Our blind spot for female sexual predators is putting teenage boys at risk

Article here. Excerpt:

'A 30-year-old PE teacher convicted of multiple sexual offences against a 16-year-old boy; a 34-year-old music teacher whose 13-year-old pupil fathered her child; a 31-year-old maths teacher jailed for having sex with two teenage students, one whose baby she gave birth to. A string of recent cases has brought the concerning issue of sexual misconduct by female teachers into the public spotlight.

As a senior lecturer in criminology and justice, my work has increased understanding of how and why some female teachers sexually abuse students. It has made it clear that a gender blindness can make it hard to recognise some women as perpetrators, which can lead to devastating results.

My research has highlighted how we need to be alert to any signs of concern in the relationships between female teachers and students in the same way as those of male teachers. Although every case involving female perpetrators is unique, some common patterns have emerged in the research.'