If your teacher yells at you..have sex

Source: The Australian

STUDENTS are more likely to have sex before the age of 14 if they have been verbally abused by teachers, a Canadian study has found.

The study, which followed 312 children from kindergarten to age 23 in a rural Quebec town, found those who shouted at, harshly criticised or embarrassed by teachers during primary school had an increased risk of early sexual intercourse, thestar.com reported.

The study’s lead author, Mara Brengden, said verbally abused students, especially girls, turned to sex to boost their self esteem.

She said between 10 and 15 per cent of children were regularly abused by teachers.

These students often disengaged from normal expectations and many turned to generalised delinquency, Ms Brengden said.

“(Often) it’s the same children who are delinquent, who take drugs who also engage in risky sexual behaviour,” she said.

“The girls seem to suffer more from these negative social experiences.”

The study, which began assessing children in 1986, was funded by grants from the federal and Quebec governments.