Blame and shame don't resolve bad decisions. As a parent myself, I want to know about my child's troubles as well as successes, and I appreciate thoughtful and respectful efforts to help my child and me recognize and resolve those troubles. Every situation, like every person, is different, thus deserving of a singular response appropriate to the circumstances and people involved. School counselors, psychologists, social workers and other support personnel can, should and often do consult with each other, as well as with the school principal or other supervisory personnel to talk over problems that arise with individual students in order to make judicious decisions on their behalf. Applicable laws and regulations shed additional light on each case to help guide choices for constructive and appropriate action.
Previous columns are available.
All rights reserved.