Our children are the most important thing in our lives. The idea of them being in pain, being uncomfortable, or being hurt is enough to bring tears to our eyes and send us into an uncontrollable rage. It is absolutely unacceptable for our children to be abused anywhere – especially at school. Abuse comes in many forms and can be physical, mental, and horrifyingly, sexual. School should be a safe place for your child and it is the last place you would expect any of the previously listed things to happen, but shockingly, it does, and with alarming frequency.
In this article, we will tell you what you should do if your child is abused at school, as well as tell you the legal options that you have available to you. In order to respond appropriately, it is important to establish the nature of the abuse, and the person who is abusing your child [we will discuss all of this later]. It is also important for you to know when you need to involve the police and attorneys.
Is your child abused at school? Here are your available legal options.
The Nature of the Abuse
This is a very difficult subject to write about, as I am sure you can understand. Even so, it is a subject that must be discussed, for if it isn’t, nothing can be done about it. Abuse is a very vast term to describe anything that the victim finds uncomfortable. Abuse can be people laughing at them, assaulting them, or saying nasty things to them. To make an appropriate decision and to pursue a course of action that is fair and just, one must establish what the nature of the abuse is, which is why we have created this guide:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse can occur at the hands of students or teachers. It is very unlikely for a teacher to physically strike your child, as those days are long gone, but it can still happen. If it does happen, the teacher will be in very serious trouble and will find themselves arrested, out of the job, and going to court. Physical abuse cannot be stood for, and if a teacher raises a hand to your child, you must do absolutely everything in your power to ensure they are punished to the full extent of the law.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is a very ugly subject to discuss, and for that reason, we will not go in-depth. We will leave it with this: if your child has said anything that alarms you about their experience at school, whether it be with another student or a teacher, then you must make thorough investigations. Your first point of call in this situation is inarguably the police. The police must be involved so that an appropriate investigation can take place and so that the culprit can be caught and punished. The punishment for acts of these can, in some cases, be life imprisonment.
Verbal Abuse
Verbal abuse is often at the hands of other students and there is very little that can be done about it, other than teacher intervention. If the abuse is coming from a teacher, however, which does happen, then it is important that you involve the school and have the teacher punished. In some cases, depending on the extent of the abuse, the police may also need to be involved. Bullying at the hands of anybody is unacceptable in school, and if your child finds themselves verbally abused, you must stand up and take action.
Legal Options
With the three types of abuse out of the way, let’s discuss your legal options:
Attorneys
If your child is abused by a teacher, you are well within your rights to sue the entire school. These lawsuits can yield massive pay-outs and you may be the recipient of up to a million dollars. Abuse is unacceptable in school, and according to the legal specialists of Christensen Law, you do not have to allow them to get away with it. You can take a stand and take legal action against those who have made your child feel uncomfortable, scared, and alarmed.
The Police
For cases of abuse that are physical and sexual in nature, the police must be involved: no questions asked. Your child should not be touched by anyone who they do not want to touch them and as a matter of fact, nobody should be.
With the help of this page, you will be able to confront the ugly situation in which your child finds themselves abused at school, whether it be by students or staff. We hope this is a situation that you never have to experience, but if you do, you now know what to do and how to behave.
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