Please Help! What is the best action to take?

Question

A neighbor is homeschooling her children for the first time. She has 4 children 10, 8, 4, 2. The 10 yr old boy has learning disabilities. We live in Rural Community

I have witnessed verbal and emotional abuse, and neglect.. Name-calling, threats of physical abuse. The children witness spousal abuse; and drunken behavior as a normal occurance in their home and car.

The children are not supervised much during the day, skip school lessons time and time again. Mother resents having to homeschool, and resents being "stuck with 4 kids all day". I don't think the kids have completed one weeks lesson plan and tests to be mailed to the homeshool (this entire school year). Doesn't anyone monitor to make sure that homeschool parents keep their commitment to educate their children?

The children miss their friends, and teachers at school. They told their dad that they want to go back to school, but he said he has already spent the money on homeschooling. What should I do?

Answer 1

The fact that these children are living in an abusive household warrants calling CPS.

Homeschooling comes in a variety of forms, so I'm not really going to address that. Their education is far less imporant right now than being in a healthier, happier home. Call now. This has nothing to do with homeschooling and them being in a home where they shouldn't be--regardless of where they are schooling.

Answer 2

If you are sure, and have proof to back up such allegations contact the proper authorities.

You state that you have witnessed abuse, and that it is a regular occurrence in their home, could you tell me why this behavior was not a big enough problem to report sooner; like before the family decided to home school??

Answer 3

That's a very distasteful situation. I think the best thing for you to do is to try to become acquainted with the family, IF they are friendly towards other people. If not, then I suggest that you let an agency or the police know because I'm sure that you feel for those children. Imagine your kids going through that. You don't even have to be the one abusing them, but knowing that they're being abused is enough. So you should take action right away, for the sake of the children and of what could happen to them if the abuse and neglect continues.

Answer 4

If there is real physical abuse in progress then the police should be called to investigate it.  As far as anything else, it is none of your business.  Your other neighbors have told you that.  Listen to them.  Chances are there is nothing wrong, so they aren't worried.  Listen to them. This is not your business.

If you see something really bad then call the police or child welfare.  If you are just imagining this, then turn your head.  Too many people assume way too many things when it comes to homeschooling.  Listen to your neighbors.

Answer 5

Technically unless it is a matter of life and limb for anyone, there is little you should or could do.

Parents are permitted to so as they please so long as no physical abuse, torchure or forced imprisonment occurs.

Parents are permitted to ground their children, spank their children.

Parents are even permitted to teach racism if they so view life that way, so long as they don't advocate the use of violence.

Muslims can force their daughter to wear a Hajib, Hassidics can force their son to wear a suit, tie, hat and beard, no court will take a black child out of a black home whose family view the white man as evil and no court will take a white child out of a while home who views the black man as being evil.

This is life and Texas is the most liberal personal liberty state of all.

Your neighbor can buy the property next to him and start a horse ranch in a residential neighboorhood because Texas has no zoning laws.

You can start a store in your home or a run a business.

Texas is very liberal.

Answer 6

Ok, so you are a neighbor right??? My neighbors probably think that my children never do any work because my son is out all different hours of the day on his basketball goal or skateboarding. How do you know what is done or not done in the household? Some homeschoolers use the unschooling approach where you don't have lessons and the children learn from everyday living. We use the eclectic style ... I buy some books (mostly just math) and we wing the rest. My kids have their interests and we focus their school around that. My daughter, for instance, loves gardening. We focused her writing, science, and reading all around her gardening. My son loves taking things apart and seeing how they work so we got several old computer parts someone was giving away and together with his dad he built his first computer. He is into online gaming so he is currently working on a project of how it started, what was the first game, and the history of the games he likes to play.

There are so many ways to do homeschooling and so many ways for kids to learn that often you have to "think outside the box." What school tests and lesson plans??? If they are involved with an academy or some sort then they are being monitored. In my state we just have to send in an attendance form each month to show that my kid has attended my homeschool.

My last thought is that if this is their first time homeschooling then they are still learning. If you saw me my first year then you might have wanted to report me too! Homeschooling is an ongoing learning process. I think that you should keep your nose in your own house where their education is concerned!

Ok, I lied...one more thing... I often tell my children that if they don't stop doing something then I am going to shoot them. This happened in walmart not too long ago and the lady that heard me looked like she was going to faint! Would I really shoot them? NO! Another time I busted my son's, 1yo at the time, butt for not sitting in the cart. I was scared he was going to fall out! A lady came up to me and told me she was calling CPS and I not so politely told her to get away from me and my kid. Another time my son, 7yo at the time, was screaming at 2am "don't leave me mommy" for about 5 minutes and someone called CPS saying he was screaming "don't hit me again mommy". The truth was I had just gotten home from work and there was 2 feet of snow on the ground. I forgot my contact case in the car so I opened his bedroom window and ran out the door to grab it while he sat at the window screaming at me. The CPS people showed up the next day to investigate, only to leave irritated for being bothered. You need to make sure that you have proof of the abuse.

Answer 7

i would call scoial services right away.....you dont mess around with child abuse.

Answer 8

That's a tough one.  

In TX, homeschools are considered public schools.  The only time anyone steps in is if neglect is reported.  A large majority of the time, this works out fine; however, there are instances like the one you've mentioned.  (Honestly, these situations exist in public school too, and no one steps in unless a teacher calls Child Services.)

I would be careful about who you ask about this in your community; I live just north of you in OK, and I know what you're talking about.  There is definitely a "it's not my business" sort of attitude, and if you've been talking to neighbors about it and then report it, everyone in town is going to look to you - including the drunken dad.  Watch your back on this and make sure that you have people to support you if things go south.

If you report them, I would stay away from reporting it as an effect of homeschooling.  That could get touchy legally, and honestly, it looks like they've had problems long before they started homeschooling.  You can report the spousal abuse, the drunkenness, etc., and let Child Protective take it from there.  If they determine that the children aren't in a safe environment and aren't being schooled properly, they will take the necessary action to put the children in a safe home and enroll them in school.

There really is nothing you can do to "fix" this; however, if you're concerned for the childrens' safety, you can report it from that angle.  You may want to document things that you've seen, as this will help Child Services to assess the situation more fully.

Hope that helps... :-)

Answer 9

Call CPS.

Answer 10

Personally, I would call the Family Services hotline for your state.  You can remain anonymous and the family will be investigated.

I don't feel there is any excuse for allowing child abuse to continue.  We all hold responsibility for our community's children.