Ramifications Of Educator Sexual
Misconduct
Inappropriate Behaviors
Ramifications
Extending beyond your job into areas for which you have
no training
You run the risk of taking on the role of counselor or
advocate for which you may have no formal training and
that places the child at the disadvantage of building a false
sense of support.
Sharing personal and confidential information that you
would normally share only with a counselor or significant
other
The [young person] may assume the role of peer and
remove or disregard the appropriate age-defined barrier
You are at risk of vicarious traumatization (burnout,
counter-transference) ; an empathetic link may form that
will compromise your decision-making ability.
Spending  time alone with an individual youth in activities
that are beyond the scope of your responsibilities
Of grooming; a young person will build  dependence, a
sense of being an “equal,”  and a loss of perspective
regarding the barriers.
Grooming behaviors:  building trust, bestowing favors,
alienating others, demanding service, violating boundaries
In later years, s/he will be unable to hold jobs, will isolate,
and may self-impose restrictions on the number of friends
or significant others.
Invading the personal space; being alone, sitting/standing
too close, touching of any sort.
Victims may suffer anorexia/bulimia, or weight gain by
using food as a comfort or weight loss through denial of
eating
Allowing (your) personal duties to be performed
inappropriately—recording grades, filing reports or
personal folders, etc.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); fear, guilt,
humiliation, depression, insomnia, memory dysfunction,
anger, mental health costs
Communications that have implied messages and
“secret” understandings
Suicide ideation and/or hard drug abuse are additional
long term symptoms of adult abusive behavior.
An inappropriate atmosphere of boundaries re: gender
and harassment issues: sexual banter, innuendoes,
dirty/suggestive jokes, inappropriate language, sexually
suggestive behavior or clothing.
Victims may experience fear, guilt, shame, depression,
poor self-esteem and self-image, inappropriate sexual
behavior, and poor social interactions.
Relationships maintained outside normal events; rides
home (alone), taking students to lunch, gifts, personal
notes and letters.
The offender: loss of job, family, prosecution,
incarceration.
The items in these two columns are not directly related.  Any of the Inappropriate
Behaviors may lead to any or all of the Ramifications...and these lists are not exhaustive.
Identifying Child Molesters; Preventing Child
Sexual Abuse, Carla van Dam, PhD, The
Haworth Press, 2001.
Half The House, Richard Hoffman,
Harcourt Brace, 1995.
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