By banning all communication between teachers and their students through email, messaging applications and phones after the school day is over, 11 prefectures and three cities in Japan are throwing the baby out with the bath water. That's the lesson many school districts in the United States have learned to their chagrin.
In the wake of 781 sex crimes committed by school employees against students in 2014, an investigation by the former chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Education found that 36 percent of teachers used social media to initiate or carry out their crimes.
Contrary to widespread belief, the teachers were male and female, as well as single and married. They were math teachers, choir directors, football coaches, and teachers of the year. Furthermore, the victims were male (38 percent) as well as female (62 percent).