Child abduction, the run-away, teen daughter’s being pregnant. We have all heard of these things happening, but can they happen to your family? Your child is away at school for several hours each weekday. How can you be sure they remain safe?
While your child is in school, the teacher does act as a ‘stand-in’ parent for them with your child’s health and well being their first concern. Teachers need not be friends to their students but rather guardians of the physical, mental, social and intellectual wellness. The teacher must be responsible for ‘teaching’ and providing safety. Most teachers are compassionate, dedicated and caring individuals but a handful just do not have appropriate boundaries. They fall into the ‘let’s be friends’ trap to achieve popularity with their students.
The teacher who acts as your child’s peer instead of their teacher is one of the tactics that an abuser will use. Warning signs of this are the teacher who spends an inordinate amount of alone time with a student or a small group of students. They buy presents for a student and talk about very personal or even sexual things. The teacher tends to dress, act and talk like their students and does not relate to their own peers. This teacher will leave texts or calls or messages for the student without going through the parent. This all adds up to a predator and may end up resulting in a dangerous situation for your child.
If you see these signs and the warning signals begin to go off for you, it is time to take appropriate steps to protect your child. Keep a log of the details and times that you noticed or heard about any unusual behavior on the teacher’s part. In a calm and collected way, discuss your concerns with the school administrator. Have a serious but non judgmental discussion with your child to find out if they felt uncomfortable, confused or frightened and get the details of any of these occurrences. Then share this information with the school administrator.
You know your child better than any other person and no one can love your child as much as you. Your loving devotion is the best protection you can offer your child. Make it your business to know what happens at your child’s school and to know the individuals who have charge over them while they are in the school environment.
