Effects of Duration on Perceptions of Teacher Sexual Misconduct

Abstract

This study explored how respondent gender, gender dyad (male teacher-female student versus female teacher-male student) and duration/frequency (weekly sexual contact over 4 months versus a single incident) affected perceptions of teacher-adolescent student sexual involvement. Respondents were 224 undergraduates (104 men, 120 women) recruited from a psychology research pool. Most (87%) were 18-21 years old, and 59% were Caucasian. Each respondent read one of four scenarios (varied by gender dyad and duration/frequency) depicting a teacher-adolescent student sexual interaction and then completed a series of questions about his or her perceptions. Results indicated that men perceived these experiences less negatively than did women, and the female teacher-male student dyad was viewed less negatively than the male teacher-female student dyad. Relatively few significant interactions emerged, and the only main effect for duration/frequency was for commitment. Results are discussed in terms of the need for more research and education.

The Influence of Gender on Perceptions of Culpability and Victim Status in Statutory Rape Offenses Involving Teachers

“…Also consistent with prior research (e.g., Fromuth et al, 2016), men and women perceived these situations differently. Male respondents were simultaneously less punitive toward both the student and the teacher and less likely to view the student as a victim than female respondents.…”

“…For example, respondents are more likely to define relationships between a male minor and female teacher as a positive sexual experience, but perceive experiences between female minors and male teachers as potentially psychologically traumatic (Fromuth et al, 2010). Likewise, there are differences in the way men and women perceive these relationships, with women perceiving them more negatively (Fromuth et al, 2016). While these findings have been consistent across the literature, they are typically reflective of perceptions of opposite-sex relationships.…”

“…While perceptions of teachers and students are conditioned by the gender of the involved parties, men and women also perceive these relationships differently. Generally, men tend to view sexual violence as less serious (Graham et al, 2007;Pozzulo et al, 2010) and this extends to student-teacher relationships (Fromuth et al, 2016;Geddes et al, 2013). Women, however, are more likely to have empathy for the victims, believe they are telling the truth, and condemn relationships with minors and adults (Bottoms et al, 2014).…”

“…Consistent with prior research using a factorial vignette design to examine CSA (e.g., Fromuth et al, 2016;Tenenbaum et al, 2017), a series of analyses of variance were conducted for the five dependent variables (i.e., Student victim, Student responsibility, Student repercussions, Parental punishment, and Parental reporting). First, multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were used to explore variation among the dependent variables by the teacher's gender, student's gender, gender dyad, and respondent gender.…”

“…Likewise, student-teacher relationships are likely to impact the overall school climate and the larger school environment (Hernandez et al, 2019). Although sexual student-teacher relationships share many of the same adverse consequences of CSA generally, this form of abuse is often perceived as normative or even fetishized (Fromuth et al, 2016) compared to familial-or strangerperpetrated abuse.…”