Sexual Misconduct At School Knowing Where The Line Is Drawn

Teacher, Student Caught Nude in Car. Coach Gets Jail Time for Affair with Student. School Board Fires Two Employees Accused in Sex Scandal. No matter how often the headlines appear in the news, incidents of sexual misconduct between staff and students continue to be prevalent across the U.S. While the vast majority of school employees are caring, competent individuals who are dedicated to serving the best interests of their students, unfortunately this is not always the case. Teachers, coaches, bus drivers, classroom aides, etc. any of these employees could turn out to be sexual offenders who devastate the lives of their young victims.

In the aftermath of such incidents, one might assume that it should be simple to spot a sexual predator amongst the ranks of school employees. But again, this is seldom the case. On the contrary, there is really no single profile of a person who is involved in predatory behavior. In fact, many educators and school staff who turn out to be sexual offenders were actually quite popular and well-liked by students and colleagues. So what does this mean for the majority of concerned, devoted school staff members who are simply trying to do their jobs while maintaining school safety and protecting their students?

There are several factors to consider in knowing where the line is drawn in regard to sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct between school staff and students. The first is that in all states, teachers are considered mandatory reporters of child abuse (including suspected sexual abuse), but in most states all school employees are likewise considered mandatory reporters as well. This means that the law requires school employees to take reasonable steps to protect students from harm. Some state legislation now even requires school staff to report any suspected sexual misconduct between staff and students as part of their mandatory reporting obligations. Remember, you should always follow your school and/or districts policies and procedures when it comes to reporting suspected incidents of abuse!

But theres more to protecting students and colleagues from incidents of sexual harassment, misconduct and/or abuse, and it starts with the boundaries you create and the professional behavior you exhibit towards your students. While its not uncommon for teachers, coaches, counselors, etc. to prefer to be more of a friend than authoritative figure to their students, staff must also be aware that this kind of relationship can possibly lead to professional boundaries being crossed, or even the perception thereof by others. When professional boundaries are not clearly defined, fellow students, colleagues, and community members, for example, could misconstrue a close friendship between teacher and student as something much more sinister. Therefore, school employees should always follow their school and/or districts professional conduct policies, as well as make concerted efforts to establish and follow their own professional boundaries. Remember that school staff are expected to act as educators and adult authority figures to their students not as peers, social equals, or friends.

In general, its good practice to keep the following policies and practices in mind when establishing your own professional boundaries:

When meeting privately with a student, be sure to never be alone with the student behind closed doors and ensure that the room has an unobstructed view to the outside.
Avoid counseling students in non-school-related matters. Instead, direct the student to your districts trained guidance counselor.
Avoid meeting students alone away from school grounds (unless as part of a school-sponsored event).
Do not tell sexually themed jokes, make sexual comments and/or have discussions with students regarding their romantic or sexual activities or your own. This is never appropriate behavior.

In todays environment of near-constant technological connectivity, school staff members need to pay more attention then ever to how seemingly innocent acts, such as friending students on social networking sites or giving cell or personal phone numbers to students, could constitute a transgression of professionalism or even more seriously, could lead to incidents of sexual misconduct and/or abuse. Therefore, it is wise for school staff members to limit or eliminate communications especially non-school related communications with students away from school. If you must communicate with students outside of school hours, be sure to keep conversations brief and limit the content to school matters only. While there are certain circumstances which may require you to provide a personal telephone number or a school email address to students, its never a good idea to friend or follow students on social networking sites.