Student/Faculty love relationships. Your opinions?

Lately the idea of the student/professor relationship has transformed from an often accepted notion to just a big "no-no". Many state that these types of relationships cannot be anything but unequal in power, this power of course being assigned to the professor. The example of the young, vunerable, and misguided stary-eyed student falling for her power-infused, charismatic professor paints the idea that these relationships are abusive and plain wrong, no matter the circimstances or results. But I am left to ask, Why is it that those who suscribe to this line of reasoning instantly assume that all students, reguardless of age or experience, are in fact inexperienced, vunerable, unable to maintain control over their emotions or psychological state? Why must all students, male and female, be forbidden to follow earnest interest in another simply due to occupational status? Yes of course there are instances of abuse, But as far as consentual relationships are concerned, why all pessimism?

Student/Faculty love relationships. Your opinions?
I'm assuming the student is at least the age of consent... If so, then the real issue becomes one of power. There are many cases in which a relationship may not be a healthy or ethical one, particularly if one party is wielding undue influence over the other, using a position of power to push a relationship beyond the bonds of normal consent, etc. It's not just professor / student relationships that may create these types of problems - it's also boss / subordinate, client / vendor, etc. In many cases, these types of relationships are prohibited by the employer (in your case, the university) in an attempt to prevent these types of issues from occuring (better safe than sorry).





Of course the relationship can work the other way as well. A student may be using the relationship in an attempt to exact good grades, favorable treatment, or something else. And, even if the relationship was a healthy one, there's a risk of one party exposing the other or threatening to do so should things not work out.

teeth grills