Research and read the case about Debra LaFave, the middle school teacher from Central Florida who pled guilty in November to having sex with a 14-year-old student and received house arrest and probation. Does a double standard exist in these cases between a female and male offender?
From the case of Debra LaFave, there does appear to be a double standard as it relates to female sex offenders and their male counterparts. In the case of Debra LaFave she was provided certain benefits in her case that other men would not have received. For one LaFave only received probation for having sexual relations with a 14-year old boy. Similar cases with men would have resulting in jail and or prison time, but LaFave was able to avoid both of these punishments. Just earlier in the month, the Orlando chemistry teacher Dang Van Dinh was sentences to five years in prison for having sexual relations with his 15-year-old female students. In the case of LaFave however, the original plea bargain agreement was rejected. The press release from the judge cited that the plea agreement would undermine the integrity and credibility of the
…athletic, brave, and wealthy. Movies like James Bonds, or
. Women on the other hand are often expected to be feminine and provided for. Many of the more popular Disney princess movies use this stereotype. Over the years these archetypes often become engrained in the psyche of society both consciously and unconsciously.
The combination of these two elements ultimately resulted in LaFave having a much lighter sentence than Dang Van Dinh. Society appears to be much more sympathetic to LaFave who was very young, and attractive blonde as oppose to Dinh who was seen as a predator. These concepts and stereotypes are reflected in their sentencing which ultimately indicates a double standard in society…
