I was having a conversation with a group of friends about my experience at teaching so far. I have just gotten used to the 1st grade class I am placed in and was talking about the difference between teaching 1st and 4th grade. I concluded with the often repeated statement that I am just as comfortable with 1st and 4th graders but think that 4th graders are a little more comfortable with me than 1st graders are.
One person, meaning to be supportive, added "Plus you don't want to seem like creepy guy teacher."
My initial response was that actually there is a great support for men teachers for younger grades, especially because of the high rate of fatherlessness.
I never thought of the profession in terms of gender role. My dad wasn't around very often in the second half of my childhood but when he was a teacher. And Gramps had plenty to say about hard work and the correct way to use a lawn mower (he still does!). I have been brought up thinking of instructing and educating as a masculine endeavor. To be sure I have had no shortage of women in the family who were very interested in the importance of education and I could say that they were the stronger influence but the point is that in my background there would be nothing considered strange or unnatural with a man developing the mind and character of a child.
Well, I guess in this department I am an unusual case. The most common reaction from adults to learn that I am going into elementary teaching is first surprise followed by the same encouragement "They need more men teachers."
But the more I thought about the friend's statement about creepy guy teachers the more insulted I feel. The underlying meaning is that many people feel (and are justified in feeling) that men cannot be trusted around young children. My experience has been that this feeling is particularly strong in churches.
I know a lot of people who have told me that they were abused as children and I am under no illusions as to how very common and how damaging it is. I share the militancy of abuse survivors to ensure that children must be protected from this abuse... but one of the damages done by abuse is the destruction of trust and an enduring suspicion against all people (and men in particular).
This suspicion has touched the national psyche so that there is a commonly held view that there is something unnatural and dangerous about a man who is around children. If I saw a man watching children at a playground it would most certainly enter my mind that he might be "a stranger" or unsafe and I should keep an eye on him... and I'm the guy at the playground most of the time!
I'm not really insulted by the friend's comment but am frustrated because there is no defense that could be given. Nothing is more suspicious than a denial!
But the worst part is how much is lost because of the removal of men from the raising of children. I was exceedingly fortunate in the quality of the women who helped raise me but there is something all together different in how and what was little was contributed by the men. I learned more than how to fix a flat tire and mow a lawn from Gramps. Dad's laughable attempt at talking about the birds and bees made a much deeper impression on me than I realized "So... uhh... I'm guessing you guys like girls now? You... uhh... hold hands... well it gets much more complicated after that."
The men in my life were imperfect (like the women) but their influence was literally undercut and much of this was influenced by a fear and distrust against all men against which they had not deserved. And so the world misses out.
Incompletely unrelated news I know a lot of women who ask "Where are all the real men?"
Showing posts with label sexual abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexual abuse. Show all posts
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mandatory Reporter Paper (review)
Ahoy hoy,
This is my paper review for the law roudntable in Dr. V's 5311 class. If you are tagged it is because you are either in my credential program or else are on the teacher track as well. Feedback is okay.
If it seems a little long for the roundtable assignment... I think you are correct.
BTW pastors are also mandatory reporters.
p.s. team 50 don't forget the cover page.
....
Roundtable 1
Law Roundtable- Mandated Reporting
Sabina Nizami
Michael Gardner
TED 5311
Dr. Bette Vervais
July 16, 2009 In American it is estimated that one in four children are victims of abuse. This can be physical, sexual and emotional, but it all has long lasting, and even generational, effect. As teachers we have a special role on the lives of our students, spending more hours during a week with the child than any other adult. Students will look up to, trust and depend on us. This creates a responsibility which we can not morally abandon. But as teachers there are also legal requirements and protections concerning abuse and the reporting of abuse which we need to know. This discussion will introduce the legal standards of teachers concerning reporting observed and even suspected abuse, including our legal status as mandatory reporters, how to correctly report abuse and some signs of abuse.
