Academic seduction

Academic seduction is a type of sexual abuse which refers to the phenomenon of college professors having sexual relations with their students. Some studies report the frequency of sexual relations between students and professors at 10-13% of students [1]. It is similar to the phenomenon of therapist abuse and priest abuse [2].

It has been attributed to the psychological projection of status and authority on the professor by the student, and the professor's exploitation of their experience in psychological techniques of NLP or speed seduction , which were a fad for a time in western academia.

There is also a natural tendency for females of college age to develop crushes on authority figures [3], for perhaps sociobiological reasons.

It is a common theme in literature, for example:

• 'The History Man' a British novel that later was a BBC television film.

• 'Disgrace' by J. M. Coetzee, a novel about a South African literature professor whose career is ruined after he has an affair with a student.