Researching Sex and Lies in the Classroom: Allegations of Sexual Misconduct in Schools

ISBN-13: 9780415481175 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 164 str.

Pat Sikes;Heather Piper

Opis

Within the Western world as a whole, recent years have seen a number of high profile cases of alleged sexual abuse of children. Some of these cases have involved families, family friends and/or paedophile rings, while in others, people with responsibility for youngsters, such as carers, priests and teachers, have been implicated. Evidence suggests that there has been an alarming rise in the number of false allegations of abuse made against teachers working in schools and the fallout from being falsely accused is far-reaching and sometimes tragic. Many people in this position cannot sustain family relationships, have breakdowns, and are, for a number of reasons, unable to return to the classroom when their ordeal is over. Statistics show that a ‘significant number of people resign after an allegation is made against them’ regardless of the veracity of the accusation.

This book draws on in-depth, qualitative research exploring the experiences, perceptions and understandings of those who have been falsely accused of sexual misconduct with pupils or young people, and of others affected by or involved in, the accusation process (e.g. family members, friends, colleagues). As well as presenting the findings in a storied, often shocking form, the book also discusses the dilemmas and difficulties the authors themselves have faced researching this field. These include:

• ethical and methodological concerns around whether or not the teachers had indeed been falsely accused or were guilty and were taking advantage of our project to construct an alternative, innocent identity;
• the difficulty of obtaining institutional ethical clearance to undertake and also to publish research which challenges taken for granted tenets;
• the reluctance of funders to support research in controversial and sensitive areas.

These research-related experiences and the authors reflections upon them have implications far beyond the topic. They also raise general questions about the surveillance and control of research and academic freedom and voice. As the authors point out, ethical research is of paramount importance and it is the role of a just society to support attempts to seek to ensure that research participants, and researchers themselves, are protected from harm and distress.

Spis treści

@contents:  Selected Contents: Chapter 1 Why we have done this research and written this book  Chapter 2 Immoral Panics  Chapter 3 ‘A courageous proposal, but … this would be a high risk study’: Ethics Review Procedures, Risk and Censorship  Chapter 4 Truths and Stories  Chapter 5 ‘Confused, angry and actually betrayed: It was time to get out’  Chapter 6 Timpson versus Regina  Chapter 7 ‘How do you tell teenage children that their father’s been accused of sexual abuse?’  Chapter 8 It didn’t take long for the rumour mill to start grinding  Chapter 9 Nobody can prove anything for definite  Chapter 10 EndWords  Notes  References