During my senior year when I was 17, I was a teacher’s aide. Which basically means I ran errands, was a tattle tale and I got a good grade for just being a gopher. I’d earned enough credits, so I could take a “nothing” hour in the middle of the day. It was for a popular, well-liked teacher. This teacher was terrific, I mean really terrific. I was serious with my first love at the time, who’d already graduated and I was just coasting through the year.
This teacher, over the time of about a year or two was priming me for seduction. Because I was young and oblivious, I didn’t see it that way. I felt safe. I felt special. I liked the attention, but it was a teacher. I was safe from it progressing to something dangerous, right?
Months after this “flirting” began, there was a kiss.
It shocked me and also excited me at the same time. An adult liked me! If you look at the situation honestly, this teacher didn’t like me at all, because they were really jeopardizing my well being in so many ways. They’d been been working hard over several weeks to set me up to see how far I would let things progress. Luckily, by way of I don’t know what; I never let it go farther. While I thought it was cool back then, it was really predatory and scary. I know that now.
There was such a push and pull back then in this situation with my teacher; I wanted the attention and I didn’t. I honestly thought this wasn’t happening to anyone else except for me, which I am sure isn’t true, because that isn’t how people who put you in danger work, is it?
As my young daughter grows up, part of the discussions are about appropriate attention; even if it feels good, that doesn’t make it right. More importantly, I instruct her to absolutely question the attention from a person who is older than her and in an authoritative role. I don’t want her fumbling her way through a similar situation like I did. I want her to recognize this kind of seduction for what it is: predatory.
About Julia Roberts
I know that feeling so well. Knowing that’s it’s a bad idea but kinda wanting it anyway. And then if you got it you just felt worse.
Total abuse of position.
Twitter Name: msmegan
Complete abuse and there I was a girl woman liking the attention.
Twitter Name: juliaroberts1
What a slime ball.
Yup. I wish I knew what this person was doing now. Just curious!
Twitter Name: juliaroberts1
Boy oh boy do I feel you on this one. It can be so confusing because part of you thinks that you are courting the attention, but in the end it is the adult that is responsible.
Twitter Name: Unknown Mami
Yes, it’s always the adult’s responsibility. It’s what we tell our kids and using the Sandusky case is a good conversation of real world time.
Twitter Name: juliaroberts1