For context I am a male history teacher currently teaching 11th grade. I’m not sure if I’m here to vent, seek advice, or just share my frustrations but I probably just had my hardest afternoon as a teacher in ten years of teaching and venting to a colleague hasn’t stopped me from crying all afternoon.
I have a student who recently turned 18 (she was held back in a previous grade) and is currently homeless after being kicked out of her house by her awful parents. She is staying with a friend and was getting off the bus when a man in his forties approached her and asked her if she wanted to “smoke.” She asked what and when he said “crystal meth” she refused. The man continued to pressure her and being alone by herself she finally relented to his pressure and said “I don’t know but I guess.” After getting this poor girl high he then pressured her to go to an empty lot where he again pressured her to have sex with him. Despite her saying I don’t know over and over again she finally relented because she was now terrified and in an empty lot with a strange ma she didn’t know.
When she came to me and told me the poor girl asked if I thought she was a “hoe” to which I said of course not and as began to slowly vent she opened about details and kept expressing guilt over “making a bad decision.” I responded that what she just told me was sexual assault and not a consensual encounter. Anything other than an enthusiastic yes is a no in my book and I advised her to go to the counselors and police about this event. I stayed with her for a while until the counselors could come but it was clear she was extremely traumatized and unfairly beating herself up.
I immediately called my supervisor and did all the legal necessities and at first I was okay but then I just burst into tears and it hasn’t really stopped since. A few colleagues stayed with me for a bit but I had to go home sooner or later and now I’m sitting by myself with a pint of whiskey and brimming with anger at this man in his forties who violated my student who is already dealing with so much already in her life.
I don’t really know what to do. If anything. I am kind of just waiting to be interviewed by campus police and my admin and trying to get my emotions under control. This world is such an exceptionally shitty place for so many kids and I have never dealt with anything like this before.
Again, I’m not sure if I’m here for advice or just venting but I needed to get this off my chest in a neutral place. This situation is nothing like I’ve ever dealt with before.