Should Sex Laws For Teachers Be Changed?

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Spotty Dog

It's a hard call to make.

Personally, I think the law should be lowered to 16 - As this is the age of consent - But schools should be allowed to make their own policies regarding the 16-18 age bracket.

For example, with the laws currently as they stand, a teacher cannot have a relationship with a pupil at their school even if they don't teach them for any subject. By 16 you are old enough, in the eyes of the law, to consent to sexual intercourse thus insinuating that you are old enough to make formal, well-constructed conclusions about the relationships you want to make.

I don't know.. I see both sides of the argument.

(bold) i thitnk that that might lead to abuse of the system?
the school might be short of teachers for something, allowing them to make their own decision on such a matter might lead to a dangerous person staying in a job, just because he/she would have bene difficult to replace. they might then target someone younger, so more people end up getting hurt.

Reply 21

Misogynist

Yes it should. The law is flawed logically, that is clearly seen from the BBC article on the same issue. It is totally unfair for a potential relationship to be stopped in its tracks due to some silly doesn't-make-sense law. Also, putting them on the sex offenders register is totally insane.

Most of the people complaining about the law will be women I predict, mostly because they want sex to be 'special', that the 'teacher fantasy' has existed since the dawn of time and will encourage superficial relationships and other such nonsense. I don't really see where this fits into the argument, but it pisses me off.

I'm sure most people will think that a hot young female teacher going out with an 18 year old guy would be more morally correct than say a forty year old guy going out with an 18 year old girl.

Reply 22

User192499

AntoineUK

what about a sexy 24 yr old biology teacher?

If he has any decency, he'll have grown up enough since leaving school to realise that though he's still young, he is not in the same position as the students anymore.

If he's one of these "I'm with the kids" kind of young teachers... well, they need to be culled anyway IMO. While it's great to have a good friendship with teachers, there always has to be SOME barrier. They are ultimately in a position of authority and rule over you, no matter how down-to-earth they are.

Reply 23

A is for Awesome

I don't think anyone should be put on the sex offenders list for having sex with someone over the age of consent.

However, there are grey areas as mentioned, such as grooming the child from an earlier age, etc. It's a pretty difficult area to rationalised. Some teachers and 17/18 year old pupils of both sexes may feel genuine affection towards each other; in some cases the teacher could be taking advantage. Heck, in some cases the pupil could be taking advantage. It's a bit of a minefield.

Reply 24

Misogynist

EducatingBrogan

I never felt like that during my school years. I always thought of them as people who had knowledge that wanted to pass it on to me. I didn't see them as policing the place or whatnot and I spoke to them like they were friends.. they didn't mind either.

Reply 25

Spotty Dog

Bateman

it should be, because the teacher has been the girls teacher since she was 11, and although she could be 16 when they do it, he could have pampered her from 11.

Equally, it could be a teacher that has never taught the child before.

For example: A geography teacher starts at the school having just finished his training. (Making him.. 22? ish?).

He is having a drink in the local pub and meets a 17 year old who he starts a relationship with.

He later finds out that the girl is a pupil at the school he is teaching at.

Now, technically, the teacher has done nothing wrong. So why should he be punished? Because he would be.

Reply 26

Bateman

Spotty Dog

Equally, it could be a teacher that has never taught the child before.

yes, let's be liberal.

Reply 27

quintsy

Glutamic Acid

Yeah, I think it should be changed. At the end: "The law is, quite rightly, there to protect children." Well, it's somewhat patronizing to call sixth formers children. Additionally: "The law is very clear that is a teacher abuses his or her position by forming a sexual relationship with a pupil", it's the word "abuses" that I have a problem with. Where is the abuse if both enter the relationship willingly?

(Talking purely about teacher/sixth form student relationships) I have to agree with this. While I'm not opposed to schools independently deciding to take action in these situations (if only to avoid a lot of disruption as a result of the inevitable reactions of some pupils' parents), I think we have to be realistic about what is really going on here. In the real, everyday world, you would not face any form of prosecution for being in a relationship with someone over the age of consent, no matter how old you are. While teachers are in a position of "trust", there's nothing inherently different about them from any regular human being, which is why I think putting them on the sex offenders register is a pretty disproportionate response.

Reply 28

tom//

suuuuuuseh

While teachers are in a position of "trust", there's nothing inherently different about them from any regular human being, which is why I think putting them on the sex offenders register is a pretty disproportionate response.

To be honest, I dont think Sixth Form teachers are in a position of trust,(if they are its nothing to primary/high school), I mean I agree with the rest of what youve said, but I dont see how an adult can be more in a position of trust than another in this sense.

Reply 29

eulerwaswrong

EducatingBrogan

Er, no.

hmmmmm okay then its a lot less taboo. you wouldnt go accusing the female teacher of abuse would you.

Reply 30

Spotty Dog

anyarian

I see your point, and I didn't consider that. Thankyou.

Bateman - Why not? In a large secondary school, it's highly possible.

Reply 31

L i b

Ultimately I don't think it should be a criminal offence, but certainly should be grounds to sack a teacher and insure he doesn't ever work in schools again.

EducatingBrogan

I agree with the law actually. I mean, come on. If a 57 year old teacher goes for a 15/16 year old girl, it's illegal, but if he raises it JUST ONE YEAR to be that little bit over the legal border, it's suddenly acceptable?

No. Just no.

Well, yeah. Just like one day's difference in age makes you able to get married, or to die in battle, or any number of things.

I don't really see the difference between someone aged 16 having sex with a 57 year old or a 17 year old. What I see as significant here is the abuse of a position of trust - and despite how wrong that may be, I don't see it as being worthy of hauling someone into court, throwing them into jail and putting them on the sex offenders' register.

Reply 32

yawn

It's all about being in a 'position of trust.'

So, no!

Reply 33

Angelil

SO register = too far.
They need to be less patronising with the law and judge each case on its own merit once the pupil is of the age of consent. However, it's probably generally a bad idea if the pupil is still at the school: accusations of favouritism, awkwardness etc. Once they've left the school, it's none of the school's business.

Reply 34

Joanna May

eulerwaswrong

hmmmmm okay then its a lot less taboo. you wouldnt go accusing the female teacher of abuse would you.

If it's abuse for a male teacher to do it, it's abuse for a female teacher to do it. Just because you have some warped logic, don't make blanket statements that everyone else does too.

Reply 35

Irtiza

I read this, my views are that teachers should not let their personal relationships come in school.

But they should be allowed to have relationships with students out of school.

Reply 36

yawn

Doctors get struck off the GMC for having sex with patients, so why should teachers be treated differently?

Reply 37

beckaboos.

Irtiza

I read this, my views are that teachers should not let their personal relationships come in school.

But they should be allowed to have relationships with students out of school.

Agreed!

Reply 38

Divide By Zero

Lampshade

Yes it should be changed. The age of consent is the age of consent.

This is also my view.

Reply 39

-Em-

For colleges completely detached from any secondary institution, the law just shouldn't exist, because there's no reasonable chance that the teacher had groomed them from the age of 11 or similar.