Numerous red flags may indicate that a teacher is committing sexual misconduct with a student. A pattern of grooming behaviors is the most reliable one. The student can also exhibit signs of sexual misconduct, such as:
- not wanting to go to school,
- new difficulties in class,
- health problems, and
- hinting at the misconduct.
Grooming behavior
One of the biggest red flags that a teacher is committing sexual misconduct with a student is if the teacher has exhibited grooming behavior. Grooming behavior is a series of steps that people take to get a child’s guard down so they can molest them and get away with it. Those steps are:
- building trust in the community so the teacher has an upstanding reputation to hide behind,
- obtaining access to children by becoming an educator and potentially interacting with children elsewhere, such as by volunteering in activities involving children,
- identifying vulnerable children who are less likely to resist, more likely to need emotional support, and whose parents are more appreciative of what they think is just the teacher’s extra attention,
- isolating the student, both emotionally (by getting the student to trust the teacher and not others) as well as physically (by repeatedly interacting with the student in one-on-one situations, it normalizes the practice),
- slowly desensitizing the student to physical contact, starting with playful contact that becomes more common and sexualized over time,
- making the relationship closer by discussing personal issues until intimacy has been established, and
- creating complicity with the student by getting them to break rules and boundaries with them so that, should the student ever disclose the eventual sexual misconduct, they would be admitting to their own wrongdoing.
This breaking of appropriate boundaries continues until the sexual misconduct can be committed. It also slowly escalates so that, if the student were to tell anyone what is happening before the misconduct can be done, the teacher can talk their way out of it. They would then terminate their relationship with the student. At some point, the teacher will decide that enough boundaries have been broken that they can trust the student to not report the sexual misconduct.
Once the molestation has occurred, the teacher will use any leverage that they have in order to maintain the child’s silence.
Not all child sex abusers exhibit all of these types of behaviors. Additionally, they may not always follow this precise order. It is also not uncommon for teachers who want to commit sexual misconduct to be at different stages in this process with different students.
Red flags in the student’s behavior
Students can also exhibit behavior that could indicate that a teacher is sexually abusing them.
Some of the most common are:
- not wanting to go to school,
- having new issues at school,
- health problems, particularly mental health issues, and
- hinting at the sexual misconduct without saying it outright.
Unfortunately, these signs typically only begin to manifest after the abuse has occurred.
Reluctance to go to school
A child’s newfound reluctance to go to school can be a sign that they are being abused there by a teacher. This is especially true if the child refuses to say why they do not want to go.
Issues at school
New issues at school can also be a red flag that a teacher is committing sexual misconduct. Some types of issues include:
- difficulty maintaining focus on schoolwork,
- trouble studying,
- drops in grades, and
- sudden behavioral changes.
Health problems
Being the victim of sexual abuse can cause health issues in children. Some of the most common are:
- loss of confidence from the betrayal of what was likely their favorite teacher,
- sleep issues,
- loss of appetite, and
These can become very severe. Victims of child sex abuse may even contemplate suicide.
Hints of misconduct
Children who a teacher is sexually abusing may hint at what is going on without saying it explicitly. They often want to tell someone about it, but fear being punished by the teacher or by other adults for being involved.
What to do
If you have noticed a teacher’s pattern of grooming behaviors or indications that a child has been sexually abused in school, you should:
- validate your suspicions by gathering as much information as you can, unless harm seems imminent,
- separate the child from the teacher,
- report the incident to law enforcement or child protective services, and
- get professional help from therapists or counselors for the child, especially if the sexual abuse has already happened.
Sexual misconduct is a crime
A teacher’s sexual misconduct is a crime. Depending on the nature of the misconduct, it can be a felony offense.
In California, for example, sexual misconduct by a teacher is generally covered by the law against lewd acts with a minor (California Penal Code 288 PC). Also called child molestation, this law forbids doing either of the following with a child under the age of 16:
- touching the child for sexual purposes, or
- causing the child to touch him- or herself for sexual purposes.[1]
Convictions carry prison sentences of 3, 6, or 8 years.[2]
Civil lawsuits over sexual misconduct
Victims of a teacher’s sexual misconduct can file a lawsuit against the teacher, and can even sue the school district in some cases.
In California, there is a sexual harassment law, California Civil Code 51.9 CIV. Under this law, you have the right to sue if you were sexually harassed in the context of a professional relationship. The professional relationships covered by the law include the one between teachers and their students.[3] If successful, this lawsuit could recover financial compensation for losses associated with the misconduct. This includes your emotional distress.
Victims can sue the school district in some cases, as well. This lawsuit would be based on the district’s negligent hiring, supervision, or retention practices. To succeed, you would have to show that:
- the teacher was incompetent or unfit for their job,
- the district knew or should have known this, and
- you were harmed because of that unfitness.[4]
This often requires evidence that the teacher had a history of committing sexual misconduct. You may also succeed by showing that the school ignored warning signs, such as by not taking action when someone reported the teacher’s grooming behaviors.
Legal Citations:
[1] California Penal Code 288(a) PC.
[2] Same.
[3] California Civil Code 51.9(a)(1)(E).
[4] See California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI) No. 426.
