I'm having trouble figuring out this recent spate of female teachers

[Bunny]

having sexual relations with their male, underage students.

In Pittsburgh, we're currently dealing with a 28 year old female high school teacher carrying on a sexual relationship with her 17 year old male student. She was just fired from her job, and may face criminal charges. The parents of the boy aren't going to press charges, but they've retained an attorney to look after their son's interest.

I just don't *get* this, at all. It's wrong in a number of different ways, and I'm having trouble figuring out if the incidence of this is really increasing, or has it just been kept better hidden in the past.

I'm sure we all have opinions on men who prey on their female students, do you have the same opinion about females preying on their male students? I believe that this is wrong, and it's always wrong, regardless of the genders involved, and the near-adult status of a 17 year old. Near-adult is not adult, but more importantly, the power imbalance inherent in these relationships is the more relevant issue.

I work with people with mental and physical disabilities, and, while I've never felt a sexual attraction to any of my clients, it's been so drummed into my psyche that sexual involvement would be abusive and exploitative that I would never even consider sexual activity with a client, no matter how strong the attraction. I just wouldn't do this. Doctors and other professionals are under the same ethical constraints - you just do not date someone that you are treating.

So why are these female teachers doing this? I think it stems from the inability to develop meaningful and appropriate relationships with those in their own age group. These teachers who, by the way, seem to be predominantly blonde and pretty (and what's up with that? :shrug:), are seen as goddesses by these teenage boys, so they bask in the glory and admiration they receive from them. These young pretty women could almost certainly be the recipient of attention from men in their own age group, so why do they go for these children? Is it the attention, the power trip, or some deep personality flaw that comes to the surface under the right conditions?


Anyway, after a lifetime of hearing about pervy men wanting to date/screw their young female students, we get to hear about pervy women wanting to date/screw their young male students. Have we reached true equality, I'm asking with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

[raccoon]

1. It was just kept better hidden in the past.

Also, many people didn't consider it a problem in the past (and many still don't). Even here on DU, posters who are supposedly male say things such as, "Wish I had been that lucky when I was that age!"

"So why are these female teachers doing this? I think it stems from the inability to develop meaningful and appropriate relationships with those in their own age group."

I agree.

"Is it the attention, the power trip, or some deep personality flaw that comes to the surface under the right conditions?"

The power trip, I think. These women want to be in control.

[Bunny]

2. I tend to see these things as all about power and control, but then

I've been told I have "control issues". ;)

And there are definitely guys, here and everywhere, that see no problem with this. I don't know, I have two daughters and if a male teacher had sex with them I would want him to face severe punishment. I can't help but think that if I had a son and a female teacher had sex with him, my opinion would be the same. I can't imagine that I would feel differently about this happening to any child of mine, regardless of their gender.

[Katherine Brengle]

3. There are also --

guys who believe rape victims "ask" for it. Women too. A lot of people are unable, or unwilling, to apply sufficient logic and reason to any of these situations.

"And there are definitely guys, here and everywhere, that see no problem with this."

[geniph]

4. A person in a position of authority over another

should not have sex with the person over whom they have such authority. I can't put it any more baldly than that. It's an abuse of the authority. I don't care what the genders or respective ages are. Parents shouldn't screw children. Teachers shouldn't screw students. Bosses shouldn't screw employees. Doctors shouldn't screw patients. Cops shouldn't screw crime victims (or alleged criminals). Etc.

[BlueIris]

5. I'm with the "kept better hidden in the past" posters, and as for what's up

with the idea that so many of these women are young, pretty and blonde...couple ideas: a) it's not significant, it's just a coincidence, b) they're trying to fulfill the male, porn-driven fantasy so many other women are in America today, (refer back to a)) or c)...the hair, the look, the decision to become teachers in order to get better access to their victims is part of their pathology. Which involves acting out the past abuses visited upon them, like many sex offenders.

[Morgana LaFey]

6. No, it's not that it's just better reported now.

Here's the way it works for anyone:

You're a child, you get abused (physically, emotionally, sexually, all the same in terms of the dynamics), you grow up to either continue to be a victim (e.g., an abused spouse, rape victim, prostitue) OR an abuser. Or both victim and perp. That happens too.

The dynamics are very, very well documented and EVERY psychologist understands them very well.

I'm aghast that more and more women are becoming serial killers (and such) AND sexual predators, but it's probably the inevitable result of "equality." There was no doubt a time when women didn't have the chutzpah (for want of a better word) to become predators, but now some of them do. Of course, I imagine there were indeed women perpetrators going back thru all of society, but not so many as now.

The infamous woman in the Northwest who had 3 kids by the CHILD high school student she seduced, went to prison and then ended up marryig him -- HER father had been guilty of having an affair with one of his students, so she was just repeating a family pattern. That too (repeating family patterns, even in cases where those patterns aren't consciously known) is typical and very, very well documented.

Of course its about power and control, but those aren't conscious motivations in any way. A wrong was done to these people when they were innocent children, and as adults they keep acting it out in an effort to excise it from their existence, and to heal at long, long last. Sick people, not bad. Sick people who will usually raise sick children and prolong the agony.

Another take on that old Biblical phrase: the sins of the father are visited upon the children, huh? (Truly that saying makes no sense to me other than in this type of situation.)