Affairs With Pupils - Why Not?

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by Cellar_Door, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. Cellar_Door Whose Worth's unknown Registered Senior Member

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    A Position of Trust

    The question is, should it be legal for teachers or lecturers to engage in sexual relations with students over 16? After all, if they had met each other anywhere else, they would have been perfectly at liberty to enter into such a relationship.

    If you can pick out the relevant bits in the legal jargon found here and here, you'll find that, as it stands, teacher/pupil relations are punishable by law.

    This was brought to my attention after a teacher at my local college was suspended without pay for having an affair with a 17 year-old nursing student (studying at the same college).

    Any thoughts?
     
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  3. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Looks like he got off easy.. uh.. lol
     
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  5. Cellar_Door Whose Worth's unknown Registered Senior Member

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    I would have to agree. The guy was a complete creep. Anyway...
     
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  7. EmmZ It's an animal thing Registered Senior Member

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    If a teacher wanted to engage in a relationship with their student they should resign from their position and embark on that relationship with a more fair and equal footing. Otherwise that relationship is open to an abuse of power.
     
  8. CutsieMarie89 Zen Registered Senior Member

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    agreed
     
  9. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    Absolutely it should be allowed. If it is voluntary and consensual, I see no reason why not.
     
  10. codanblad a love of bridges Registered Senior Member

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    i think it would lead to a lot of heartbroken, used 16-18 year olds. and entice a lot more pedophiles into the education system.
     
  11. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Every educational institution worth its salt has a strict policy regarding teacher/student relationships. The problem may not be age (take for example a 22 year old student teacher and a 17 year old final-year school student). The problem is the position of authority the teacher has over the student, and the power imbalance involved.

    The teacher marks the student's work. The teacher can to some extent tell the student what to do. Even if the influence exercised is not overt, the student may regard the teacher as an authority figure. If a relationship starts up, the power imbalance can mean that the student is not truly entering into it as a free agent. While the relationship continues, the teacher may treat the student more favourably than other students. And if the relationship ends, the teacher might unfairly punish the student by exercising power over them in various ways.

    These are just some of the issues.
     
  12. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

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    Thats true. But that can happen in many other situations.


    for example:

    Boss and Secretary

    2 coworkers in the same building

    ---

    I don't see anything wrong with it. People like each other, let them be. If a teacher grades a student harder because they shared a troubled relationship outside class, its not the relationships fault, its the teachers fault for being incompetent.
     
  13. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Its coercive, the professor holds a position of power relative to the students. It also introduces bias, since it changes the student teacher dynamics in favour of the favoured student. They can wait till the student finishes school.
     
  14. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    chris4355:

    You don't think there's a problem if a teacher prevents a student from getting into a good university because the teacher marked the student down unfairly due to a broken relationship?

    You don't think there's a problem if a boss unfairly prevents an employee from getting a deserved promotion because of a broken relationship?
     
  15. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Chris, you are showing your naivety again here.

    The laws that are in place on this matter are not taking a moral standpoint. Simply, it is recognised that humans are emotional beings, and teachers are not superhuman, and being subject to their own emotions doesn't make them incompetent but just human.

    Therefore it is not about 'right' or wrong' but about discouraging people from a course of action that is recognised to be problematic. It's like a seatbelt, or motorcycle helmet law. Those aren't moral judgments, but practical ones.
     
  16. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

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    Of course I think theres something wrong with it. I just don't think its enough a reason to make it illegal.

    AS long as the student is an adult....Let them be. If they are willing to take the risk then let it be so.

    A boss not allowing a person to get a promotion, or a teacher not allowing a student in a university because of personal relationship issues are just signs of an incompetent boss and teacher. They shouldn't consider their personal emotions in the first place when handing out those things. But instead only judge them for their performance in class or at work.

    Now as I say this, is this really going to happen? Would a teacher really write a good letter of recommendation if its for a person the teacher had a broken relationship with? sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn't.

    Should we make it a law to not allow teachers do date students for that reason? No. Let people be.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2009
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    If a professor made overtures to you and you rejected them, then got a poor grade in the next test, what would you think?

    If you knew the only way to get promoted was to sleep with the boss and you did not want to sleep with him/her, what would you do?
     
  18. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

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    As far as I can tell, a student is fully aware of the risks involved with getting himself in that situation. It is HIS responsibility if things go wrong.

    And no. A teacher who grades a student harder because of personal relationship troubles is incompetent.

    Sorry, I don't like people governing personal relationships, between 2 adults, with mutual consent.
     
  19. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

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    I would complain about it to his boss.

    You are talking about bribing an employee for sex. This has nothing to do with what we are debating about.
     
  20. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    What would you complain about? Under your scheme, there would be nothing to complain about.


    Who said anything about bribing? All consensual adults here. Any appearance of bias is simply subjective interpretation
     
  21. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Chris, a teacher might be taking advantage of a student because of his position as an authority figure. We can't have that.
    Besides, it's just inappropriate..
     
  22. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

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    Me saying no to a teacher should not give me an F in a class.

    Under my scheme, it could happen. Doesn't mean I can't go complain about it because its still wrong.
     
  23. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    As you said, thats your responsibility.

     

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