HOUSTON – Originally designed to be one of the safest places for children, the classroom has in recent years revealed vulnerabilities. While school shootings often dominate our fears, KPRC 2 investigates is shedding light on another problem on school campuses, inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.
“These types of predators are like sheep in wolves clothing,” Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan warns.
While KPRC 2 continues to report on several of these cases, we teamed up with attorneys, a child psychologist, and police experts to help make parents more aware of predators in the classroom.
“The biggest fear of children is that they are not going to be believed, and therefore, no one is going to intervene and support them,” said Dr. Whitney Crowson from the Children’s Assessment Center.
Dr. Crowson is a licensed clinical psychologist. She specializes in supporting children and families affected by sexual abuse.
The most significant challenge in these cases, according to Dr. Crowson, is “accepting the fact that perpetrators look like you and me.”
“There is no profile. That is why it is so difficult to pinpoint and why it is so difficult to find a pattern,” she says.
Dr. Crowson observes that many victims share common characteristics.
“It’s usually the child who is more lonely or not as many friends. They may be quiet and reserved. They may look at the relationship as something that is filling a void in their life. Something that they need, something that feels good,” she says.
Criminal Defense Attorney Wes Rucker tells KPRC 2 Investigates Mario Diaz that children are not your typical victims of crime.
“A lot of times the victim, the complainant, will think, ‘I’m in love. This is who I am supposed to be with. There is nothing inappropriate about this,’” said Rucker.
The chosen method predators are talking to your children is on their cellphones or through social media.
“It is the ability to reach a student, reach a child through electronic means that has caused in my opinion the spikes in these cases,” Rucker said.
To prevent it, Dr. Crowson says parents need an open line of communication built on trust.
“The key to keeping your children safe is teaching them about the signs and teaching them to talk to you,” she says.
Experts say there are three questions you can ask yourself if you think your child is experiencing an issue:
- Did they change their behavior? Are they staying later at school or not wanting to go there at all?
- Is your kid spending more time with teachers or coaches than they normally do?
- Are you keeping up with their social media and online current trends?
Sheriff Fagan says his office collaborates with each independent school district police department in Fort Bend County. The interagency cooperation helps provide resources to those trends and tools for comprehensive investigations.