Teachers are an open line of communication for vulnerable children

With many children now out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been steadily climbing. Unfortunately, this is not surprising. Over the years, reports have consistently shown increased rates of CSA during periods such as August and Christmas holidays when more children are at home.

The majority of perpetrators of CSA are usually known to the child; such as a family member, family friend or community leader. As a result, teachers can often be the last line of defense for children who are experiencing abuse. While teachers serve many important functions within their spaces, one that is often overlooked is how important they are in the fight against CSA. Children spend significant portions of their lives within the school environment, with school even being pegged as their second home. Having constant access to children means teachers are well suited to notice changes in student’s behaviors and to also be an open line of communication for children who are vulnerable.

This is why it is not only important for teachers to arm themselves with the facts of sexual abuse but to create a safe environment for children. Many children do not feel safe at home and this can make it very difficult for them to open up about the abuse they might be experiencing. Through creation of a safe environment within their classrooms, teachers can let children know that they are someone that they can trust and who can help them to get the type of support that they need. Teachers should be provided with sufficient training to identify abuse and be aware of the channels for reporting cases of abuse. With government’s commitment to tackling CSA, teachers both in the public and private sector should be supported with the necessities they would need to continue doing their jobs in an efficient and empathetic manner.

Of course teachers are shaped by the culture around them and unfortunately, not many are aware of the various myths surrounding CSA. Added to that, schools are not entirely safe environments as many sexual predators have found homes within classrooms. This is why it is important for teachers committed to their students to trust their intuition and report any suspicious instances they may notice between their fellow teachers and students. There needs to be movement away from the ideas that young children look for their abuse or that addressing abuse within the school environment can bring shame upon the school. True shame should lie within those who are aware of CSA and turn a blind eye, leaving young children vulnerable to sexual grooming and abuse.

Sexual abuse is such a wide reaching issue that it requires the help of everyone to appropriately address it. Through working in collaboration with parents, community members and other service providers, teachers can create an atmosphere that is safe for children to openly discuss sexual abuse. Often times, children lack the language and information they need as it relates to abuse, so a lot of them are unable to recognize when they are being abused. Equipping children with age appropriate information on sexual abuse and their bodies is an act of empowerment. Even more important however, is learning the signs of CSA and taking the reports of children seriously the first time. The courage to speak out about abuse often takes a lot out of children, so teachers should always aim to make the child feel secure rather than instill feelings of shame and fear.