Aim: To investigate what Zagreb University students think about professor-student dating.
Methods: We surveyed 500 students from ten different Zagreb University schools using anonymous questionnaires. Twenty-five female and 25 male students from each school were asked to assess professor-student dating as either acceptable, reckless, unethical, or shameful, and decide how severely such behavior should be punished, if it should be punished at all. Sex of the professor and student was irrelevant.
Results: Students were equally strict towards the student and the professor. They judged professor-student dating more strictly if dating started before the student passed the exam in the subject taught by the professor than if it started afterwards. More female than male students had no opinion on whether the professor should be punished. When dating started after the student passed the exam, male students judged the student's behavior more strictly than female students; if the dating started before, the Economics students were stricter and the Music Academy students milder than average in their judgements. In the case when dating started after the student passed the exam, students of the Faculty of Physical Education judged both dating parties more strictly, Political Sciences students were milder toward a professor, whereas more students of the Faculty of Philosophy thought that it should be punished. Most students with no opinion on punishing dating were found among Agronomy students.
Conclusion: Most Zagreb University students think that professor-student dating should not be punished and that both dating parties take equal responsibility for such behavior.