More and more news broadcasts focus on critical problems proliferating in schools around the country-bullying, teachers having sex with students, sexual harassment, student accidents, and students getting killed on class on class trips.
As a school safety expert and education consultant to attorneys, I’ve faced an endless variety of challenges. The only common thread is that when standards of supervision in school are lax, children get hurt.
Sexual harassment: Most of the public’s knowledge about educator sexual misconduct comes from newspaper reports. Journalists report allegations and these news stories increase public awareness.
How do parents and school staff recognize a red flag?
Situation: Do teachers meet with students alone in the classroom or behind closed doors in an office? Do teachers or coaches drive students home after school or after sports? What is the school’s policy on the relationships and contact teachers and coaches can have with students? Does the school have clear rules on sexual harassment and do teachers and students understand the boundaries of their relationships? When was the last time the school conducted a real exchange of information about sexual harassment?
Red flags: No meaningful training of teachers and students regarding interpersonal boundaries. No policies and procedures or monitoring regarding a staff member’s inappropriate contact with students. Teachers and coaches drive students home. Students call teachers on their cell phones after school.
