S.E.S.A.M.E. - Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation

SESAME believes the power imbalance between a teacher and student (of any age) creates a climate that can facilitate sexual misconduct by the teacher; behavior that is psychologically equivalent to incest.

DEFINITION

Sexual misconduct: "Behavior by an educator that is directed at a student and intended to sexually arouse or titillate the educator or the child." (Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary, Policy and Program Studies Service By Charol Shakeshaft, Hofstra University and Interactive, Inc., Huntington, N.Y.)

Click on this link for more information about Ethics Ed Online Training.

Lending My Voice, OUT LOUD
A Study of the Sexual Abuse of Students with Disabilities in Schools

My name is Mary Lou Bensy, and I am a Doctoral Student at Hofstra University, NY. I have developed a survey to gather information about the sexual harassment and abuse of special education students in schools.

Parents, guardians, advocates and caregivers of students with disabilities are asked to respond to my web-based survey, on behalf of the victimized student. If an individual chooses to respond on behalf of more than one student, she/he can feel free to take the survey more than once. Adult survivors of abuse are asked to complete the survey for themselves. The survey is anonymous.

Here is the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/abuse_studentswithdisabilities

Thank you.

SCHOOLS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY

"...the skills necessary to become an outstanding educator are also skills that enable those who would betray their trust and harm children . . ."

". . . one must never stop trying to increase the level of safety in the schools through responsible efforts taken in conjunction with school employees parents, students, lawmakers and in short all other members of the community."
Doug Bates, Ph.D., J.D. (deceased 5/2000. Former school teacher, administrator & attorney with the Utah Dept. of Ed. & NASDTEC) - SESAME Winter/Summer 2000 newsletter, p.5

"What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander."
-- Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor

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