55 year old female Reader interested in teenage boys

Jeez ! Turn the tables and a man would be absolutely vilified! Report her !
He may think he will get a better result if he appeases her !

At risk of harm or exploitation covers everything from radicalisation to mental illness to discrimination, prejudice, harassment…

Sexual harassment will also be covered by policies regarding harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct.

Huh. Apparently we have one too.
It mentions that it applies to "individuals at risk", which is defined, and looks to me like "vulnerable adults" - which isn't every adult, and is frankly a term I think is associated with students too much. For example, "vulnerable to radicalisation", it implies the student didn't decide to plot a bomb threat, they were forced into it.

All unis have safeguarding policies for adults at risk of harm or exploitation.

Eg: Students, staff and visitors to the University have the right to learn and work in a positive environment that is free from harm and all forms of prejudice, harassment, discrimination and bullying

https://www.london.ac.uk/about/policies/core-policies/safeguarding

Under any circumstances?

What if you were supervising a group of students at an overseas event, for example? What means of communication would you use?

Safeguarding isn't a duty of academic staff.
Research ethics, yes, not discriminating against students with disabilities i.e. providing reasonable accommodations, yes, also standards and benchmarking in academic terms, are our degrees worth what we say they are? Are students using AI or learning to write?

There are those on this thread clutching their pearls about gasp sharing a taxi with another adult. And socialising with a student. Horrors.

It seems though that this academic has not breached the university standards, only been unpleasant. So a quiet word might be in order. I have a feeling she might have done so at our place, but others seem to have crazy rules about what time you send emails, so I guess ours take the middle road.

(By the way if anyone wants to PM me about who this is I'm all ears, and very discreet...)

Cannot agree more. I can't imagine taking a job where safeguarding is a duty and then turning a blind eye because you're worried it might make your mate sad.

If you're really as close as you say, and spend weekends together, I'm at a loss to know why you can't talk to her.

You're worried enough to ask here but as a grown woman, also a lecturer, you can't bring yourself to discuss this.

Are you in your 50s too?

Why come to a forum when it's in your power to bring this up?

Even in a light hearted way you could tell her you're uneasy about the way she talked about this student and if she understands the consequences.

HE could even raise a complaint if he felt she was overstepping the mark.

holy trinity

It's not the age difference per se. But. Add in the power differential, the trust, the innocence and inexperience and it becomes grooming.

???

Whut?

My immediate reaction was "that's up to her".
But NO.
He's one of her students so they are both in the wrong and you probably have a duty to report it.

@Takemebacktowhen in that case don’t do anything but maybe keep your distance in case something inevitably hits the fan

This. ^ In spades. What a gross hideous woman. She needs reporting @Takemebacktowhen

I'm a 50 year old woman, my son and nephews are all teens / early 20s. This is beyond gross, abusive, misuse of power and also racist (the fetishistic aspect of an 'ethnicity she is attracted to'). She needs an intervention. The idea that in 2 years I will be sending my children to pay £9k a year to be exposed to these nasty predators (male & female) who hold their career and future in their hands is repellent. Academic privilege seems to mean a lot of abusive behaviour is condoned.

There should be policies around safeguarding

KCSIE doesn't apply to 18+ and the Care Act 2014 only applies to vulnerable over 18s.

You'd need to appraise yourself of the uni's codes of conduct and reporting practices if you were going to go down that route.

Morally, it's not great. Legally there's nothing to stop her, although I wonder if her view of his ethnic background might actually be more frowned upon then her fancying him.

OP, look at it this way. She is already (by inviting him out) putting him in a position that he might feel he can’t decline, in case turning her down causes her to treat him disfavourably eg by marking his work down. Now what if she makes a sexual pass at him… it’s a terrible situation with the power imbalance because he may well not want to sleep with her at all but he will feel the pressure of her being his lecturer and how refusing her advances could cause her to fail him in his studies. That’s one reason why it’s a terrible abuse of power and shouldn’t be allowed. It’s a reason why there are rules in workplace where staff are in a position of power (eg teaching or coaching or guidance) to protect those even if over 18.

It doesn't matter that she's a friend. The safety of the young person should take priority. Nor would I want to he friends with someone who thinks it's acceptable to fantasise over someone almost 40 years their junior. Have you seen 18 year olds? They're babies! This woman is grotesque. She's about my mother's age and if my mum told me she had a thing for someone who's age meant they could be sitting in my classroom, I'd cut her out of my life because I would be ashamed to be associated with someone so disgusting.

This is disgusting but unless you were shocked speechless I would have said something right there. As a mother of teens my skin is crawling to hear about this. I hope she gets the sack soon. The sad part is that predators would be doing jobs close to where can act. Of course is not just a fantasy she is planning to act on this.

Academic here. This is very very gray territory (and yes it’s deeply inappropriate). I would talk to your HoD. This isn’t fantasy. This woman has booked to go on a date with an individual student. That is the red line that has been crossed.
Also if she’s teaching him currently then she can’t bestow this favouritism on one people.
So there are ethical and safeguarding concerns.

Its an abuse of power situation, in that she is a member of staff and should in no way be seeking a one to one relationship with an 18yo that she teaches. As others state, it’s #metoo all over again, just with an older woman/younger man. It’s gross misconduct in most teaching establishments and, yes, utterly creepy. I’m afraid I would report her and break contact.

'@lmholtzWatson · Today 05:26

Lecturer here. Personally I'd stay out of it.'

Then you are in the wrong job.

She is abusing her position of power and a 55 year old targeting an 18 year old in her workplace is not acceptable.

Would you 'stay out of it' if it was a male lecturer targeting female teenage students?

OP, distance yourself from this woman and report your concerns to the university, even if you just do it anonymously.

That would be the end of the friendship for me. I'd also report her predatory behavior.