With the average American teen sending 3,339 text messages a month, innocent requests to teachers for homework help—and teachers likewise sending reminders of assignments—are surely commonplace. Unfortunately, a few bad apples are spoiling the ease of communication that texting provides. Worries about teacher-student sexting are making more states either ban, or consider banning, the electronic contact.
How widespread is the problem? Although the federal Government Accountability Office does studies on teacher misconduct, it doesn't specify the number of teachers engaging in sexually charged text messaging with students. But, a report out of Tennessee reveals that the most common reason teachers in the state lost their credentials last year, "was having sex or other inappropriate contact with their students, and many were texting to strike up the relationships."
According to The Tennessean, in one instance, "Campbell County teacher Derek W. Marlow, 27, bought a prepaid cell phone and gave it to a student at school. The two exchanged about 1,000 messages over two months, and his license was revoked for three years."
Getting a license revoked for three years for sexting with an underage student doesn't sound like much of a punishment, does it? Admittedly, getting another job might be tough with that on your employment record, but Tennessee could learn from Mississippi, the home of some of the first teacher-student texting bans.
Sex scandals rocked Mississippi in 2008, including a Greene County incident where an educator engaged in sexting with a high school student. A Mississippi court gave the teacher 10 years in prison.
The latest effort to prevent electronically generated sexual misconduct and abuse in public schools comes out of Virginia. A recent state report says that since 2000, "there have been 120 instances involving sexual misconduct of minors addressed by the Board." That state's lawmakers will vote on January 13 on whether to ban Facebook contact, as well as all wireless communication between teachers and students.
Critics of these bans say any potential sexual misconduct on the part of a teacher doesn't depend on text messaging. Instead of banning electronic contact, what's needed is education for both teachers and students on the appropriate use of text messaging and other forms of social media.
What do you think? Should states continue to ban teacher-student texting to protect students, or is this just another instance of fear-mongering spurring big government interference in our personal lives?
