Preventing Abuse Case Study #1

Case Study #1

One of your 4^th grade female students is very well developed physically and looks as if she is 15 instead of 9 years of age. Today you heard a group of 5^th grade boys commenting on her body in a lewd and humiliating manner. Two other teachers also heard these comments but blew them off as “boys will be boys,” and “she needs to get used to it.”

Considering teacher ethics and responsibilities, describe how you might respond to and handle this situation.

     To begin, I just want to mention that this form of abuse would be considered emotional maltreatment. For example, the case study mentions the 5^th grade boys commenting on her body in a lewd and humiliating manner. The definition of emotional maltreatment according to the PowerPoint is, “yelling, name-calling, belittling, ridiculing, humiliating, and ignoring the child’s basic needs.” The reason I chose this case study is because I faced a similar situation as a 5^th grade student. However, I was not teased about being over-developed; instead, I was teased about being under-developed. A couple of the boys in my grade thought it would be funny to send me an email about my physical appearance, and I remember it really hurt my feelings. While I did not inform my teacher about the situation, my dad completed most of the suggested steps that were suggested in the PowerPoint. He handled it in the best way possible, and I would have done the same thing if I were in his shoes. For the sake of this case study, the first thing I would do is record the situation in writing. It is important to do this right when it happens otherwise the abuse and bullying can go on for several days, which can really hurt a child’s self-esteem. Next, I would report the situation to my supervisor (principal in this case) at my school. I think it is important to inform your supervisor because you might need someone to back you up if parents get involved. This way you and your supervisor can collaborate and will be on the same page for this particular situation. Next, I would talk to the boys and student who was abused directly. I would first meet with girl student to explain to her that it is not her fault and try to explain why they might be doing this. I would actively listen to how she feels and tell her their behavior is not acceptable. I would also tell her how I was going to handle the situation and why to make sure she is not humiliated in anyway. Then I would talk to the boys. I would of course do this in private; however, I would make sure I met with the to discuss their behavior. I would go over what they said, how their behavior is hurtful, and potential consequences. In addition, I would have my supervisor in the room at the same time for backup and to record the session. I would give the 5^th graders a chance to apologize to the student and modify their behavior. If the abuse continues, I would contact their parents and inform them of the situation. I think it is important to inform parents what is going on because they might be able to take care of it and talk to their child. Also, if they are going to be punished, it is important for the parents to be informed about your plan of action and why you are going through with your decision. In my case, my dad copied the emails, called the boys parents directly, and secretly informed my teacher of the behavior. The boys apologized, and it never happened again. In fact, we became pretty good friends, and he told me he sent those emails because he actually liked me! This did not make his behavior okay in any way, and I now know how hurtful other classmates can be!