Kids just out of high school may legally be adults, but they’re not emotionally mature by any stretch. Their brains are still developing, and they’re not making very wise choices.
Professors are in a position of power over them. Even if it isn’t their professor, it may be someone who is a friend of their professor, works with them on a project, or serves with them on some committee. If a professor pressures a student into doing something sexual, can the student turn that professor down without ever worrying that it might affect his/her grades or graduation? If there’s a bad break-up, a professor could make all kinds of trouble for the student. A professor is in a position of relative power throughout the school, and a student is in a position of very little power. This is especially true if the professor has tenure and is very difficult to fire as a result.
Kids just out of high school may legally be adults, but they’re not emotionally mature by any stretch. Their brains are still developing, and they’re not making very wise choices.
Professors are in a position of power over them. Even if it isn’t their professor, it may be someone who is a friend of their professor, works with them on a project, or serves with them on some committee. If a professor pressures a student into doing something sexual, can the student turn that professor down without ever worrying that it might affect his/her grades or graduation? If there’s a bad break-up, a professor could make all kinds of trouble for the student. A professor is in a position of relative power throughout the school, and a student is in a position of very little power. This is especially true if the professor has tenure and is very difficult to fire as a result.