An attorney who investigates cases of sexual abuse of children by teachers says one of the best ways for parents to recognize if something is going on between a teacher and their child is to look for warning signs.
Mary Jo McGrath has seen many cases of sexual abuse by teachers. She travels the country investigating the cases and conducting seminars to educate parents about the warning signs of abuse. McGrath says 99.4 percent of teachers are good people who would never touch a child -- but at the same time, she notes, most predators are hard to recognize until it is too late. She does not suggest that parents be suspicious and paranoid of every teacher, but instead encourages them to simply pay attention and look for the indicators."You want to be sure that if a teacher or a coach is transporting your child, you know when they've left a particular place [and] when they arrive at your home -- and then it makes sense, time-wise. The right amount of time has elapsed. If there's a loss of time in there, you want to hold the person accountable for that; you want to [ask] 'how is this so'?" explains McGrath.McGrath says parents should also take notice if a teacher is too ingratiating. "They want to become part of the family. They want to become part of the community," she points out.According to the attorney, often it is a teacher of the year or a stellar coach. "They're disproportionately represented in the number of people who do hurt children," she warns. The attorney says parents must not be afraid to question when a teacher wants to spend too much time with their child.
