Written by U.S Immigration News Saturday, 16 September 2017 00:04
Q.
I am a 6th grade teacher and I have a concern. Some of my students approach me to
hug me and to receive hugs. My students are from low income families and have
many emotional needs. My problem is that I’m afraid that I could be accused of
sexual misconduct by a student if my hugs were misinterpreted. How do I avoid any
accusations and not hurt my students’ feelings?
A. This is a question that most educators ponder everyday. It is hard not to reach out to a
child in need. In an effort to avoid accusations of misconduct, many schools have
implemented so-called "no touch" policies, outlawing teacher-to-student physical
contact – and sometimes even contact between students. Some physical acts
obviously are inappropriate – like holding a fourth-grader in your lap, or rubbing a
student's shoulders. But in schools without "no contact" rules, teachers don't always
know what kinds of contact might cross the line. To play it safe, they avoid any
contact at all. However, without physical touch, "children fail to develop cognitively,
physically, emotionally, and socially," writes Frances M. Carlson in The National
Child Advocate. "A lot of kids feel like contaminated goods if grownups don't touch
them," adds researcher Nan Stein, author of Classrooms and Courtrooms: Facing
Sexual Harassment in K-12 Schools. "They read something very negative into that,
like, 'You don't want to touch me because I'm dirty."In many low income
homes kids are starved for affection and attention. It’s not that their parents don’t love
them but one on one time is often challenging if you are working two jobs and all your
energies are put into paying the rent and buying clothes and food. Unfortunately, this
leaves many of our kids looking for affection through sex and gangs.
The experts at Tolerance.org website provide the following
suggestions:
Do:
Don't:
Visit www.Tolerance.orgwebsite and www.nationalcac.org for more detailed information.
Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration. She is the author of the books, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas, They SSSay I’m a StStStutterer But I SSSay Nothing! Meet Kelly and The Tail of a Black Panther. She is co-author of the books, 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD and 365+1 Ways to Succeed With ADHD. You may contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com.