The Epidemic of School Sex Abuse

Rev. Dwight Longenecker

In March, a Florida school district that was already dealing with one teacher being arrested for teacher-student sexual relations had to deal with another young female teacher involved with an underage boy.

Anecdotal evidence and statistical studies hint that sex abuse in American public schools is at epidemic proportions and that school districts regularly sweep the problem under the carpet — moving offending teachers on with glowing references just to transfer the trash. Cynics say the reason the problem doesn’t surface in the press is because public schools are shielded by legislation that protects their assets from being seized in lawsuits. “Where there’s no money,” the argument goes, “there’s no lawyer; and where there’s no lawyer, there’s no story.”

Catholics, still reeling from the sex-abuse scandals in the Church, may be inclined to wag a finger and say, “You see, Catholic priests are not the only pedophiles. School teachers are worse!” That may be true, but such shrill complaints are likely to be counterproductive. Critics of the Church will think Catholics are trying to shift attention elsewhere.

Better to leave the comparisons to priestly abuse on one side and deal with the core problem — which, in both cases, is essentially the same. Because of the invention of the contraceptive pill and the sexual revolution of the Sixties, members of our society regard sex as an activity for recreation, not procreation.  (more...)

The Epidemic of School Sex Abuse