Page 7 - Professsional Advisory: Professional Misconduct of a Sexual Nature

A Framework for Self-Reflection
Knowing professional limits and responsibilities
Members need to use their professional judgment and consider the implications and appearance
of an action or event thoroughly beforehand. This can be difficult when certain acts seem innocent, but may be determined later as a prelude to sexual abuse or sexual misconduct.
Members must maintain a sense of profes- sionalism at all times — in their personal and professional lives.
When interacting with students, avoid behaviours such as:
• becoming involved in their private lives
or allowing them to become involved in
your personal life
• seeing them in private situations. Ensure
classroom and office doors are open, that the student is not physically isolated from others, and that your interactions can be observed
• engaging in favouritism or behaviour that might be perceived as such11
• exchanging notes, comments, emails of a personal or intimate nature12
• following them on social media or allowing students to follow you13
• making telephone calls of a personal nature/providing students with personal contact information/encouraging them to call or video chat14
• texting students directly, unless approved by their parents15 and your employer
• engaging in personal communications outside school hours or frequently
• exchanging personal photographs via
social media or otherwise16
• asking students to keep certain things
secret from their parents or other staff • exchanging money or personal gifts17
• using terms of endearment or pet names18 • meeting outside of school for non-related
school events and/or unapproved purposes • hiring students for babysitting, building
and agricultural work or similar activities unless approved by parents and consistent with employer policies
• tutoring or providing lessons (for example, music, dance) outside school unless approved by the student’s parents and consistent with employer policies
• making sexually suggestive comments
11 A member allowed a female student to listen to music and eat food, privileges not given to other students
12 A member sent a student text messages in which he discussed his wife and daughter and sent photos of what he was doing while his wife was away
13 In one case, a member opened a social media account, accepted student followers, and then posted an inappropriate joke, which was seen by one of the student’s parents
14 For example, a member in one case exchanged cell phone numbers with a student to text and call each other
15 In this advisory, ‘parent’ means the student’s parent, legally appointed guardian, or any person in a custodial role such as adoptive parent, step-parent, or foster parent.
16 For example, a member sent a student naked images and videos of himself and asked the student to send him sexually explicit photos
17 For example, a member gave his student a scarf, a shirt, a watch, and a birthday card with chocolate
18 In a 2014 case, a member called his student “hon” or “cutie pie”
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY: PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT OF A SEXUAL NATURE 5