A Gendered Issue?

Dr. Jeff Brown, a psychologist who treats female sex offenders stated, "There is definitely a double standard.....The impact they have is significant on their victims and sometimes we don’t regard the impact in a similar way as we do men." Moreover, female teachers who sexually harass or abuse students are consistently given significantly lighter punishments or reprimands than males who engage in exactly the same behaviors.Though there is not a significant amount of research done regarding the sex and gender of both the students and teachers that partake in sexual relationships with one-another, we can certainly draw conclusions with support from news media: (5)

• Debra Lafave's Interview
• Growing number of female teachers who have had sexual relations with their students and avoided jail time or any other severe penalty
• In the case of Cameo Patch, a female high-school substitute teacher in Utah who performed oral sex on a 17-year-old male student, will serve no jail time for her crime, despite comments from the judge that a man would have likely gone to prison.
• "If this was a 29-year-old male and a 17-year-old female, I would be inclined to order some incarceration," noted 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris during sentencing for Patch 
• User comments on YouTube videos depicting news broadcasting involving young female teachers and their teenage male students:
• "dammit ...where were all these sexed up teachers when i was in school? We need to track this boy down and give him is luckiest boy in America award right away!"
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  "GOD!! it makes me feel really angry and jealous when i see a 13 year old boy getting some like that!!
  WHY NOT ME!!!" (6)
  
  
  "Although cases like these involving women attract attention, female teachers are more restrained in their sexual behavior in general", said Karin Meiselman, a psychologist in private practice in Pasadena, California. "Cases involving male teachers happen more frequently but aren't as much in the public eye", she said. Evidently, the reactions incited in both members of the judicial system as well as objective viewers indicate that a gender bias exists. Just as Debra Lafave claimed in her interview, "sex sells." The message that is coming across, however, is nonetheless a dangerous one.