Quote:
Originally Posted by primrose5891
I've thought about doing this many times, but a few things have stopped me:
1.) She'll be 18 in a few months
2.) While I do believe the parents are abusive/neglectful, There isn't evidence of abuse/neglect. It will be a "he said-she said" situation.
3.) Should the parents know a teacher reported them, I believe they would immediately pull their child out of the school and homeschool her.
4.) I'm also afraid that parents will retailate against their daughter, by making things even more difficult for her.
It seems to be high risk and low reward to report this to the authorities. Both the principal and vice principal have heard her story, and both are skeptical, or at the very least, think she's exaggerating. I fully believe her, but am afraid that the authorities will have a similar reaction, which will end up making things much worse for the child at home. She may be cut off from her only source of "sanity" which is school.
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I understand your hesitation, but agree that reporting it is probably the best thing to do. Or, if you don't, I'd highly encourage you to help her find a way out of the home to get help prior to starting college. Does she have other family or friends that she could live with when she is 18?
College is a very stressful event (as a teacher I'm sure you are aware of that). The chances that things will fall together for her at college when she appears to be struggling very badly right now is not very good. She seems the type that won't seek help and will probably just sink deeper into psychosis.
You say there are no resources in your school district, is your district part of group of schools that have shared resources? Where a school psychologist could be called in to work with her?
It sounds like you are trying to do the right thing and I find it very troubling that the principal and vice principal are failing so horribly at doing their job. It kind of sounds like they just want her to graduate and be out of their hair and no longer their concern. Would they do the same thing if she were a freshman or sophomore?
Thank you for working with this young lady.