In a nationwide survey of members of APA Division 29 (Psychotherapy), which had a 48% return rate (N = 481), 10% of the respondents reported sexual contact as students with their educators; 13% reported entering sexual relationships as educators with their students. However, only 2% believed that such relationships could be beneficial to trainees and educators. Gender differences were significant: 16.5% of the women, compared with 3% of the men, reported sexual contact as students; however, 19% of the men, compared with 8% of the women, reported such contact as psychology educators; and 12% of the males, compared with 3% of the females, reported sexual contact as psychotherapists with their clients. Sexual contact in psychology training programs seems to be increasing: 25% of the recent female graduates had had sexual contact, compared with only 5% of those with degrees for more than 21 years. The literature on ethics, standards, research, theory, and practice leaves both psychology graduate students and those psychologists responsible for their education without clear expectations, information, or guidelines concerning sexual intimacy in psychology training. This article represents an attempt to raise the issue and to present some initial information.The purpose of this article is to raise some issues about sexual relationships between students and educators in psychology training programs and to present some relevant information. In spite of suspicion, rumor, and an occasional accusation, the possibility of psychologists engaging in sex with those toward whom they hold a professional responsibility went unacknowledged until recently, both by the profession as a whole and by the public. Within the last decade, a drastic change occurred, precipitated by numerous factors including the consumer movement, the feminist movement, sex therapy, insurance companies and other organizations urging psychology to put its house in order, and an occasional vocal advocate of such 682 • AUGUST 1979 • AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST
