Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Boy, don't you ever shower? It is obvious from the first day of class that one of the students has bad body odor. By the end of the third week, you start to realize that the student as Steve. The other students in the class are going to greater and greater lengths to avoid sitting next to him. They mime choking when he sits in the seat in front of them. Any reference to odor or smell in the classroom is met with snickering. Finally, one day after Steve comes in late and sits next to a student in the front row, he turns to Steve and says, "Boy, don't you ever shower?" The class breaks up in hysterics. When should I have intervened? How?, What should I say to student? What should I say to others? Should I confront the class with Steve present? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I believe you should have intervened as soon as you identified Steve as the child with the problem. I would have immediately referred Steve to the guidance counselor to see what was going on in the home. There is probably financial hardships at home that is causing the student not to bathe. Together with the guidance counselor, I would notify the parents of the problem. There is obviously a neglect issue as well. finally, I would work with the guidance counselor to provide social services for the family.