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so you've seen case after case how does this end it should end it could end it has to
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end with more strict laws better training better guidelines better education and
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uh more Vigilant co-workers these schools who are trying to protect themselves and protect their co-workers
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have to stand up teachers have to make the students and the kids their number one priority that's what it takes
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there's a lot of school districts that do that there are some great school districts who have never had this issue
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ever because they're on top of it and then there's some other ones that turn a blind eye to it this is a nightmare
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scenario for any parent is there advice that you could give parents so that they could avoid this
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happening to their own children now in 2014 you know what my advice is check your child's cell phone and their text
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messages because now that's the number one way that these this groomy activity is now starting to take place where the
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the teacher starts texting and it's you know it's it's innocent at first and it's a conversation at first and the
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texting suddenly turns in inappropriate texting and then it's texting and then there you go that's something I've seen
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a lot of lately but I think general advice that I would give to any parent is you got to be active in your kids's
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life and if you see another adult forming what should obviously be an improper relationship with a kid they're
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just spend way too much time with them and too much attention and gifts and that type of thing that's usually a red
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flag that should be investigated and the other thing is you can educate your your
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child you know there's a lot of kids nowadays who've been told hey this is good touching this is bad touching your
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teachers allowed to do this they're not allowed to do this that kids who learn that at an early age are usually the
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ones who once a teacher tries that they're the ones who actually report it is there anything that you would say
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to parents out there as a parent yourself as someone who's seen Kristen go through this you know who are all
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going to watch the story and be petrified that this is going to happen to their kid well yeah I think um access
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is the thing that you have to watch out for Julie needed access to Kristen and she got it by way of cell phone but also
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just Constant Contact at school having Kristen be a teacher's assistant and taking I would call it as an unnatural
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interest or an abnormal interest in Kristen um I think looking back on it the amount of contact they had was was
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not right and the school should have seen it to abuse a child an abuser needs that access so whether it comes from the
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Internet or or cell phones or they are doing private lessons or being part of your life and then also taking trips you
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know wanting to take your kid on a mountain trip or out of town on a camping trip out of an overnight trip
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because they need that access they need access to control the child and so I think if you limit the access you really
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are limiting the abusers opportunities I'd like to think that through Kristen's story and the
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reporting on on District administrators covering it up and not reporting that more people are coming
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forward more victims are coming forward more teachers more people dealing with kids are reporting abuse we've certainly
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seen a lot of cases since christens come forward um we've also seen changes in state laws there's legislation out there
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right now where they want to toughen up um reporting rules they want to make training for reporting mandatory they
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want to make it easier at times and and streamline the process to fire Bad Teachers since Kristen came
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forward a lot of stuff's been changing um in that front what do you hope comes of your
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reporting well I I hope that teachers and administrators don't have this attitude anymore where where that
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they're investigators their job is to protect children but they need to do they need to do their job but they need
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to let other people do their do their job as well I think Kristen's story is powerful enough if you could pick
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someone one to go down this path that this very difficult path I think she's the perfect person to do it um i' would
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never wish this on anyone um and I'm sure she wouldn't wish it on herself but she's incredibly well spoken
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she's honest she's frankly um braver than a lot of people um I know to come forward and I think using your name
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coming forward and sharing your life and all those struggles you went through is
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going to help other people come forward and if you know one or two other people come forward because of that um I think
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she should be very proud of herself for coming forward