Boarding School Abuse
Boarding School Abuse illustrates a range of criminal and improper acts commonly committed against students by school faculty members, administrators or employees regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault might be a one-time, non-consensual attack or it might include numerous assaults within an ongoing interaction. For example, an continuing intimate relationship with a student, formed by the predatory behavior of a faculty member, school administrator or employee and whether leading to physical consensual sex acts or not, is a form of abuse.
Student-on-student sexual assault is another form of abuse, which might be compounded by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to happen. Inside the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students might be exposed to the predatory behavior of older, more mature students. This intent, along with peer-pressure applied on both the attacker and the targeted victim, could lead to different forms of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse matters, a school administration’s failure to fully, adequately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its further negligence to investigate, address and deal completely with the situation increases the effects on the victim, the school population and possibly others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the media highlight these failures, including times when the attacker quietly departs the school merely to assume employment elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most boarding schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities inside a well-defined and safe campus. In that environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than would be expected in a non-boarding school setting. This could create both opportunity and cover to the possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the attacker may be a personable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special attention in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration into the school community, abuse allegations against these attackers are frequently met with distrust, non-belief, and resistance from the community. Often, abusers have distance and judgment problems which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally anticipated. This provides a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing degrees, use predatory actions that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming behaviors used by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school setting, a predator usually works closely with small numbers of students, understanding every student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a target is located and selected, these vulnerabilities – such as loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, could be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust
A predator will initially work to gain the student’s trust. This step is the most difficult to discern as private school communities are often tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the predator is usually 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 count on more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The student may spend more time with the predator, feeling increasingly comfortable with the relationship. In addition to attention and kindness, the possible victim may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, gifts like the guarantee of high marks, or a college recommendation letter. The reliance step is mainly when the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might try to isolate the student. At school, this may mean late meetings, tutoring sessions, meetings in the dormitory , one-on-one athletic training sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to desensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This could escalate until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
Once the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to keep control of the student and the continuing abuse. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the victim by inducing emotions of shame, or even threats, or employ the opposite strategy of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. Regardless, the predator may keep trying to exploit the victim with means necessary to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Victims
When the grooming escalates as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will likely respond positively to the behaviors. The predator, through these well-thought-out and executed grooming behaviors and activities, seeks to re-work and reduce the moral confines of the victim. Because the abuse survivor participated in the re-calibration, he frequently has deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming herself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, beyond the abuse has been revealed, survivors of boarding school abuse are frequently exposed to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, alienation from their peers, or revenge from teachers. Particularly at private schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, survivors of abuse may be readily isolated and socially persecuted. Subjected to such reactions, many boarding school abuse survivors that have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social persecution, report the abuse a while later. In either case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse victims suffer 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 difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups could help victims overcome those effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse could receive financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, 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 replying to the victim’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially share your story and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are prepared to talk with you. It is important for a survivor to realize that being a victim is not your fault. The lawyers at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the assault to justice.
Student-on-student sexual assault is another form of abuse, which might be compounded by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to happen. Inside the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students might be exposed to the predatory behavior of older, more mature students. This intent, along with peer-pressure applied on both the attacker and the targeted victim, could lead to different forms of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse matters, a school administration’s failure to fully, adequately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its further negligence to investigate, address and deal completely with the situation increases the effects on the victim, the school population and possibly others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the media highlight these failures, including times when the attacker quietly departs the school merely to assume employment elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most boarding schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities inside a well-defined and safe campus. In that environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than would be expected in a non-boarding school setting. This could create both opportunity and cover to the possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the attacker may be a personable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special attention in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration into the school community, abuse allegations against these attackers are frequently met with distrust, non-belief, and resistance from the community. Often, abusers have distance and judgment problems which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally anticipated. This provides a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing degrees, use predatory actions that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming behaviors used by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school setting, a predator usually works closely with small numbers of students, understanding every student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a target is located and selected, these vulnerabilities – such as loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, could be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust
A predator will initially work to gain the student’s trust. This step is the most difficult to discern as private school communities are often tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the predator is usually 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 count on more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The student may spend more time with the predator, feeling increasingly comfortable with the relationship. In addition to attention and kindness, the possible victim may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, gifts like the guarantee of high marks, or a college recommendation letter. The reliance step is mainly when the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might try to isolate the student. At school, this may mean late meetings, tutoring sessions, meetings in the dormitory , one-on-one athletic training sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to desensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This could escalate until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
Once the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to keep control of the student and the continuing abuse. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the victim by inducing emotions of shame, or even threats, or employ the opposite strategy of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. Regardless, the predator may keep trying to exploit the victim with means necessary to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Victims
When the grooming escalates as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will likely respond positively to the behaviors. The predator, through these well-thought-out and executed grooming behaviors and activities, seeks to re-work and reduce the moral confines of the victim. Because the abuse survivor participated in the re-calibration, he frequently has deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming herself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, beyond the abuse has been revealed, survivors of boarding school abuse are frequently exposed to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, alienation from their peers, or revenge from teachers. Particularly at private schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, survivors of abuse may be readily isolated and socially persecuted. Subjected to such reactions, many boarding school abuse survivors that have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social persecution, report the abuse a while later. In either case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse victims suffer 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 difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups could help victims overcome those effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse could receive financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, 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 replying to the victim’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially share your story and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are prepared to talk with you. It is important for a survivor to realize that being a victim is not your fault. The lawyers at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the assault to justice.
