Private School Abuse denotes a wide-range of criminal and lurid actions commonly committed against students by school faculty members, administrators or employees regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault can be a one-time, non-consensual abuse or it can include numerous assaults within an ongoing interaction. For example, an ongoing intimate encounter with a student, created by the predatory actions of a faculty member, school administrator or employee and whether leading to physical agreed sex acts or not, is a form of abuse.
Student on student sexual assault is another form of abuse, that might be made worse by the school’s negligence to offer a safe environment that allowed the attack to occur. Within the school community are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be exposed to the predatory behavior of older, more mature students. This actions, coupled with peer-pressure exerted to both the attacker and the targeted victim, could lead to varying forms of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all reported Boarding School Assault situations, a school administration’s failure to completely, immediately report the assault to law enforcement and other authorities, or its additional negligence to research, address and deal fully with the matter amplifies the effects on the victim, the school population and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the media highlight these failures, including matters where the perpetrator quietly departs the campus only to assume working somewhere else in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior Many private schools pride themselves on their tiny, personal communities inside a well-defined and secure campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are frequently much nearer and familiar with students than might be expected in a non-boarding school situation. This could provide both opportunity and cover to the would-be abuser and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the attacker might be a likeable and popular individual, generally considered to be a enhancement to the school community. A targeted victim may feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community is expressing special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration in the school community, abuse allegations against these predators are frequently met with distrust, disbelief, and resistance from the community. Frequesntly, abusers have boundary and morality problems which turn into oddly friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are commonly anticipated. This provides a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
Most abusers, to varying amounts, employ predatory methods that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming behaviors exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority in relation to the student.
Grooming Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small amounts of students, understanding each student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a target is identified and chosen, these vulnerabilities – like loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically exploited in the following manners:
Trust
A predator could first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to realize as boarding school communities are often tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the predator is likely part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellness and achievement at the school. Reliance As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student will start to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the predator is leveraging and fulfilling. The victim might spend more time with the predator, feeling more and more comfortable with the relationship. Additionally to attention and kindness, the potential victim might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, presents such as the promise of high marks, or a college recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually when the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming progresses, the predator will work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean late meetings, tutoring sessions, meetings in the dormitory , one-on-one sports training sessions, or other such circumstances. Sexualization The predator will start to desensitize the student from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This could begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive language to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will escalate until the relationship transforms to one of a physical, sexual nature. Maintenance Once the sexual relationship is created, the predator may work to maintain control of the student and the continuing abuse. The predator will likely try to manipulate the student by introducing feelings of guilt, or even threats, or employ the opposite strategy of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. In abuse in boarding school , the predator might keep trying to exploit the victim with means available to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Survivors
While the grooming escalates as intended by the predator, the victim, being made to feel special, will likely respond positively to the actions. The predator, from these well planned and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-work and reduce the moral confines of the targeted student. Because the victim participated in this re-calibration, she frequently has deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Furthermore, after the abuse has been reported, victims of boarding school abuse are frequently exposed to discreet social pressure and intimidation, such as bullying, alienation from their peers, or retaliation from staff. Especially at boarding schools, where education is rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, survivors of abuse may be readily isolated and socially abused. Subjected to those reactions, many boarding school abuse survivors that have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of the isolation and social abuse, report the abuse a while later. In either situation, the legacy can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse victims deal with from long-term effects of the abuse that include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, and trouble creating and keeping healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups may assist survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse could receive financial compensation from the abuser and more commonly, from the school for its failure to protect the student from the predator, as well as failures or negligence in its process of reviewing and responding to the survivor’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially share your situation and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are ready to speak with you. It is important for a survivor to realize that being a victim is not your fault. The attorneys at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those responsible for the assault to justice.
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