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At the Eye of the Storm

An Academic('s) Experience of Moral Panic

University of Sheffield

The climate of moral panic that pertains around child abuse is such that any research that touches on children and sex is almost seen in itself to be abusive, with identity and career consequences for those who engage in it. In November 2005, an article that I had written some years earlier, Scandalous Stories and Dangerous Liaisons: When Female Pupils and Male Teachers Fall in Love, was misreported and misrepresented in the press and, during a period of 5 days, I became the focus of media attention throughout the world but particularly in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This article deals with my experiences of being at the heart of a moral panic and raises questions about research ethics and about academic freedom and voice.

Key Words: research ethics • moral panic • academic freedom • researching • sensitive issues

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