{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T00:34:01Z","timestamp":1777854841131,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"19-20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,6]],"date-time":"2019-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1565049600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Interpers Violence"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Minimal research has examined sentencing outcomes in teacher\u2013student sexual abuse cases, while the research that has been conducted has primarily focused on gender and attractiveness. Furthermore, the body of literature examining how gender affects sentencing has contradictory findings. Age of the victim and number of victims may also play a role in sentencing outcomes. The current study aimed to better understand which factors (by examining how gender of the victim and defendant, age of the victim and defendant, and having multiple victims) are associated with sentencing outcomes in cases where teachers engage in inappropriate sexual relationships with students. The sentencing outcomes that were assessed include length of incarceration, likelihood of having to register as a sexual offender, and likelihood of being incarcerated. The current study reviewed 250 cases that were covered in the media between 2008 and 2010 that involved a defendant who was accused of sexual contact with a student whom they had contact with through their role as an educator or school staff member. Results indicate that defendant age, victim age, and whether there was one or multiple victims had significant implications for sentencing outcomes. An increase in victim age was associated with a decreased likelihood of incarceration, shorter incarceration lengths, and a decreased likelihood to be required to register as a sexual offender. An increase in defendant age was also associated with increased likelihood of incarceration. Furthermore, having multiple victims was associated with increased incarceration lengths. This study has implications for school policies and teacher training specific to building appropriate relationships and boundaries with students. Given the rise in reporting of sexual abuse cases between teachers and their students, implementing more comprehensive ethics training is paramount.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260519867152","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,7]],"date-time":"2019-08-07T02:45:52Z","timestamp":1565145952000},"page":"9328-9351","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Teacher\u2013Student Sexual Relationships: The Role of Age, Gender, and Multiple Victims on Incarceration and Registration Outcomes"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"36","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1352-9339","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victoria A.","family":"Knoche","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Nevada, Reno, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6256-8879","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kristan N.","family":"Russell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Nevada, Reno, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijlp.2011.04.001"},{"key":"bibr2-0886260519867152","volume-title":"The invisible woman: Gender, crime, and justice","author":"Belknap J.","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr3-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02535.x"},{"key":"bibr4-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Bowerman M. (2017, May 31). A look back at Mary Kay Letourneau and student-turned-husband Vili Fualaau\u2019s relationship. USA Today. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/nation-now\/2017\/05\/31\/look-back-mary-kay-letourneau-and-student-turned-husband-vili-fualaaus-relationship\/357605001\/"},{"key":"bibr5-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00401706.1962.10490038"},{"key":"bibr6-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J070v06n01_07"},{"key":"bibr7-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00980533"},{"key":"bibr8-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/691276"},{"key":"bibr9-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Cairns A. (2012, October 2). Hot for teacher: Gender bias in sentencing of teachers that have sex with their students. CLO: Campbell Law Observer. Retrieved from http:\/\/campbelllawobserver.com\/hot-for-teacher-gender-bias-in-sentencing-of-teachers-that-have-sex-with-their-students\/"},{"key":"bibr10-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Cal. Penal Code \u00a7 288."},{"key":"bibr11-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Cerullo M. (2018, April 10). Oklahoma teacher had sex with student before and after statewide school walkout. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/news\/crime\/oklahoma-teacher-arrested-raping-student-day-walkout-article-1.3926705"},{"key":"bibr12-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Chang J. (2017, September 15). Statesman exclusive: Improper teacher-student relationship cases soar. Statesman. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.statesman.com\/news\/20170915\/statesman-exclusive-improper-teacher-student-relationship-cases-soar"},{"key":"bibr13-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Christenson T. (2018, March 14). Marshall teacher arrested, accused of having sex with student. Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.battlecreekenquirer.com\/story\/news\/2018\/03\/14\/marshall-teacher-arrested-accused-having-sex-student\/425403002\/"},{"key":"bibr14-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0011128703256265"},{"key":"bibr15-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07418829500092601"},{"key":"bibr16-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13218710902930291"},{"key":"bibr17-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/B:SERS.0000011075.91908.98"},{"key":"bibr18-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1557085111430214"},{"key":"bibr19-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2005.12.009"},{"key":"bibr20-0886260519867152","first-page":"142","volume":"35","author":"Frketic K.