GLENARDEN, Md. 鈥� In a Prince George’s County elementary school classroom, it was the parents’ turn to learn Monday night with a lesson in how聽to spot and report child abuse and neglect.
The special class took place at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School, where a teacher鈥檚 aide was arrested and charged with sexually abusing several students in February.
鈥淲e really understood that we needed to talk with parents who were just as impacted and afraid and concerned because they just didn鈥檛 know what to look for, and they didn鈥檛 know what the steps were if they wanted to report it,鈥� said Dr. Sheila Jackson, director of family and community engagement at Prince George鈥檚 County Public Schools.
Jackson led the class, which is part of what is called the schools system鈥檚 Family Institute. The hope for the program is that parents become aware of the signs of child abuse and look for them not only with their own children, but also their children’s friends.
She said in addition to obvious physical signs of abuse like bruises, it’s emotional signs like mood changes that may point to trouble in a child’s life. Behavior changes around other adults, according to Jackson, and an unwillingness to go to school should also catch a parent鈥檚 attention.
鈥淲e talk to parents about the importance about making sure their children understand that there should be no adult who says to you 鈥榯his is our secret,鈥欌�� said Jackson.
Parents were also offered a chance to sign up for background checks during the class so they could, in turn, volunteer at their children鈥檚 schools.
鈥淲e all needed to have this information, because this stuff, as they say, is out there and until it hits home, you never know,鈥� said attendee Sharon Devonish-Prince, who has a daughter in the first grade at the school.
Carl Johnson of Bowie, Maryland, has a son who is also in the first grade at the school. Johnson said while what happened at the school was scary, he commends the school and school system for keeping parents informed of the situation.
鈥淯nfortunately, you can鈥檛 capture every bad apple; things do happen within the world, but sometimes it鈥檚 about how you react to them and what you do to put in place so that it doesn鈥檛 happen again, and I think they鈥檝e done a pretty good job,鈥� Johnson said.
Parents left with information they could use if they suspect any child they encounter is being abused.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about playing police on anybody; it鈥檚 about what are the steps to take to make sure the children are safe,鈥� Jackson said.
