Teacher Student relationships

[ririruetoo]

I think this is a very interesting topic. It's usually used in most otome/bishoujo games ( okay not ALL, but some of the ones I've played have *Tokimeki Memorial*). Of course it's a fantasy, most people would not date their teachers and those that do get in major trouble ( in America at least, I'm not sure how it is for other countries). Also, in most games, the student dates the teacher with no backlash ( either from other adults or students) they usually face no moral dilemma and the student never stops and think of the consequences. So, my question is: Do you think it's right for a game to have the option to date a teacher? And if so, is there something ethically wrong with that? Do you think if there is a game with a obtainable teacher they should actually think of the long reaching consequences of they're actions, or get in trouble with a school official? Or do you think it's fine? ( Okay that's more than one question, so pick which ones you want to answer.)

*My thoughts on the matter*- I do enjoy games that feature a obtainable teacher character. Of course in real life I would NEVER EVER consider dating my own. I really wish games would be more realistic in their motral of student teacher relationships, actually having to face other adults and school officals due to their liaisons. Of course the reason I enjoy those games so much ( Himuro anyone? >:) ) is because of there unrealistic portrayal of the relationships ( Theres no way in hell my parents would let me go on *dates* with my teacher) and I do enjoy taboo relationships ( except for incest...That's freaking gross!) Sometimes though it irks me, like really? No one cares you go on dates with your teacher? ( I have more to say, but I want to see your answers to the topic first.)

[Camille]

In Starry Sky, you get to date teachers in the Autumn game. In one of the routes, you get found out by a student and it gets reported to the PTA and stuff so you guys have to break up until you graduate or something. D: In the other teacher route, the moral dilemma thing comes up a lot since he's like 10 years older than the MC. (the third doesn't count because he's only a student teacher and still in college, only 21 years old 8D)

People obviously do fall in love with their teachers and whatnot. It happens in real life, too. So it doesn't really bother me as long as it's portrayed somewhat realistically. (well even if it isn't, it's sort of a guilty pleasure kind of relationship, anyway XD) I think even in games like TokiMemo, you have to be discrete about it and not flaunt your relationship.

[Efreet]

In a game, anything should be possibe as it's a fictional world and is therefore fantasy or escapism if you wish. So I would think it's interesting if a game offers you the option to date a teacher, not that I would have one in real life. Is it ethically wrong? Yes and no, in an idealistic world your relationship with whoever shouldn't be judged by age, gender, colour or role. It could be considered wrong on the teachers part because he or she would be taking advantage of the student and abusing their role as a teacher. Realtionships between students and teachers do happen in real life, sometimes you only hear about it after the student has left school and other times they get caught. Though it would seem that in the cases where they're caught there's usually sex involved...

The fictional examples I know with teacher-student relationships each have different takes and values to the situation, in Card Captor Sakura her father who was a teacher fell in love and married a student who was 17. Everyone remembers their relationship fondly (well except the her mother's friend) and he has a different job. In Negima (or even that other one with a child teacher) Negi is a 12 year old teacher and is constantly attacked upon by his female students. Obviously you can't take it seriously. The only other thing I know is the manga Kodomo no Jikan in which the teacher is obviously aware of his students advancements towards him and his responsibilities as a teacher - looking past all the fanservice it does raise issues with teacher to student relationships.

[seven idiots]

I think it's silly to try and police other people's fantasies, because at the end of the day they hurt no one. Fiction is a reflection on fantasy and so it too hurts no one, even if said fantasy can be skeevy to certain people.

IRL? I would be worried about how consensual the relationship is. It's really difficult to prove if it is or isn't so I'd have to take the younger person's word, but if there's a scenario where say it's absolutely certain that this relationship isn't forced or uncomfortable within itself, that's awesome! Continue on, be happy! There's nothing inherently wrong with an odd partnership.

[Mink]

I think the main problem is the fact it'd, you know, most likely be an underage student and an older teacher. I mean, in a game, it's not really that big of a deal, being a game. In fact, in

Magical Diary there's a part where you could end up married to one of your teachers.

I specifically went for that, because I was wondering, "What in the WORLD led to that sequence of events??"

And...ehhh...this is kind of (read: really) awkward topic for me, since that actually happened to someone I actually *knew*. She was 16, he was 46. I get that whole 'maybe it was really consensual for everyone involve' thing, but there's still the fact she was only 16. Maybe she agreed/wanted this without any coercion, but I don't think we should be like, "She's underage? Welp, long as she's okay with it! Feel free to go after underage girls!"* (Yes, that's kind of an exaggeration, but that's the point)

Also, it's even *more* awkward when this same man always weirded you out, and tried to be a bit too friendly and talk to you a bit too much. But you're like, hey, maybe it's just me. I guess it wasn't. ...And NOW I'm having a flashback to high school. Great. D:

*Or boys; that applies to them too. Even though sometimes people only seem concerned when it's a female student.

[ririruetoo]

Actually I've never heard of a female student/male teacher in real life ( maybe in other countries...) whenever I watch programs on the subject it's always male student/female teacher. Which I guess makes sense what with hormones and all that.

[Mink]

Huh, really? Because that's happened at my high school at least twice.

