We live in a world of normalised violence. New Zealand has high statistics of child abuse and child deaths and in 2003 had one of the highest child-death rates in the OECD. To take serious note of these statistics is to recognise that children in many New Zealand classrooms are likely to have experienced violence directly, or to have witnessed it,…

Questions are raised about the difficulty of defining normal and atypical sexual behavior. Variations from normalcy that students, parents, and educators are most likely to encounter are discussed. The importance of dealing with variations in ways that are best for the individual and the group is emphasized. (PP)

A false allegation of sexual abuse at a residential outdoor education facility demonstrates why programs should have written policies and procedures directing staff how to respond to infatuations and "come-on" traps of young people; how to avoid bodily contact, being alone with a group, or dealing emotionally and physically with…