Education Beyond Abcs Teachers Constantly On Alert For Child Abuse

Fifty new library books at Spokane’s Ridgeview Elementary will bear the words “In Memory of Rachel Carver.”

School started Tuesday without Rachel, who died June 14 on her final day of third grade. Her uncle, Jason Wickenhagen, is charged with her murder.

Teachers tried for a normal first day for the 445 students at the North Side school. They didn’t discuss Rachel’s death unless a child asked about it.

“There was little or no mention of Rachel,” said Principal Dana Lyman.

“Only one student who was a real close friend of hers reminded her teacher.

“She said, ‘You remember Rachel, don’t you?’ She wanted to make sure that teacher was aware of it and knew about it.”

No Ridgeview teacher could forget.

The school became a search command post when Rachel disappeared. Families grieved there after her body was found the next day hidden near the Spokane River in a cardboard box.

Over the summer, it became clear 9-year-old Rachel had been sexually abused throughout her life.

The Ridgeview staff met last week with two Child Protective Services supervisors to review the warning signs of sexual abuse and to talk about ways to prevent other tragedies.

Young abuse victims are spotted at school more often than anywhere else, said Sydne Hartzell, supervisor of CPS’ sexual abuse unit.

Teachers should look for changes in behavior. A child worrying about problems at home, a child who is extremely angry, a child who masturbates excessively or who approaches other children sexually or aggressively may be a victim, Hartzell said.

Balancing a child’s right to privacy against the need to help is delicate for teachers, Hartzell said.

She suggested a concerned teacher might say to a child: “I’ve noticed you’ve been really angry or sad lately. Do you want to talk about it? Is there something you’d like to share?”

Even without warning signs, teachers can call CPS if they have a gut feeling a child is being abused, Hartzell said.

“They need to just call us directly,” Hartzell said. “We will start having a conversation around these children rather than letting them get lost in the shuffle.”

A child’s disclosure of abuse also is not needed for CPS to investigate, Hartzell told teachers.

“If a child has said something about being afraid to go home, or if a known sex offender is in the home, we will take that referral even if there’s no disclosure,” she said. “We will go in and make a determination.”

Schools also try to prevent abuse by teaching a course called “personal safety.”

Children learn that “no one has a right to touch our private parts without our permission,” said Spokane School District health services coordinator Carol Murphy.

Taught throughout the district, the course teaches children that if an adult asks them to do something unsafe they can “say no, get away and tell someone.”

Ridgeview Elementary will teach its personal safety course early this year, in October instead of February.

Because of Rachel’s death, teachers will exercise “an eagle-eye awareness of who picks kids up from school,” said Lyman, the principal. They will emphasize to students “there are many trusted adults here in your environment.”

Lyman and her staff believe Rachel showed none of the telltale signs of abuse.

“There’s a different phenomenon out there. For some children, (abuse) has become the norm for them.”

, DataTimes