Sexual Exploitation of Children Subject of New Book 3/16/2004
From: Robert J. Shoop of Kansas State University, 785-532-5533 or rshoop@k-state.edu MANHATTAN, Kan., March 16 -- There he goes for his first day of school -- your little boy, excited about starting school and delighted to be carrying his new backpack, the one with the picture of his favorite cartoon character. When your child walks away from you on the first day of school, you expect that school will be safe and everyone there will be looking out for every child's welfare and success, but that isn't always true. "When parents send their children to school they expect that the people who work at that school will always act in the child's best interest," said Kansas State University professor Robert J. Shoop. "Unfortunately, although the vast majority of teachers are competent caring, ethical people, some people take advantage of their position of trust." Shoop, professor of educational law and senior scholar in the Leadership Studies Program in K-State's College of Education, recently had his 14 book published. "Sexual Exploitation in Schools: How to Spot It and Stop It," published by Corwin Press, prepares educators and parents to manage one of the most difficult and troubling issues in our public and private schools. "Sexual exploitation does not always include sexual contact," Shoop said. "It can range from hostile environment to sexual harassment to rape. The shroud of secrecy that has surrounded sexual molestation of children by coaches and teachers is beginning to lift. However, with the increased discussion of the topic has come confusion about who molests children and why they do it." In his new book, Shoop tries to reduce this confusion by providing explanations concerning the legal context, consequences and pathology of sexual exploitation, district and employees rights, conducting an investigation, and steps educators and parents can take so that students will be safe in their learning environment, leading to a successful and healthy future. During the research for this book Shoop interviewed incarcerated child molesters and children who had been sexually abused by teachers, coaches and other professionals. Additionally, he drew on experience he gained from serving as an expert witness in more than 35 harassment and abuse cases. Shoop is a nationally recognized risk management expert with 25 years of experience consulting with school districts in the areas of harassment, abuse and negligence. In his book, he teaches K-12 educators (and, by extension, parents, guidance counselors and community leaders) how to recognize the warning signs of sexual exploitation in schools and how to implement measures to end it. According to Shoop, to protect their children from sexual exploitation parents should: -- talk with their youngsters about what happens in school. These conversations should go beyond the non-conversation, "How was school today" "Fine." -- take any complaint of exploitation seriously. Parents must be encouraged to report any behavior that makes their child uncomfortable. Education and communication are the best lines of defense against child exploitation. -- be encouraged to supervise their children's Internet activities (i.e., chat groups, instant messages, Web site visits, e-mail). -- be sure that their child's school has a sexual exploitation prevention policy. -- be sure that their child understands the concept of appropriate boundaries. -- be sure that their child knows that they should tell any adult who touches them in an inappropriate manner to stop, and then report the incident to a responsible adult. Editor's Note: Photo and bio available at http://www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/MediaGuide/shoopbio.html Graphic of book cover available at media@k-state.edu. |