| Some public schools try to turn children | | | | J. Sykes, in his book "Dumbing Down Our |
| against their parents with scary classroom | | | | Kids," illustrates this disturbing |
| stories or lessons about child abuse. Public | | | | anti-parent campaign by many public schools |
| school authorities have increasingly decided | | | | across the country: |
| that they are children's first line of | | | | |
| defense against child abuse. This new | | | | "I first became aware of the protective |
| attitude falls under what is now known as | | | | behaviors curriculum when a mother called me |
| "protective behavior curriculum." | | | | to tell me of an experience she had with her |
| | | | daughter. Her child, an elementary |
| The assumptions behind this curriculum are | | | | schoolgirl, had come home in tears. When she |
| that every child needs to be warned about and | | | | saw that her mother was home and waiting for |
| prepared for possible dangers of verbal, | | | | her, she rushed to her in relief. AI wasn't |
| physical, and sexual abuse because allegedly | | | | sure you'd be here, she told her mother. Her |
| every child is a potential victim, not only | | | | mother reassured her that she would always be |
| of strangers but of his or her own family. | | | | there for her. In school that day, her |
| | | | daughter told her, her class had discussed |
| Increasingly, school authorities instruct | | | | "bad" touching including spanking. |
| teachers to ask children questions about | | | | |
| their parents' behavior and actions toward | | | | "In the course of the discussion, children |
| them at home. The questions amount to asking | | | | had been encouraged to share with the |
| kids to spy on their parents and report | | | | teachers and classmates whether they had ever |
| incidents that make them feel | | | | been touched in that way and the girl had |
| "uncomfortable." Some school authorities use | | | | said that her mother had spanked her. The |
| such tales by children to investigate or file | | | | children were also told that people who |
| charges of child abuse against parents who | | | | engaged in bad touching would be taken away |
| often did no more than yell at their children | | | | and put in jail. For the rest of the school |
| or spank them lightly. | | | | day the girl was terrified that her mother |
| | | | who had spanked her would now be taken away |
| In effect, to allegedly protect children, | | | | and locked up for her bad touching." |
| some school authorities now consider all | | | | |
| parents as potential abusers, use children to | | | | Parents, it might be wise to periodically ask |
| invade parents' privacy, or make kids afraid | | | | your children if their teachers ask them |
| of their parents. Often, children are | | | | personal questions about your family or how |
| disturbed and emotionally traumatized by the | | | | you discipline your children. Turning |
| insinuations school authorities put into | | | | children into spies against their parents or |
| their heads. | | | | making them afraid of their parents is not |
| | | | what parents pay school taxes for. |
| The following incident described by Charles | | | | |