Question: “Recently, a teenaged family member was sexually abused by a teacher. My family is at a loss on what to do and whom to seek for help. Of course, the police and the school district are involved, but we are not receiving the support we thought would automatically be given to us. The district seems more protective of the teacher's rights than the student's. Currently, the young woman is seeking counseling through the family’s private health insurance provider, but I feel as though there is something else that should be done for her. I have spent hours on the Internet, but again I am not finding the proper resources or guidelines. If you have any suggestions or resource contacts, I would greatly appreciate your advice in this difficult time.”

Response:

It is not uncommon for students and family members to feel the school is not being appropriately responsive to matters such as this. In this specific situation, in addition to the mental health concerns for the student and her family, there clearly are multiple concerns about safety and support and the need for acknowledgment from all those held accountable for the safety of students in schools.

We suggested immediately contacting whoever in the district is responsible for handling concerns that arise related to mental health and psychosocial problems. Then, we noted (a) specific local agencies that specialize in counseling following abuse, (b) a public counsel lawyer connected with the children’s rights organization, and (c) the Victim-Witness Assistance Program through the County District Attorney's Office.

Because many are not aware of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program, the following info from one DA’s website may be of interest: If states: “If you have been a victim of a crime and need assistance, you can call our central office. A Victim Services Representative will speak with you and determine how we can assist you. Program services are provided free of charge, and there is no legal citizenship requirement to receive assistance....

Who is eligible:

• The victim of the crime who suffers physical and/or emotional injury or a survivor of a person who dies as a direct result of the crime.
• Anyone legally dependant upon the victim for support.
• Anyone who was present during the crime and who has a close relationship with the victim.
• Anyone who must receive psychological treatment as a result of the crime or who should be included in the psychological treatment of the victim.

“There’s a lot of assumptions that we have to make based on the request for some assistance. We have to assume that the appropriate police report was made on the alleged sexual abuse and that there is a criminal investigation going on. We also have to assume that the student is safe at school and all precautions to ensure that have been taken. If the student is receiving counseling at through the family health provider, the therapist may want (with appropriate consent) to assist by finding out if there is support service staff at the student’s school who can provide some case management or support if the student is having difficulty attending school or doing school work, etc. This is a hard situation and trying to get the needed support can be difficult. Certainly, if it was a student at one of our schools, I know I would want to make sure that support was given to the student by the appropriate support staff person at the school. I know that the issue of trust with school personnel could be tricky given this scenario. Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.”

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UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
Dept. of Psychology, P.O.Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
tel: (310)825-3634
email: Linda Taylor ~ web: https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu