Why Teachers Are Having Sex with Their Students?

It seems that everyday in the news there are more and more reports of teachers being arrested for engaging in sexual relationships with their students. This kind of behavior was at once deemed shocking, repulsing millions of those who heard these kinds of stories. And though it is still great cause for concern, the concept of the adult teacher having a sexual relationship with one of his/her students is yet another issue that is beginning to desensitize society as a whole. In each case reported, measures are being taken by authorities to ensure that these educational facilitators are punished for their misdeeds. But rarely does anyone consider the origin of such rampant activity. In a world where sexuality is celebrated in virtually every corner of our communities, years are rapidly being scraped away from our youths' childhoods.

Blaming the Media

Often when children are found engaging in conduct that is not befitting for their ages, parents and teachers both blame the huge influence of the media. Music videos, violent (and sexualized) video games, and the like, are all concrete objects of culpability. But no one mentions the sensationalized ways teacher-student romantic relationships are portrayed in movies and television programs.

In 1990, Pamela Ann Smart was convicted for the murder of her husband, Gregg. He was found murdered in their New Hampshire home. It was determined that Pamela had been having a torrid affair with one of her students, ultimately urging him (along with the help of others) to kill Gregg. This story was brought to light in a television movie starring actress Helen Hunt, and then later in the 1995 blockbuster film, "To Die For", starring Nicole Kidman.