Steps Parents Can Take If Their Child Is a Victim of Sexual Assault
It can be devastating to hear from your child that he or she has been assaulted at school. A child can be embarrassed to tell you what has happened or when it happened, but as a parent, you are not totally helpless. The school has an obligation to investigate. You should document your efforts to obtain answers.
The Path to Recovery
Public Justice, a leading advocacy organization for protecting children from bullying and sexual abuse, offers additional active steps you can take.
- Discuss what measures your child will be comfortable taking. As a first step, you must consider your child’s needs and desires. Explain that a long-term solution may not be the most comfortable approach.
- Report the incident or incidents to proper authorities. This should begin with the appropriate school officials and may include local police.
- Insist on a prompt investigation. There is no reason for officials to delay looking into assault claims.
- Make sure your child is protected against future incidents. It is essential to ward off future assaults as well as retaliation against your son or daughter.
- Track all interactions with authorities. Whenever you are contacted by law enforcement or school officials, write down a dated memo of the event. Keep this information readily available for the future.
- Consider contacting a lawyer. A legal professional may be the best suited to make sure your child and your family secure the healing and just results you deserve.
Where to Go From Here
The child sexual abuse attorneys at DRZ Law are well known throughout Missouri and Kansas for our strong work on behalf of students who have been victimized by assault. We will help you find the answers you need: what happened, why it happened, and what can be done to prevent a repeat offense. Please call us as soon as possible so we can begin working together on a plan of action.