Blurred boundaries: The schoolteachers who cross the line with their pupils

Teachers have been struck off for behaviour including drunken bondage sessions with pupils, “sordid” lesbian affairs and sexually explicit discussions in class – all in the past month.
It seems the most basic of rules that teachers should never abuse their position of trust by engaging in an intimate relationship with a pupil. But if this is the case, then why are so many teachers falling into the trap?
This week Lisa Manship became the latest teacher to appear before the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW), accused of having an “inappropriate” relationship with a pupil she messaged on Facebook.
The RE teacher, who taught at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Blackwood, would regularly refer to the pupil as “chick”, “little sis” and gossiped about other pupils she taught, even referring to “humping” one
.
She was given an 18-month suspension order which sees Ms Manship removed from the register of qualified teachers in Wales for a year and a half.
The panel were told she was going through a “tough time” in her personal life.
While in this case there was no sexual or romantic motive, others have been more serious with teachers entering into relationships with their pupils.
Forensic psychologist Nicola Bowes said such behaviour was likely to be motivated by factors such as a deviant sexual interest or a struggle to cope with personal problems, such as the breakdown of a personal relationship.
She said a teacher may be hypersexual – meaning he or she experiences extremely frequent or suddenly increased sexual urges – or lastly, the teacher could be seeking to assert his or her power.
Ms Bowes, who is a senior lecturer and programme director in forensic psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: “It is likely to be a complex mixture of these factors all coming together. That might mean life stress, a general dissatisfaction with adult relationships, or a specific desire to start a relationship with a child. There might be all sorts of things going on.”
In many of the cases that have been heard in the last six months, social media has played a key role, such as the case of 28-year-old drama teacher Lindsay Black.
She sent “inappropriate” Facebook messages to a teenage pupil, telling him she wanted to meet up for sex.
Ms Bowes said: “The internet creates a distance and a detachment, which encourages people to engage in forms of behaviour they would not normally engage in if they were clearly visible.
“There is a degree of anonymity that dilutes responsibility. Social media makes that initial contact very easy and when the initial contact no longer fulfils the need, it is taken to the next level.”
This was also evident in the case of 31-year-old Claire Horton, who began exchanging Facebook messages with a teenage pupil while he was on revision leave.
The former head of year at Cardiff’s Fitzalan High School then arranged to meet up with the pupil and took him back to her home, where she admitted “sleeping” with him.
Six Welsh teachers who had inappropriate relationships with their pupils

• An RE teacher was this week given an 18-month suspension order for developing an inappropriate friendship with a vulnerable pupil she messaged on Facebook. Lisa Manship, who taught at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Blackwood, began messaging the girl on the site in November 2009 until July 2011. In conversations, Ms Manship would regularly refer to the pupil as “chick”, “little sis” and gossiped about other pupils she taught, even referring to “humping” one.
• A secondary school teacher who was accused of encouraging pupils to take part in bondage sessions at his Newport home while supplying them with drink and drugs was struck off indefinitely last month. The hearing was told  Mr Bevan supplied the boys with drugs, alcohol, and occasionally cash. Mr Bevan, who suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2009, resigned from his post at Risca Commmunity Comprehensive School in October 2012.
• A science teacher from Hengoed who started a lesbian relationship with a 14-year-old pupil was jailed for two years last month. Rachel Morag Speed, now 41, who taught at Fairwater High School in Cwmbran, denied what prosecutors described as a “sordid” five-year affair but a jury found her guilty of indecent assault and sexual activity while committing a breach of trust. She was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and was told a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, keeping her away from children, would last indefinitely.

Claire Horton

• A head of year at Cardiff’s Fitzalan High School was banned from teaching indefinitely last month for having an “inappropriate” relationship with a pupil, who was 15 years her junior. Claire Louise Horton, 31, resigned after admitting to the headteacher that she had slept alongside a 16-year-old pupil, who had recently sat his GCSEs. A panel heard Mrs Horton had been going through “an acrimonious divorce” at the time she started exchanging Facebook messages with the pupil.
• Drama teacher Lindsay Black, 28, was struck off last month after she sent “inappropriate” sexual Facebook messages to a teenage pupil – telling  the sixth form pupil she wanted to meet up for sex with him. A disciplinary panel also heard she also had “inappropriate and sexually explicit” talks with her drama class at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School in Newport. She asked her class: “Who’s a virgin?” and made pupils stand up if they hadn’t had sex.

Teacher Emma Ager, 34

 

• A hearing in June was told how, Emma Louise Ager, 34, was teaching at Rhymney Comprehensive School when she allegedly had regular sex sessions with a 16-year-old pupil. In a text message, she told the youngster he would be “a legend” among his friends. Ms Ager denied the allegations but was permanently struck off all UK teaching registers by a disciplinary panel.

A union officer has said that social media is becoming more of a problem and guidance should be re-visited.
Owen Hathway, Wales policy officer for the National Union of Teachers, said: “The use of social media is becoming an increasing issue for teachers. 
“It may be worth looking at how guidance can be strengthened, or at least better publicised to teachers, particularly those new to the profession.”
He added the union had introduced specific courses for members in the process of completing teacher training, in an attempt to raise the profile of potential professional concerns in the area.
Lindsay Black and Claire Horton were not the only female teachers accused of having inappropriate relationships with their pupils.
In fact, five out of six teachers appearing before the GTCW at recent hearings were women, which Ms Bowes was “surprising.”
 “If we draw a parallel with sexual offending, the most recent figures indicate that 99% of convicted sexual offenders were men,” she said.
The forensic psychologist suggested that this type of behaviour is not occurring more frequently than it did in the past, but believes that parents are becoming “more savvy” to the dangers of social media.
She also believes the use of Facebook and Twitter in the development of relationships has made it easier to gather evidence and secure convictions.
In addition, Ms Bowes cited “the Jimmy Savile effect”, which triggered a rise in the number of cases of sexual abuse reported to the authorities, and believes this may also have prompted pupils to speak out about inappropriate contact with their teachers.
She said: “The processes are in place to safeguard children, but when it comes to CRB checks, we can only protect them from people we know have previously engaged in that sort of behaviour.”
She added: “It is important to stress that this is a tiny minority of teachers. The vast majority work hard to enrich their pupils lives. We must not single teachers out because any profession has a proportion of people who will abuse a position of trust to offend.”
Mr Hathway of the NUT said: “Teachers are aware that it is essential to build a relationship with pupils to be able to get the best results for their education.
“However, the appropriateness of those relationships are always something practitioners are careful to monitor.”
He added: “The vast majority of teachers are exceptionally vigilant that there are no blurred lines. Only an extremely small minority of cases appear before the GTCW which are by no way a reflection of how the wider profession operate.
“There are actually a far higher number of malicious accusations made against teachers which prove to be false than any that are genuine.
“Teachers are mindful of the regulations and guidance that governs their code of conduct and are always cautious to uphold it.”