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Alternative Law Journal"},{"key":"bibr21-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J070v10n03_04"},{"key":"bibr22-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13218719.2012.728428"},{"key":"bibr23-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022381608080316"},{"key":"bibr24-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Goldenberg S. (2006, March 23). Too pretty for prison. The Guardian. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2006\/mar\/24\/usa.gender"},{"key":"bibr25-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-9125.2006.00067.x"},{"key":"bibr26-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J070v15n02_02"},{"key":"bibr27-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Helling S. (2017, October 19). Inside the life of Debra Lafave, the notorious Florida teacher who had sex with a student. People. Retrieved from http:\/\/people.com\/crime\/debra-lafave-florida-teacher-sex-scandal-her-life-now\/"},{"key":"bibr28-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00224540903510837"},{"key":"bibr29-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10538712.2010.495047"},{"key":"bibr30-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0887403412468884"},{"key":"bibr31-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1745-9125.12047"},{"key":"bibr32-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2013.804603"},{"key":"bibr33-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01544756"},{"key":"bibr34-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063215597646"},{"key":"bibr35-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Miller J. R. (2018, March 26). Teacher allegedly performed oral sex on 13-year-old in school. New York Post. Retrieved from https:\/\/nypost.com\/2018\/03\/26\/teacher-allegedly-performed-oral-sex-on-13-year-old-in-class\/"},{"key":"bibr36-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Mulligan K. (2014). Ideological resilience and disruption: Reproducing and resisting gender and racial inequality in cases of teacher sexual misconduct. Retrieved from https:\/\/escholarship.org\/content\/qt2b2653cv\/qt2b2653cv.pdf"},{"key":"bibr37-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Mulligan K. (2015). Educator Sexual Misconduct Database 2008\u20132010 (ICPSR36137-v1) [Data file]. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.icpsr.umich.edu\/icpsrweb\/ICPSR\/studies\/36137\/version\/1"},{"key":"bibr38-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00223980109603677"},{"key":"bibr39-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10538712.2011.541356"},{"key":"bibr40-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/268971"},{"key":"bibr41-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1540-6237.2006.00383.x"},{"key":"bibr42-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Saletan W. (2006, January 16). Teacher\u2019s pets? Are teachers sleeping with boys getting off? Slate News. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.slate.com\/id\/2134158"},{"key":"bibr43-0886260519867152","author":"Simmon C.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sentencing disparities between male and female teacher sexual offenders: Do male offenders receive harsher penalties in Arizona?"},{"key":"bibr44-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avb.2016.09.007"},{"key":"bibr45-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/car.737"},{"key":"bibr46-0886260519867152","volume-title":"Using multivariate statistics","author":"Tabachnick B. G.","year":"2014","edition":"6"},{"key":"bibr47-0886260519867152","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2013, October). Crime in the United States, 2012. Retrieved from https:\/\/ucr.fbi.gov\/crime-in-the-u.s\/2012\/crime-in-the-u.s.2012\/resource-pages\/about-cius\/about-cius"},{"key":"bibr48-0886260519867152","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1478601X.2012.729707"},{"key":"bibr49-0886260519867152","unstructured":"Weaver H. (2017, May 30). Mary Kay Letourneau and former student end their 12-year marriage. Vanity Fair. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/2017\/05\/mary-kay-letourneau-and-vili-fualaau-separate"},{"key":"bibr50-0886260519867152","volume-title":"Teacher-student relationships: Crossing into the emotional, physical, and sexual realms","author":"Zarra E. J.","year":"2013"},{"key":"bibr51-0886260519867152","first-page":"15","volume":"3","author":"Zarra E. J.","year":"2016","journal-title":"CLEARvoz Journal"}],"container-title":["Journal of Interpersonal Violence"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0886260519867152","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/0886260519867152","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0886260519867152","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T23:16:36Z","timestamp":1777504596000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0886260519867152"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,6]]},"references-count":51,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19-20","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/0886260519867152"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0886260519867152","relation":{},"ISSN":["0886-2605","1552-6518"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0886-2605","type":"print"},{"value":"1552-6518","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,6]]}}}