...That school should probably check out their teachers better. >x>

[ririruetoo]

@Mink

Creepy! I don't think anything like that has ever happened at my old high school...Well one of the male teachers made the football team or something work out in their underwear ( that was around 20 or so years ago, and the teacher is still substitue teaching there...)

[Mink]

Yes, it is indeed creepy beyond belief. And I'm now paranoid about older men being nice to me; I immediately flashback to that teacher from high school.

Though, as I stated before, when it's a game...well, it's a game. Don't get me wrong, I reserve the right to be critical of things in games (be it teacher/student, loli/shota, the fact that the game Rapelay exists), but hey. I play plenty of violent video games, like Prototype, Dark Sector, Dead Space, etc. That doesn't mean I'm going to go out and do something seriously illegal. Or any kind of illegal. You know what I mean. 8|

[LVUER]

I think this is a very interesting topic. It's usually used in most otome/bishoujo games ( okay not ALL, but some of the ones I've played have *Tokimeki Memorial*). Of course it's a fantasy, most people would not date their teachers and those that do get in major trouble ( in America at least, I'm not sure how it is for other countries).

There are lots of students that ends up marrying their own teacher here ^_^ Pssst... that is one of my reason why I become a teacher... but that's a secret, `k?

Also, in most games, the student dates the teacher with no backlash ( either from other adults or students)...

In some games, those are the main point of the story. In one VN (forget the title), the main character is separated forcefully from the heroine (a teacher) since they was found out of having a relationship. The heroine almost got fired and the protagonist almost got expelled from the school.

...they usually face no moral dilemma and the student never stops and think of the consequences.

Well, I doubt a young student will ever think about that ^_^ I don't know about the teacher though... I mean s/he should since s/he's already an adult...

So, my question is: Do you think it's right for a game to have the option to date a teacher? And if so, is there something ethically wrong with that? Do you think if there is a game with a obtainable teacher they should actually think of the long reaching consequences of they're actions, or get in trouble with a school official? Or do you think it's fine? ( Okay that's more than one question, so pick which ones you want to answer.)

*My thoughts on the matter*- I do enjoy games that feature a obtainable teacher character. Of course in real life I would NEVER EVER consider dating my own. I really wish games would be more realistic in their motral of student teacher relationships, actually having to face other adults and school officals due to their liaisons. Of course the reason I enjoy those games so much ( Himuro anyone? >:) ) is because of there unrealistic portrayal of the relationships ( Theres no way in hell my parents would let me go on *dates* with my teacher) and I do enjoy taboo relationships ( except for incest...That's freaking gross!) Sometimes though it irks me, like really? No one cares you go on dates with your teacher? ( I have more to say, but I want to see your answers to the topic first.)

I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a game and sometimes it's good to have "unrealistic" situation since you can enjoy it without having to suffer the consequences.

[HikkiPanda]

come on, murder is allowed in game, right? so why ban student-teacher marriage? It's illogical! Plus, the marriage is usually happen after the student graduate and old enough to get marriage, right o:?

not to mention that those dateable high school/college teacher are usually bishies and pretty young ... . so no pedophilia involved

my college teacher married his ex-student, everyone support them o: (their age difference is probably about 10 years)

[manga_otaku]

Like most, studentxteacher relationships are morally looked down upon and most countries ban these relationships from happening (well I know England has this ban.... In some mangas that I've read in order for the teacherxstudent relationship to work, they either:
1) Sneak behind everyone else
2) Blackmail people who find out
3) Wait until graduation
4) Get fired/expelled But this isn't necessarily a good way either
In reality it may be looked down upon, but in games it's just something which satisfies our fantasies of getting together with hunky/hot/sexy male or female teachers in which would be very unlikely in reality

In Negima (or even that other one with a child teacher) Negi is a 12 year old teacher and is constantly attacked upon by his female students.

I must say unless they made him older in the anime, he is 10 years old and this was under the lunar calendar (or whatever it was) so officially in the manga he was nine...O.O

[ririruetoo]

@HikkiPanda

College student romance with a teacher is more acceptable than a high school teacher.(At least that's how I've always pictured it anyways...)

@manga_otaku

Ugh! I don't like Negima in the first place! This gives me even more reason to not like it!

[Mink]

I imagine college student/teacher relationships might be a *bit* more acceptable, because if you're in college you're probably not jail bait. However, there's still that whole 'position of power' thing. I mean, let's say a person is secretly dating a college professor, but not just so, you know, they get better grades or something. Okay, fine. Whatever. But let's say they want to stop dating that person, but the professor doesn't want to. In theory, that professor could completely screw that student over. You know, start failing them, etc. If the person decided to tell, who's to say that the school would believe the professor that it was for grades? Sure, the teacher might get fired, but then the student might get kicked out of school, because I would think 'sleeping with/dating your professor for grades' would constitute cheating.

So, yeah. If you think about, dating your teacher probably just isn't a good a idea. Actually, that could go for anyone who has a position of power over you. But would it really be *that* hard to just date them *after* you graduate?

[ririruetoo]

True. But then most people who date their teachers in College are probley 'doing it' ( literally perhaps?) for a good grade....But this is not always the case.