Research

Important Studies and Information!

• Check out this special report by Education Week on the topic of Educator Abuse. Select "A Trust Betrayed: Sexual Abuse by Teachers".
• Please read this excellent series that appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  "Protecting Our Students - Executive Summary and Recommendations", Ontario Ministry of Attorney General
• "Sexual Abuse, Education and the School", by Dr. John Bennett, Councilof Europe, 1998,
• "NASDTEC and Educator Fitness",
• "Responding to Complaints of Sexual Abuse", by Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., The School Administrator, 10/94

Researchers say:

"The best estimate is that 15% of students will be sexually abused by a member of the school staff during their school career." (Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Hofstra University: Testimony, NYS Senate Commitee On Children & Families, 2/12/98)

"Criminal convictions of Ontario teachers in 1996-97 involves enoughvictims to fill an entire classroom." (The Kingston Whig-Standard, Ontario,9/13/97, p.1)

"Survey of high school graduates: 17.7% of males and 82.2% of females reported sexual harassment by faculty or staff during their schoolcareers. 13.5% of those surveyed said they had engaged in sexual intercourse with a teacher." (Wishnietsky, "Reported and UnreportedTeacher-Student Sexual Harassment", Journal of Ed Research, Vol. 3, 1991, pp.164-69)

"Many abusers are in positions of power or trust in relation to their victims, which makes it easier to overcome a child's resistance." (Finkelhor, "Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory & Research", '84)

"When there is denial (including institutional denial), disbelief or placement of blame on the victim, recovery is more difficult." (Ken Singer, LCSW, SESAME Newsletter, Fall, '97, p.5)