The Christchurch Civic Creche Case
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	The Press January 31 2007 Teachers' role Letter to the Editor by Professor Freda Briggs University of South Australia, Magill Since recent media publicity relating to the vulnerability of New Zealand children with learning disabilities to sexual abuse, drugs and other health hazards, I have had calls from politicians and bureaucrats asking which special schools were involved in our research. They should have been asking, "What can we do about it?" The names of the schools are irrelevant because the statistic (44% of both boys and girls reporting sexual abuse) is consistent with overseas findings. Furthermore, it is 4% lower than the rate for children identified as low achievers in an earlier study that involved mainstreamed schools as far apart as Dunedin and Auckland. The solutions are obvious: all New Zealand teachers and early childhood professionals should be trained to recognise signs of abuse and handle and report them sensitively. Teachers are the most important professionals in child protection, given that most abuse victims are in school or early childhood centres. No other professionals are with abuse victims daily. All teachers are (or should be) educated in child development and it is part of their professional role to observe changes in children's behaviour and respond to their special needs. Given that predators can be found wherever there are children, teachers should be aware of the grooming process that sex offenders use to gain the trust of children, colleagues, school principals and parents so the adults relax vigilance. Teachers need to know how children's drawings can sometimes confirm suspicions of abuse. But most importantly, all teachers should be trained to deliver your child protection curriculum (Keeping Ourselves Safe) and involve parents so that they know what is being taught and how they can reinforce safety concepts at home. New Zealand has the best school-based child protection programme in the world. Your police education officers and special education counsellors have shown that, with activity learning methods, repetition and reinforcement, children with severe learning disabilities can be taught their rights and recognise and report inappropriate behaviour. All children should have the opportunity to live in a safer world.