Q & A With John Walsh: Predators in Our Schools

John Walsh has brought the 25th season of America's Most Wanted to Lifetime!  You asked, and he answered.  Below are tips and thoughts from the host himself.  Don't miss the show, Fridays at 9pm/8c

1.  What should you do if you find out that there is a sex offender (or multiple sex offenders) living in your neighborhood?  
 
 

John Walsh: If you find yourself in this situation, there are some precautions to take. First, know where your kids are at all times. Monitor them when they play outside. Talk to your kids and make sure they know where they should, and more importantly, should not be playing. Knowledge is power. Your kids need to know to stay from certain areas and it’s our job as parents to keep them safe. Never let your children go door-to-door to sell anything for clubs and school, especially without you being present.

2.  I just read about a teacher (in my state) who had been abusing and molesting his students for 30 years!  What can parents do to ensure it’s safe to send their kids to school and feel comfortable leaving them with their teachers?

John Walsh:  I read about that teacher in Los Angeles and it makes me sick to my stomach. How someone could get away with harming our children for that many years is truly upsetting. I’ve thought about this long and hard and I think that first, parents should make sure all teachers have had a background check, and second, make unannounced visits at your child’s school (most schools permit parents to look in or participate in classes, especially kindergarten and below when children can’t verbalize their typical day/schedule to you). Third, talk to your kids and ask them what they learned, what games they played that day, who and what they played with, what they ate, what they enjoyed the best, etc. Listen to them and if anything is not right, you’ll know or you can look into it further. I don’t believe that just because a teacher has been there 30-plus years means he or she doesn’t need to be monitored. These are our children and we need to protect them.

More from John Walsh:

• America's Most Wanted Leads to Key Arrests: Human Trafficking
• Q & A With John Walsh: Is Your Child's Cellphone Making Him a Target?
• Q & A With John Walsh: Predators and Your Kids