this is a very serious question, please answer?

Question

today in pe after we had changed out and everything me and 2 other people heard somebody crying in the locker room, so we went in there and it was a girl from our class. i mean she was bawling and couldnt even talk and was sitting in the corner. the teacher didnt even know she was there because she stayed in the locker room while she was taking roll, anyways we went in there to see what was wrong and she started yelling at us to get out and leave her alone, and that she wants to be left alone. well her face was blood red from crying and she could hardly even breathe so we went to tell our gym teacher that she probably needs to go see whats wrong so she did, and it turned out her mother had been beating her and hitting her, she had bruises all over her along with cuts and scrapes. so she stayed in there talking to her and said she needed to go talk to a counselor so after class i realized that she never went to the counselor and she decided on her own that she didn't want to talk about

it...so my question is shouldn't the teacher had reported it when she first realized that she was being hit instead of leaving it to her on whether she wants to talk to a counselor or not. i mean she kind of make it like you should talk to a counselor but it's your choice. i thought our gym teacher should have reported it right away?

i don't know her that well, i mean we talked and stuff but we aren't like really close friends or anything like that.. i just think she needs to go to a counselor so the counselor can report it or our gym teacher needs to report it.

oh and the bruises and cuts and everything were all over her arms legs and stomach and they were extremely bad, gosh i just cant believe that our gym teacher didnt do anything, all she did was sit in the locker room with her the whole class and talk to her about what happened and suggested she see a counselor. i just really dont think thats right.

she's in the 11th grade btw.

Answer 1

i think the teacher should have. wouldnt that be child abuse? maybe you should tell someone or something.

Answer 2

i'm sorry, but your gym teacher needs help.First of all, being abused is a delicate situation and the teacher didn't need to talk about it in front of the entire class. Second of all, yes, i do think your gym teacher should of reported it. Even though the girl didn't want to talk about it. It sounds like the girl really needs help, and she won't get that unless she talks about it or somebody reports it. Third of all, I think the gym teacher should be fired. She knew something was terribly wrong and she didn't really do anything about it. Oh yea, if the girl comes back the next day and is mean to you because you told the teacher, don't worry about it because trust me, she will really appreciate it later. = )

Answer 3

Yes the teacher should have reported it. Since she didn't you should report it to someone yourself. You should also have a talk with the girl and let her know that she's not alone and try to be a good friend to her. I know you said you were really good friends, but that may be just the thing she needs right now. She is probably scared and feels very alone and just needs someone to be understanding. Being a good friend CAN save a persons life!

Answer 4

You are absolutely right. Your gym teacher needs a reality check. If you can not turn to your gym teacher,(which is quite obvious) you can do other things. You can go to the counselor yourself and tell them. This girl is very afraid of her mother and she does not want to turn her in. I think being a concerned friend that you should take matters into your own hands. Who knows maybe in the long run she will thank you one day. Or you could do this anonymously.

Answer 5

Yes, your teacher should have called police and social services right away as well as notify the school principal and counselor. Gosh, maybe you will have to do this. But some adult should for sure! There may be things that you do not know about it that aren't being told. Why people do not reach out for help is a mystery to me.

Answer 6

In some jurisadictions, it is manditory for a teacher to report suspected abuse.
Perhaps the kids who found her crying in the Gym locker room should confront the teacher and ask Him/Her if they intend to report it, and if not, why not.
If you do not get a satisfactory answer, speak to the principal,
and if you still do not get the right answer, call your board of education.
Once the officials see that you are not going to drop the issue, they will in all probability act.
You might also inform your parents so that they can be aware of what you are doing, and can assist you.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Where I'm from, a teacher would be obligated to contact the police if they believe a child is being abused. Perhaps you could tell another adult, even the counsellor, what went on and perhaps that adult will do the right thing. Abuse is against the law and this should be looked into.
Other than that just be nice to the girl, she's probably embarrassed by what happened though she is not to blame. Her mother should be investigated.

Answer 8

By law your teacher is supossed to report it to whomever in the school is responsible for contacting child protective services. You should go to the counselor at school and tell her you know the girl did not come in and you didnt know if the gym teacher reported it or not and then tell her the story. Please do this as no one can stop her mom if no one reports it and she should not have to endure such abuse. I commend you on your thoughtfulness of this girl, it is very rare that anyone wants to get involved even adults and to hear that a teenager is concerned for another is very touching.

Answer 9

Yes, unless the girl is 18 years old, teachers, by law are supposed to report any child abuse. If this is a public school they are supposed to report it. And if it's a private school, the rules might be a little different, but still they should report it.

It's a very touchy situation because on one hand, the girl shouldnt get abused, but on the other hand you don't want to get involved. I would take the responsibility and tell the prinicipal or nurse or someone else about it.

Answer 10

Assuming you're in the US, EVERY teacher is a "mandated reporter." This means that by LAW they are required to report ANY suspicion or report of physical or sexual abuse visited upon a minor (one who is under 18 years of age and is not emancipated from their family).

So to answer your question simply, YES that teacher should have reported this abuse to the authorities immediately, and personally escorted that girl to the counselor's office.

If you are really worried about this girl, make a visit to her counselor (or yours) and tell that person what you've seen & heard and tell them too that the gym teacher was remiss in his/her duties to that girl.

Answer 11

In my opinion, and maybe even the states opinion that its the teachers duty to report abuse. I mean, someone probably say something to the principal about that teacher as well. Maybe get an adult involved, like a parent or something. Obviously something is very wrong their. Someone needs to know is the bottom line.