Inappropriate sexual relationships between students and adult educators have been making the headlines quite a bit in our area recently. And nationally as well.
Law enforcement officials often point to the newer prevalence of contact occurring today between teachers and students using social media, but other factors are bound to be playing a role too. Everything from just the greater awareness of this social problem, leading students to feel empowered in reporting the matter, all the way to intense interpersonal psychological factors for those involved.
While the stories are alarming, if we recall the day-care sex abuse “hysteria” during the 1980-90s, some caution might be advised in how we report and follow these stories now. In an environment where two or more stories begin to makes headlines, are teens and school administrators more prone to start believing every rumor they encounter? And will an overly-cautious environment develop in the schools now, resulting in teachers feeling a need to disengage from what have traditionally been legitimate mentoring roles? Leaving no more tutoring help outside of class-time, no advisers for campus clubs and organizations, or coaches for non-varsity sports, etc.. Time, no doubt, will tell.
(Video: KTRK 13 News)
RELATED STORIES:
• Female Teachers Who Have Sex with Their Students; Why? (Chron.com)
• How to educate, protect your children in a social media-ruled world (KTRK 13 News)