What Parents Can Do When They Suspect Teacher Harassment or Abuse
When you send your child to school, you send them with the expectation that they’ll be taught in a safe environment. When teacher harassment or abuse occurs, you’re devastated. This is the type of egregious misconduct you never thought would happen to your child.
However, if it did, Drazin & Warshaw is here to help you protect your child and hold the teacher and their school accountable for their gross misconduct and severe negligence.
This guide will help you recognize the signs of teacher harassment and abuse and what to do when these harmful and inappropriate acts are suspected.
Recognizing the Signs of Teacher Harassment or Abuse
Often, teachers who sexually harass and/or abuse students are doing so brazenly and in plain sight. At the same time, children and teens may be experiencing emotional and hormonal changes, leading to mood swings, defiance, and pushing boundaries. This overlap, unfortunately, makes it easy to dismiss signs of teacher harassment and abuse and attribute certain behaviors to stereotypical growing pains.
Understanding the common signs of teacher harassment and abuse can help you differentiate between typical teenage angst and symptoms of abuse. While not an exhaustive list, look out for any of the following behaviors:
Physical and Verbal Warning Signs
Unexplained Physical Injuries
Unexplained bruises, scratches, and other marks on your child’s body should never be ignored, as these may indicate abuse.
Immediately Showering or Changing Clothes
Take notice if your child immediately showers or changes their clothes as soon as they get home from school. These could be a sign of abuse or your child’s intent to “wash away” something distressing.
New or Unexplained Health Issues
Watch out for new or unexplained health issues, such as headaches or tummy aches. These may be manifestations of extreme stress.
Displaying Inappropriate Sexual Knowledge and/or Behavior
If your child is suddenly acting out sexually or saying things that are inappropriate for their age, they may have been exposed to sexual harassment or abuse.
Emotional and Behavioral Red Flags
Avoiding School or a Specific Class
If your child suddenly doesn’t want to go to school or participate in a particular class or after-school activity, it may be because the teacher is making them feel uncomfortable.
Increased Anger and Mood Swings
Due to the lack of control a child has to stop the abuse they are experiencing at school, they may begin exhibiting increased anger, sadness, or other mood swings while at home. Take notice of any sudden irritability, depression, or anxiety.
Getting in Trouble at School
Is your child suddenly getting in trouble at school? Are they talking back to teachers, fighting with fellow students, or having other sudden outbursts? Lashing out like this may be the result of your child feeling hurt and frustrated over being unable to express what’s happening to them behind closed doors.
Sudden Drop in Academic Performance
A sudden drop in your child’s academic performance, including test scores and homework completion, may signify fear and distraction.
Non-Physical Grooming Behaviors Parents Should Never Ignore
Unexplained Gifts or Money
During the early stages of the grooming process, predators will try to gain your child’s trust by gifting them money or other trinkets. Be mindful of all unexplained gifts and any secrecy around them. If your child plays online games like Roblox, look out for any new purchases that a gift card may have funded.
Withdrawing From Friends and Family
A predator’s goal is to isolate your child from their support system so they’ll be easier to manipulate and control. Be mindful of changes in your child’s behavior, including suddenly skipping social events or avoiding loved ones.
Overhearing Inappropriate Comments From Trusted Adults
If you overhear your child’s teacher, coach, principal, or other staff member making inappropriate jokes or sexual comments to your child, speak up and document it. These types of comments are never okay, nor are they harmless.
Noticing a Teacher Giving Your Child Special Attention
In addition to giving gifts, groomers purposely give their victims special attention to gain their trust. Be on the lookout for any teacher or school staff member singling your child out, hanging out with them alone, or spending more time with them during and after school hours. It could be a sign of grooming.
What to Do When You Suspect Teacher Harassment or Abuse at Your Child’s School
Step 1: Document Everything
Keep a detailed record noting your suspicions. For example, if you notice any changes in your child’s behavior, hygiene, or personality, write it down and include details of when the change started. This can be helpful for establishing a timeline of when the alleged teacher harassment or abuse began. Also, include any conversations with your child or a potential witness that didn’t sit well with you. Writing down your observations, including your child’s interactions with school staff, is paramount.
Continue documenting as you learn more about what happened, including preserving text messages, screenshots, and voicemails. Document physical evidence, including bruises, photos, or cash and gifts, if they were received.
Step 2: Open a Safe Conversation with Your Child
Even if you and your child have a close relationship, a conversation like this is tough. Survivors often feel guilt and shame after experiencing teacher harassment and abuse. Furthermore, because groomers try to maintain control over their victims, your child may be fearful of getting in trouble because that’s what they were manipulated into thinking.
Reassure your child that you are not only a safe space, but that they are not responsible for the abuse they experienced — they were the victim of a predator. Calmly let your child know you believe them and that they can be honest with you about what happened. Their account paints a picture of what happened and when. These details will be necessary when you report them to the school and contact a school sexual abuse lawyer.
Step 3: Report the Behavior to the School and Local Authorities
Once you have evidence of suspected teacher harassment or abuse, report it to your child’s school and law enforcement. Complete a Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying 338 (HIB) form. This is accessible through the NJ.gov website. This form can be submitted anonymously and with relevant evidence, including screenshots, text messages, emails, or photographs. The form is submitted to your child’s school, and an investigation into the alleged harassment or abuse will start no later than 10 days from the date of the written report.
While this is a start, you must also get law enforcement involved. Not only is it a requirement that any form of suspected child abuse be reported to law enforcement and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P), but getting them involved early removes your child from a dangerous situation and protects other students, potentially other victims.
Step 4: Reach Out to an Experienced School Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Once law enforcement and the school have been notified, your next step is to contact an experienced school sexual abuse lawyer. Your lawyer will help with investigations, collect necessary documentation, handle communications with insurers and all other parties, and represent your family in court.
The Importance of Acting Quickly After Suspected Teacher Harassment or Abuse in New Jersey
The sooner you get help, the sooner this nightmare can end for your child and any other victims in the school. Furthermore, acting quickly also helps preserve evidence before memories fade away.
In addition to this, families must follow a specific legal process when filing a lawsuit against a public school. In New Jersey, a lawyer must file what’s known as a Notice of Claim against the school district, notifying them of the intent to sue. This notice must be filed within 90 days of the incident. After that, there is a mandatory six-month waiting period before any lawsuit can be filed.
How the Attorneys at Drazin & Warshaw Can Help
No child should ever be taken advantage of by a teacher they were supposed to trust. At Drazin & Warshaw, we are committed to pursuing justice for survivors of school sexual abuse throughout New Jersey, including Union County, Essex County, and Cape May County.
Call us today at 732-333-8141 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys. We’re here to listen and advocate for the respect and protection your child was owed but never received. Let us hold their school accountable.