As teachers we are legally classified as mandatory reporters. This means that we must report abuse and suspected abuse or else face the risk of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to a thousand dollars,# to say nothing of thee possibility of seriously endangering a child. Congress passed the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act in 1974 which states:
a mandated reporter shall make a report to [the police, sheriff’s department, county probation department or county welfare department] whenever the mandated reporter, in his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment has knowledge or observes a child knows or reasonably suspected has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.#
This report is expected to be made as soon as practically possible by phone and must be followed by a formal written report within 36 hours.
Being a mandated reporter also provides legal protection form civil and criminal prosecution for reporting abuse and suspected abuse. This means that you can not be sued for reporting a reasonably possible suspicion. You also can not even be identified as the reporter unless there is a court order to that effect.
It is not necessarily expected that every mandated reporter should be an expert at diagnosing or recognizing abuse but the law defines the reasonable suspicion we must be “objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion, based on the facts that could cause a reasonable person in a like position… to suspect child abuse or neglect.”# We can list some signs but ultimately what the law requires is something like common sense, depending on your experience and training with cases of abuse.
It is natural that when the subject of child abuse is made someone’s responsibility that it would cause strong feelings that are difficult to deal with. It might even be normal to want to avoid the issue. However, even aside from our legal responsibility we should remember that the reason we choose to teach. We want to improve the lives of people when they are most receptive to help. It is a great gift to teach children to read, strengthen and expand their mind but it pales in comparison to helping preventing abuse. It is even possible to save someone’s life. We can not save everyone but we can and we must be willing to make a difference.
This is my paper review for the law roudntable in Dr. V's 5311 class. If you are tagged it is because you are either in my credential program or else are on the teacher track as well. Feedback is okay.
If it seems a little long for the roundtable assignment... I think you are correct.
BTW pastors are also mandatory reporters.
p.s. team 50 don't forget the cover page.
....
Roundtable 1
Law Roundtable- Mandated Reporting
Sabina Nizami
Michael Gardner
TED 5311
Dr. Bette Vervais
July 16, 2009 In American it is estimated that one in four children are victims of abuse. This can be physical, sexual and emotional, but it all has long lasting, and even generational, effect. As teachers we have a special role on the lives of our students, spending more hours during a week with the child than any other adult. Students will look up to, trust and depend on us. This creates a responsibility which we can not morally abandon. But as teachers there are also legal requirements and protections concerning abuse and the reporting of abuse which we need to know. This discussion will introduce the legal standards of teachers concerning reporting observed and even suspected abuse, including our legal status as mandatory reporters, how to correctly report abuse and some signs of abuse.
As teachers we are legally classified as mandatory reporters. This means that we must report abuse and suspected abuse or else face the risk of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to a thousand dollars,# to say nothing of thee possibility of seriously endangering a child. Congress passed the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act in 1974 which states:
a mandated reporter shall make a report to [the police, sheriff’s department, county probation department or county welfare department] whenever the mandated reporter, in his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment has knowledge or observes a child knows or reasonably suspected has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.#
This report is expected to be made as soon as practically possible by phone and must be followed by a formal written report within 36 hours.
Being a mandated reporter also provides legal protection form civil and criminal prosecution for reporting abuse and suspected abuse. This means that you can not be sued for reporting a reasonably possible suspicion. You also can not even be identified as the reporter unless there is a court order to that effect.
It is not necessarily expected that every mandated reporter should be an expert at diagnosing or recognizing abuse but the law defines the reasonable suspicion we must be “objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion, based on the facts that could cause a reasonable person in a like position… to suspect child abuse or neglect.”# We can list some signs but ultimately what the law requires is something like common sense, depending on your experience and training with cases of abuse.
It is natural that when the subject of child abuse is made someone’s responsibility that it would cause strong feelings that are difficult to deal with. It might even be normal to want to avoid the issue. However, even aside from our legal responsibility we should remember that the reason we choose to teach. We want to improve the lives of people when they are most receptive to help. It is a great gift to teach children to read, strengthen and expand their mind but it pales in comparison to helping preventing abuse. It is even possible to save someone’s life. We can not save everyone but we can and we must be willing to make a difference.
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