Protecting your children and identifying predators

For many parents, one of the scariest things to worry about is their children's safety after they drop them off at school.  

School should be a safe place where teachers are protectors, not predators.  

Thursday morning, a Yukon principal was fired from Southwest Covenant High School on charges of possession of child pornography after being there for 15 years.

The CARE Center Director of Prevention and Outreach Shelby Lynch said, "The first thing I want anyone to know about child abuse is that it really is an epidemic, not only here in Oklahoma, but also nationally."

Lynch added that about 1 in 7 children will be victims of abuse before their eighteenth birthday.  

She said parents should really know how to look for signs of child abuse with their kids.  

Fatigue

1. The body experiences so much toxic stress, it begins to shut down.
2. There is a difference between a child just being tired and fatigue coming from trauma.  
3. Lynch said simple communication is key.  
4. She said, "Ask them, hey, I noticed that you are really, really tired. What's going on?"

Mood changes and Self-care

1. Lynch said you may see changes in body image.
2. A child who normally keeps themselves clean and tidy may forego that to make themselves less attractive to the abuser.

Spotty attendance at school

1. Lynch said children with spotty attendance could be a sign of abuse in the home.
2. Lynch also said neglect and lack of means are often confused and uses the example of transportation being the issue versus abuse.

Identifying predators at school

1. Lynch calls predators groomers and said they will isolate children and make them feel like they have a special, exclusive relationship with this particular individual. 

She said, “So really watching the interaction, that this individual this adult has with all children can be really important."

Tips and Information

1. Encourage kids to identify three safe adults whom they can always talk to, no matter what.
2. Lynch added that every adult in the state of Oklahoma is a mandated reporter of child abuse. It does not matter if you work with children on a day-to-day basis or not.
3. If you see something, it is your legal obligation to report suspected abuse immediately.
4. You can make a report to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and to the non-emergency police line for your jurisdiction.