eGuide Archives: Educator Abuse

Educator Abuse

An Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years in which educators were punished for actions from bizarre to sadistic.  Read More

Most of the abuse never gets reported.  Those cases reported often end with no action.  Cases investigated sometimes can't be proven, and many abusers have several victims.

And no one --not the schools, not the courts, not the state or federal governments -- has found a surefire way to keep molesting teachers out of classrooms.

Those are the findings of an AP investigation in which reporters sought disciplinary records in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The result was an unprecedented national look at the scope of sex offenses by educatorsthe very definition of breach of trust.

The seven-month investigation found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

After a 7-month investigation, 2570 educators were disciplined for allegations of sexual misconduct from 2001 through 2005, or a yearly average of about 514.  Of these, 1800 cases involved young people, and more than 80% of those were students.  About half of the educators punished by their states were also convicted of crimes stemming from their misconduct.

Several recent media stories place the number of Catholic priests who have engaged in sexual abuse since 1954 at about 4400.  Wikipedia places the number at 4392, for a yearly average of about 83.  Read More

This data, when compared to the yearly average rate of abuse in the schools, indicates sexual abuse by teachers in secular public schools is more than six times worse than abuse by priests in church and church schools.

There's one big difference -- you have at least some control over the frequency with which your child would be alone with a priest -- you don't necessarily with a teacher.

Who are these abusers?

Many pedophile teachers and even some student victims actually believe that they are in love, like in the celebrated Mary Kay Letourneau case (eNewsletter Volume 2, Issue 36  and  eNewsletter Volume 2, Issue 30.)

But the damage they do can have an impact for a lifetime.  Minimizing that impact is what the mother of the boy in the famed Debra Lafave case set as her primary goal in the prosecution of Ms. Lafave.  Read More

The boy's mother says that if she has learned anything, it's this:  "Be attuned to your kids.  They've got to be able to tell you anything."

In spite of the recent publicity of female teachers who have had sexual relationship with young teenage boys, 90% of pedophile teachers are male.  They often appear to be hard-working, family men.  They tend to be better educated and more religious that the average person.  They tend to be well-liked by parents and children; a pedophile teacher is often one of the most popular teachers in school.  Read More

Additionally, pedophile teachers operate like most pedophiles do.  They find ways to be alone with children; for instance, music teachers or coaches often are in a position to give individual attention to students.  In one case, a pedophile teacher volunteered to direct the school's computer center, because the door was always locked to prevent theft.
 
They actively seek children who are quiet, needy, or have problems at home.  They often photograph the victim, collect child pornography, accomplishing molestation by gradual seduction, not coercion, and lavish attention on children they don't abuse, to build a sense of trust by parents and other students.

For the profile of a typical pedophile, visit Profile of a Pedophile

Reminder of the week: Sexual relationships between adults and children are always wrong.  It's actually quite stunning that we've reached the point that people need to be reminded of that fact.  Next week we will focus on statutory rape laws, their importance to law enforcement efforts in prosecuting pedophiles and the campaign by some to repeal them.