In the last 15 years, incidents of school violence have resulted in an unprecedented number of injuries. In these cases, school administrators and parents can be held responsible if they failed to intervene. A school violence lawyer can establish who is responsible for the actions of a student. It is imperative that victims of school violence seek legal help, as these actions can affect the children’s social and emotional development. To find out if you should hire a school violence lawyer, click below to read our articles on the subject.
Sexual abuse in schools
While sexual abuse in schools isn’t the most widespread form of abuse in American schools, it does happen frequently. One out of seven school-age children is sexually assaulted, and it’s often not even the perpetrator. Instead, the perpetrator may be a fellow student or a teacher who does not recognize that a child has been abused. When this happens, the victim may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator.
In addition to the laws against child molesters, the Child Victims Act protects children from sexual predators. This act helps protect vulnerable children by extending the statute of limitations for sexual predators, including teachers, coaches, and school administrators. Generally, the question is, did the school know that there was a risk? If the school knew of the threat, the victim may be able to sue.
Student-on-student abuse
While sexual assault by a teacher or staff member is a relatively rare occurrence, student-on-student incidents are all too common. Statistics show that over four thousand incidents of sexual assault occurred in schools in the United States between 2011 and 2015. According to federal crime data, there were nearly seven cases of student-on-student assault for every adult assault. Most of these cases went unreported, attributed to bullying and other behaviors that may be considered inappropriate.
School districts have a legal duty to protect their students from undue harm. While there are some exceptions to this obligation, the majority of educators strive to create a positive learning environment. Because bullying is made possible by a lack of supervision and discipline, it can qualify as a violation of the safe-space law. If a student is victimized physically or mentally, a student-on-student abuse lawsuit could result.
Getting legal help from a school violence lawyer
When you are a victim of gender violence in a school, the first thing you will need is an Order of Protection. This can be a complicated process and can be difficult to understand. A Sanctuary attorney will help you navigate the process and represent you if your case is contested. Navigating complicated school policies and laws can make the situation much worse. Fortunately, there are attorneys who specialize in school violence that can help you.
When a child is a victim of bullying, parents may want to explore their legal options. A qualified education law attorney can help navigate the educational laws that govern bullying and harassment in schools. Although bullying used to be laughed off as “kids being kids,” it is now a very serious matter. In these cases, the victim may be able to pursue a negligence claim against the school district. Getting legal help from a school violence lawyer is an important part of getting justice for your child.
Impact of school violence on children’s emotional and social development
While the effect of violent exposure on child development is complex, we have found that it varies with developmental level and occurs concurrently across functions. Children’s abilities to appraise violence, respond to threats, and gather environmental resources develop and become more refined over the course of childhood. Exposure to violence can impair these abilities at different developmental stages and impact their ability to cope with later challenges in life. There are three key issues to consider in the context of violence in schools.
Explosive violence challenges children’s core assumptions of self-worth, meaning, and the world. It can also damage children’s emotional and social development. As a result, it can have detrimental effects on students’ lives. In order to effectively prevent violence, school leaders must work in partnership with community-based service providers and create policies that promote protective factors for children. A threat assessment team is a crucial component of the prevention process, as well as wider social, political, and cultural issues.