What's wrong with student/teacher romances if the student is of legal age?

Question

If no laws are being violated and the relationship is consensual, what's the harm?

Answer 1

nothing wrong as long as they age gap isnt too big. Also the teacher cant date u because i think there something called favoritism...

Answer 2

Legal harm? None that I can see.

Ethical, moral, and possible psychological harm? Most definitely.

The relationship not only effects those in it, but those around it (other teaching staff, students, parents) as well. It would be selfish to exclude these people and pretend the relationship is self-contained within it's own "bubble".

Admittedly, there are a lot of psychologically mature 18 year olds out there...but one cannot honestly say that 18 is without it's own struggles and confusions. Plus, there is still a magnitude of maturing that still needs to take place post 18.

It would be irresponsible and possibly psychologically damaging for a person in place of authority acting in a teaching position, to instigate or encourage a relationship with such a young person.

Answer 3

i dont see the harm as long as its not high school and that teacher isnt your teacher at the time., and like you said if the kid is of legal age and its consensual.

i can understand though why they dont agree with it but ~shrug~ personally it doesnt matter to me.

Answer 4

The teacher usually violates their position of trust and power and unfairly abuses that relationship

Answer 5

It is wrong because a teacher is in a position of authority. The student looks up to them. To have sexual relations with a student would be abusing the authority.

Answer 6

The power structure is unfair.  The teacher could give better or worse grades to the student and/or preferential treatment to the student to the detriment of other student's in the class.  If things end badly, the school could be sued, since the teacher is their employee and they are responsible for much of the employee's conduct.

If the student is "of age" they can withdraw from the class, removing any ethical problems and can then pursue the relationship (as long as the school does not prohibit the teacher from even this).

Answer 7

Is it ethical to be romantically involved with your teacher/professor?  NO, not for either of you.  It's fine if a student in one discipline is romantically involved with a teacher/professor in another discipline, but it's not ethical if they are in the same discipline, or if the student is taking a class from the person they are romantically involved in.  How can anyone think the 'grades' of the student couldn't be higher perhaps than the student deserves, because the teacher gets 'love' from the student.  My husband has been a college teacher, and my uncle was a full professor before he retired.  I've asked both of them about this, and both of them said it wasn't 'ethical.'  Consensual it may be, but even that consent comes into question ethically when a student and instructor become involved.  

Answer 8

Well, while I don't take a side either way, there is always the potential for the teacher to abuse his/her position. Maybe the student will feel more pressure to give into things he/she otherwise wouldn't just because the teacher has some power over them outside of the romantic relationship.  Also, if things in the relationship go south, who is to say that the teacher won't take out their frustrations on the students grades?

Answer 9

It keeps the whole grade thing in perspective. Teachers can't ask students to be in a relationship to ensure a good grade and students can't use a relationship to recieve a good grade.  

Answer 10

Absolutely nothing if that teacher is no longer the student's prof (because we'd have to be talking college). If the teacher is still in a situation where grades are awarded, it's absolutely unethical for him or her to date their student.  

Answer 11

it could easily make other students feel awkward.

Answer 12

its a matter of ethics teachers sign an ethics clause about no relationship with their students to stop favoritism

Answer 13

theres nothing wrong, if theres true love theres no problem 8)

Answer 14

I'm not so sure it isn't harmful. Take universities, for instance. A professor is viewed as a knowledgeable expert, stands before the students teaching his or her subject, an example of just what they are working toward, a degree, expertise, a position of importance.  He or she is on a higher level than the students themselves are and should maintain that level.

To have that professor start playing footsie with one of the students, trading flirtatious glances and long, meaningful sighs might possibly tarnish the image he or she should project.  After all, the students are there to learn. To single out one student for special attention is not quite fair to the others and could lead to problems.  No university wants to hear of affairs between students and professors.  After schooldays are over, there is plenty of time for romance.

As far as high school goes, it's even worse.  We don't send our children to high school to have the teachers court them. It would be better if they would teach them, as they are supposed to do.

Answer 15

School is for learning, not for hitting on your students.  If teachers want to meet people at work, they should be bartenders or another profession where picking people up on the job is acceptable.

Answer 16

the teacher would probably favor that student and may be acused of cheating

Answer 17

I am a teacher. In my district, I would be fired immediately. It is also illegal in the State of Wisconsin for a teacher to have a physical relationship with a student regardless of age.

Hmm....

Lose my job and go to jail?

I think I will pass and date people my own age.

Answer 18

If the student is 18 or older and has a sexual relationship with someone who happens to be his/her teacher at the time this is unethical.  Teachers can not have relationships with their own students, they are in a position of power and authority.  You can not rule out favoritism in this situation.  If the student is 18 or older and has a sexual relationship with someone who just happens to be a teacher, but who does not teach in their school, that is fine and legal.

Answer 19

one word : favorites plus i know if my teacher was dating the girl who sits behind me i would loose a respect for him. . .same goes for the other way around

Answer 20

The school district has rules and the teacher would be fired and probably never be able to teach again because no one would hire him.  A teacher is part of the government required education in this country.  It is wrong to force a parent to send their child to a government/public school when there's a chance that an older teacher can take advantage of their power as a teacher to seduce a student.  It doesn't matter if the student started it or not.  Modern society does not approve of student-teacher marriages.  Maybe at some time in the future, but I doubt it.  Bear in mind that right and wrong is usually determined by a super majority of the community or country.  Everyone can have their opinion but society can pass laws and make rules to enforce it's view of right and wrong.

Answer 21

In most jurisdictions it is still a violation of the law, as well as violations of ethics.  Even if the student is of legal age, the teacher is in a statutorily identified position of authority over the student and has been statutorily barred from engaging in romantic activity.  The whole point of it is to prevent teachers from using their sway over students, and students from swaying their grades.

Answer 22

i personally think it is okay if they student is of legal age, maybe not in high school though, but university/college is fine.

Answer 23

It can lead to the teacher practicing favoritism, or grading the student based on the relationship and not on student performance/effort.

That is definitely unfair and can even cause the teacher to lose his/her job.

I think it's better to stay away from such romances until the student is out of the class.

Answer 24

It's like insider trading. It really voids the students grades from that teacher as honest as she could be marking on other things then classroom material.  

Answer 25

There's the legal complication first.  Like, the teacher will probably favour the student.  

Also there's the moral implication, the teacher has an unnatural power dynamic.  The teacher can tell the student what to do as a teacher, and the line between being the teacher and the lover can be very grey.

Answer 26

it may be legal, but is it ethical.  is the student in that teachers class? If so then it is wrong?  is this high school or college?  If its HS, its completely inappropriate, if college thats more of a gray area.  this isn't cut and dry right and wrong.

Answer 27

If there isn't much of an age difference then i don't really think there's anything wrong with it, but most of my teachers are way older than me and i've never really been attracted to them so whatever.

Answer 28

The only harm could possibly come in the nature of the relationship. The power dynamic. The same goes for boss/employee relationships. Since the teacher has more power in everyday situations, this can spill over into the relationship, making that person domineering and controlling.

But this isn't necessarily the case. So as long as the people are open and honest about what's going on, I don't see a problem.

Answer 29

Nothing, as long as you don't mix personal and professional lives.

Answer 30

because there is always the supposition of power inequality.

Answer 31

If the student is in THAT teacher calss it could show favortism. I'd be carefull. MOst schools have rules against it.