Abuse by authority figures
YOU teach your children the importance of being able to identify good touch versus bad touch, and to report to you if anyone touches them inappropriately. But this message can get skewed when the abuser is someone in authority, and the child has to battle with both the concept of respecting her elders and reporting abuse carried out by a trusted authority figure like a teacher.
It becomes worse when there is fear that no one will believe it even if a report is made.
For 14-year-old Kerry, a second-form student at a prominent school in St Catherine, the situation is very real. She has complained to her mother that her male technical drawing teacher will from time to time slap the female students on their bottoms and ‘accidentally’ brush his hands against their breasts.
She is not sure how to approach the problem.
Dr Kai Morgan, clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of the West Indies, said the parent, after such a report, is responsible for going to the school board and principal so that the teacher can be legally dealt with.
“Because the teacher cannot be teaching and abusing the child,” Dr Morgan said. “Abuse is absolutely unacceptable and should not be tolerated at all.”
The psychologist said children need to have clear avenues where they can go in cases like these, whether it is to the parents, principal or guidance counsellor who would be able to lobby on their behalf.
“I don’t see where any school would not take some action,” she said. “But if they are not taking any action I do believe the parent can report that to the Office of the Children’s Advocate so that the matter can be investigated, because child abuse is unlawful.”
Dr Morgan said parents should look out for the signs that their children are conflicted. The first one is usually a fear of going to school.
“If you can’t hear any reason from them about what is going on, or nothing substantial as to why they do not want to go to school, then you will have to investigate,” she said.
“If you see that their grades are dropping, or that they are expressing fear about the teacher, then those too are signs. Then you have to also look for those kinds of manifestations of fears that seem a little bit unusual or heightened.”
Dr Morgan said the age of the child is going to determine what a parent notices, but a drop in grades or fearful behaviours would affect all ages. Fear for younger children will manifest itself in things like tummy aches and loss of appetite.
“You have to also look at how they respond emotionally, physically and academically,” she advised.
