Stephen C. Satterly, II – Author

Dr. Charol Shakeshaft released her seminal study, Educational Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature, in 2004. At the time, she acknowledged the dearth of national studies on the topic. In 2023, Elizabeth Jeglic, et al., released The Nature and Scope of Educator Misconduct in K-12. Her team also acknowledged the continued lack of studies on this issue.

Dr. Shakeshaft found that the overall rate of educator sexual misconduct was 9.6%. Jeglic’s team found that the rate of educator sexual misconduct had increased to 11.7%. (Jeglic, p. 203). However, the rates of the more serious contact offenses (e.g., kissing, touching, and intercourse/oral sex) dropped from 6.7% in Shakeshaft’s study in 2004 to 1.4% in 2023.

The authors posit that the field of education is becoming more female and older, with more teachers, which means more watchful guardians. The data shows that offenders tend to be male and younger. The authors also say that policy changes and heightened awareness may also factor into the decline.

Of particular note is the increase in our understanding of “grooming behaviors” (e.g., gifts, food, money, jewelry, special attention), including steps taken to prevent disclosure. Many educators who engage in child sexual grooming also groom the adults around them. They are frequently very likable and often win awards for their teaching and service. This is an obstacle to disclosure and, in extreme cases, to investigation and prosecution.

Moving forward, more information will be provided on the standard of care in schools for the prevention of educator sexual misconduct and grooming behaviors, as well as on board policies and their role in prevention and response.