assault is a term used to describe any type of contact that causes harm or injury. Even gentle touch can be assault. For example, if a student gently puts their hand on your back to comfort them, it does not mean that there was no assault.
Assault can happen in the school environment, at school-run programs and events, or even on the school’s property. In fact, one in four primary schools has a security guard!
Many students do not realize what assault is and how serious it can be until they are older. When young children become victims themselves, it can be extremely difficult to convince them to report an assault.
This article will talk about some ways for parents and children to help prevent assault and intervene if something does happen.
Contents:
File a police report
If you think your child has been assaulted at school, the first step is to call the school’s security department. They can investigate if there have been any reports of abuse at the school.
Typically, they ask that you go to a administrators’ office and that they meet with them before they respond, so it is confirmed that an assault has occurred. Once this happens, the administrators can determine if there was assault or attempted assault.
If they do find evidence of an assault, they may request that the parent or parents take their child to a physician or pediatrician for examination and possible treatment.
Once these professionals have looked at the incident and determined what happened, they can file a report with local police.
Talk to your child about what happened
It’s common for children who are victim of assault or who witness an assault about their experience. Children are particularly receptive to your messages and guidance.
If you child was the one who asked to meet a peer, go ahead and do it. If you child felt safe, then safe is what they wanted.
If not, find out why and work towards that. Child development suggests that this is a good thing, so work toward having a sense of justice in your child’s development.
It can be difficult for parents to discuss what happened with their child because they may be emotional and/or ashamed.
Consider taking action against the school
If you believe your child has been assaulted or endangered by a fellow student, you may take steps to prevent a similar incident from happening again. Below, we discuss some possible actions you can take if you believe your child has been the target of bullying at school.
If you think the victim of bullying is in danger, and you are not familiar with other students at school who might be equally bullies, it may be better to remove your child from the school entirely. This may be the best option if other members of the community feel that their safety is lost in this type of behavior.
Removing your child from school not only protects them from further harm, but it also saves money in future education for them. Many schools place a financial burden on parents to continue paying for their education after they are involved in an environment like this.
There are ways to address aggression between students that work without taking away safety at school.
Seek professional help for your child
If you believe your child was victim of assault, the next step is to talk to them about it. You can do this in a group setting or by just talking to them but make sure it is done with love and support.
It is important for children to understand that if someone gets hurt or someone else gets upset when they aren’t around, people love and cares about them. So by their parents talking to them about what happened, they will gain a sense of peace.
For young children, school is their main source of communication so it can be hard to seek help from adults when something goes wrong. However, professionals can help guide you on how to handle yourself in court if things go wrong.
If the culprits are adults, then law enforcement can help you out.
Encourage your child to take part in the investigation
If the child is old enough to do so, they should participate in the investigation. This includes asking them to videotape or photograph the incident and sharing these with the school as well as the police.
If a student is accused of assault, they should not be allowed to leave the campus until the investigation is over. This includes having a phone call with a teacher to go over what happened and why it happened.
A student who has been accused of assault should not be allowed to return to school until their guilt or innocence is known.
Cooperate with the investigation
If your child is involved in an incident at school, the most important thing is to cooperate with the investigation. If you were present when the incident happened, then you should also participate in the investigation.
A school’s administration will likely be very interested in what happened and who was involved. If you can help make the administration focus more on preventing assault anduti rather than punishing offenders, it will benefit both schools and victims.
If a teacher or officer reports a crime to a school administrator, then the next step is for the administrator to report it to authorities. Many schools do not have police on campus, which makes reporting to a school administrator difficult.
If your child is assaulted at school, call our toll-free helpline at 1-800-500-HELP (4és) to get help from a qualified adult such as a teacher, counselor, or doctor.
Consider filing a lawsuit
If it looks like the assault was the result of criminal activity, such as a robbery or kidnapping, filing a lawsuit can help initiate justice and accountability.
Many schools have policies and procedures in place to respond to assaults on their campus. If the assailant is identified and charges are filed, he or she may be allowed to carry their employment record with them.
If you believe your child was assaulted at school, consider filing a lawsuit against the school for negligence. A school that is judgmental or puts corporal punishment as the only form of discipline does not reflect its students well. Your child has a right to an apology and treatment from the staff, so if you have proof of this happening, file a lawsuit against the school.