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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/20/jeremy-forrest-relationship-pupil-abusive
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| Jeremy Forrest's relationship with his pupil 'was abusive' | Jeremy Forrest's relationship with his pupil 'was abusive' |
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| However much Jeremy Forrest and his now 16-year-old former pupil might believe they have a genuine relationship – their feelings could be gauged by the coy looks and occasional smiles exchanged when she gave evidence – child protection experts are adamant that it is not. | However much Jeremy Forrest and his now 16-year-old former pupil might believe they have a genuine relationship – their feelings could be gauged by the coy looks and occasional smiles exchanged when she gave evidence – child protection experts are adamant that it is not. |
| "It's an abusive relationship," said Jon Brown, who leads on sex abuse prevention for the children's charity NSPCC. | |
| A young person in such a relationship can often view it in positive terms, but this is an illusion, he said. | A young person in such a relationship can often view it in positive terms, but this is an illusion, he said. |
| "For the adult, the person in a position of trust, it's complex, but fundamentally they're abusing their position. They're doing quite a lot of harm to that young person. | "For the adult, the person in a position of trust, it's complex, but fundamentally they're abusing their position. They're doing quite a lot of harm to that young person. |
| "The whole point of people in positions of trust, whether that's teachers, social workers, sports coaches, whatever, is that they're entrusted with working with young people, some of whom are potentially vulnerable and some of whom might potentially act in ways that could be seen as quite provocative. But the whole point is that the adult is entrusted with understanding and recognising that and not responding to it." | "The whole point of people in positions of trust, whether that's teachers, social workers, sports coaches, whatever, is that they're entrusted with working with young people, some of whom are potentially vulnerable and some of whom might potentially act in ways that could be seen as quite provocative. But the whole point is that the adult is entrusted with understanding and recognising that and not responding to it." |
| There are no reliable figures for the extent of such teacher-pupil relationships. Teaching unions say they are extremely rare, and the consensus seems to be they are gradually getting less common as boundaries become better known. | There are no reliable figures for the extent of such teacher-pupil relationships. Teaching unions say they are extremely rare, and the consensus seems to be they are gradually getting less common as boundaries become better known. |
| Nonetheless, a 2007 YouGov survey said one in six adults knew of someone who had been in an intimate relationship with a teacher when at school. | |
| Forrest's school, Bishop Bell in Eastbourne, East Sussex, experienced two such incidents in short succession. The standard age of sexual consent remains 16, but it is an offence for an adult to have sexual relations with someone under 18 when there is a mutual position of trust - even if, for example, the adult is not directly teaching the teenager. | |
| Offenders such as Forrest tend to select students with vulnerabilities, Brown said, whether they are long-term difficulties at home or, as in the case of the teenager involved with Forrest, more particular problems. The court heard that her existing anxieties were made worse after her mother divorced and had a baby with a new partner, leaving the girl feeling neglected. | |
| Brown said: "There are cases when girls have come from quite stable, supportive backgrounds, but there have been specific circumstances and specific times in their lives when they might be feeling quite vulnerable. That's when they might be quite susceptible to the attentions of someone in a position of authority who's showing them some attention and affection." | Brown said: "There are cases when girls have come from quite stable, supportive backgrounds, but there have been specific circumstances and specific times in their lives when they might be feeling quite vulnerable. That's when they might be quite susceptible to the attentions of someone in a position of authority who's showing them some attention and affection." |
| Often media reporting of such cases can paint them as normal sexual affairs or even love stories, Brown said. He argued, however, that the fundamental dynamics remain much the same whether the victim is 10 or 15, with all tending to be "left feeling duped, tricked and quite bereft". This is also the case if the victim is a boy involved with a female teacher, something almost dismissed as harmless, he added. | Often media reporting of such cases can paint them as normal sexual affairs or even love stories, Brown said. He argued, however, that the fundamental dynamics remain much the same whether the victim is 10 or 15, with all tending to be "left feeling duped, tricked and quite bereft". This is also the case if the victim is a boy involved with a female teacher, something almost dismissed as harmless, he added. |
| "For young people who end up in these abusive relationships, whether boys or girls, it can become incredibly confusing," he said. "Invariably the relationships are brought to a grinding halt at some point, whether by the authorities or parents, and that can be extremely traumatic for the young person who might have formed an extremely close attachment with the adult." | "For young people who end up in these abusive relationships, whether boys or girls, it can become incredibly confusing," he said. "Invariably the relationships are brought to a grinding halt at some point, whether by the authorities or parents, and that can be extremely traumatic for the young person who might have formed an extremely close attachment with the adult." |
| Modern teachers also face a boundaries minefield their peers could never have dreamt of a generation ago with social media. The court heard that Forrest and the girl began their flirtation on Twitter before moving to mobile phone text messages. | Modern teachers also face a boundaries minefield their peers could never have dreamt of a generation ago with social media. The court heard that Forrest and the girl began their flirtation on Twitter before moving to mobile phone text messages. |
| The main teaching unions give social media guidance for teachers, much of which is often codified by individual schools, including Bishop Bell. The usual advice is to set privacy settings at their maximum, never to "friend" a pupil and not to follow them or accept to be followed on Twitter. | The main teaching unions give social media guidance for teachers, much of which is often codified by individual schools, including Bishop Bell. The usual advice is to set privacy settings at their maximum, never to "friend" a pupil and not to follow them or accept to be followed on Twitter. |
| Brown said, however, that incidents such as the one involving Forrest were believed to be getting less common overall. "I think it would be accurate to say that the environment in which that sort of abusive relationship can thrive is less fertile now," he said. "It's a more open environment. Children and young people are encouraged to report, and it's much clearer in terms of appropriate boundaries. There is, of course, still some way to go." | Brown said, however, that incidents such as the one involving Forrest were believed to be getting less common overall. "I think it would be accurate to say that the environment in which that sort of abusive relationship can thrive is less fertile now," he said. "It's a more open environment. Children and young people are encouraged to report, and it's much clearer in terms of appropriate boundaries. There is, of course, still some way to go." |
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