers — are the ones committing these sexual crimes on young students. So what can be done to protect your child?
Find Empowerment
Look at the available resources in the area to know where to start. This could even begin by having a talk to an experienced sex crime attorney to see what organizations are out there. Look at community groups, religious organizations, and any other professional organizations that exist so that you can receive advice, support, and the direction that you need to stay afloat.
Creating A Safe Environment
The best thing you can do is create a safe environment for your child at home so that they feel safe to talk to you about anything without judgment. It doesn’t hurt to teach them the tools for prevention as well so that they know how to defend themselves should an unfortunate incident arise.
This environment is important, especially if school administrators are trying to cover it up. They could interrogate your child without permission, which leaves you in the dark about what is actually going on.
The Important Matter of Consent
Always teach your children about consent and how to say no to someone. They should feel empowered to control who can touch their bodies and where they can be touched. This makes it much easier for them to know what is and isn’t acceptable contact with another person, including an adult.
It’s also important to teach them that if someone breaks their consent, they should speak to an authoritative figure as soon as possible that isn’t the offending teacher.
Encouraging The Right Conversations
A parent should be encouraging conversations with their child in regards to sexual harassment — in an age appropriate context, of course — so that children know how to prevent such scenarios from happening, and what to do when such a scenario occurs. Children shouldn’t be left without the tools they need to ensure their own safety and prevent it from happening again.
Having A Talk With School Administrators
It doesn’t hurt to know what procedures they have in place when these situations occur. Ensure that they have plans in place, such as whether parents are contacted and when, if meetings are held with all parties involved, and whether any official documents are made and kept for archival purposes. A poor plan may mean that you and your child are left with no recourse.
It’s better to take matters into your own hands to ensure that your child is safe rather than waiting for school authorities to deal with the matter for you. It’s a sad story when they try to cover up the actions of a teacher when a child is irreparably harmed for the rest of their life.
