Boarding School Abuse
Boarding School Abuse denotes a series of illegal and lurid acts commonly perpetrated on students by school faculty members, administrators or employees regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault can be a one-time, non-consensual encounter or it might include many assaults within an continuing interaction. For example, an continuing intimate relationship with a student, created by the predatory behavior of a faculty member, school administrator or staff and whether heading to physical agreed sex acts or not, is a form of abuse.
Student on student sexual assault is an additional type of abuse, which might be compounded by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to occur. Within the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more experienced students. Their actions, coupled with peer-pressure applied to both the attacker and the targeted victim, may lead to different forms of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse situations, a school administration’s megligence to completely, adequately report the assault to law enforcement and other authorities, or its additional negligence to investigate, address and deal completely with the matter increases the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and possibly others. Recent Boarding School Abuse issues reported in the press highlight these failures, including matters where the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume employment elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Many private schools pride themselves on their tiny, personal communities within a well-defined and secure campus. In that environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than might be expected in a non-boarding school setting. This could create both opportunity and cover for the would-be abuser and for the predatory behavior.
In some situations, the attacker might be a likeable and popular person, generally thought to be a enhancement to the school community. A targeted student 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, attack allegations against these attackers are often met with doubt, non-belief, and resistance by the community. Often, abusers have distance and morality issues which manifest themselves in oddly friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing degrees, use predatory actions that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a compilation of grooming methods exhibited by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a main part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school setting, a predator often works closely with small amounts of students, realizing every student’s needs and vulnerabilities. Once a target is located and chosen, these vulnerabilities – like being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust
A predator may first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is the most difficult to discern as private school communities are usually tight-knit and personal interaction is commonplace. Here, the predator is likely part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and achievement at the school.
Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting engagement with the potential student-victim, the student will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim may spend more time with the predator, feeling increasingly comfortable with the relationship. Additionally to attention and affection, the possible victim might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, presents such as the promise of high marks, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually when the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator may work to isolate the student. At school, this could mean after-hour meetings, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dorm , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will start to de-sensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive language to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This will escalate until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to maintain control over the victim and the continuing abuse. The predator will likely seek to manipulate the student by introducing emotions of guilt, or possibly threats, or use the opposite tactic of continuing to have the victim feel special and desired. In any event, the predator may keep trying to exploit the victim with means available to keep the immoral physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Victims
When the grooming increases as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will likely respond affirmatively to the actions. boarding school abuse lawsuit , through these well planned and performed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-calibrate and reduce the moral confines of the victim. Because the victim participated in the re-calibration, he often experiences deep feelings of shame, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Furthermore, after the abuse has been revealed, survivors of private school abuse are often subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, such as being bullied, alienation from their peers, or retaliation from administrators. Particularly at boarding schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse may be quickly isolated and socially abused. Exposed to such reactions, many boarding school abuse victims who have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social persecution, report the abuse decades later. In either case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse survivors 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. Individual therapy and support groups can help victims get past those effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse may receive financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, from the school for its negligence to protect the student from the predator, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and replying to the survivor’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially review your situation and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are prepared to speak with you. It is important for a victim to realize that being a victim is not your fault. The lawyers at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those responsible for the abuse to justice.
Student on student sexual assault is an additional type of abuse, which might be compounded by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to occur. Within the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more experienced students. Their actions, coupled with peer-pressure applied to both the attacker and the targeted victim, may lead to different forms of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse situations, a school administration’s megligence to completely, adequately report the assault to law enforcement and other authorities, or its additional negligence to investigate, address and deal completely with the matter increases the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and possibly others. Recent Boarding School Abuse issues reported in the press highlight these failures, including matters where the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume employment elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Many private schools pride themselves on their tiny, personal communities within a well-defined and secure campus. In that environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than might be expected in a non-boarding school setting. This could create both opportunity and cover for the would-be abuser and for the predatory behavior.
In some situations, the attacker might be a likeable and popular person, generally thought to be a enhancement to the school community. A targeted student 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, attack allegations against these attackers are often met with doubt, non-belief, and resistance by the community. Often, abusers have distance and morality issues which manifest themselves in oddly friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing degrees, use predatory actions that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a compilation of grooming methods exhibited by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a main part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school setting, a predator often works closely with small amounts of students, realizing every student’s needs and vulnerabilities. Once a target is located and chosen, these vulnerabilities – like being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust
A predator may first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is the most difficult to discern as private school communities are usually tight-knit and personal interaction is commonplace. Here, the predator is likely part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and achievement at the school.
Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting engagement with the potential student-victim, the student will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim may spend more time with the predator, feeling increasingly comfortable with the relationship. Additionally to attention and affection, the possible victim might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, presents such as the promise of high marks, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually when the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator may work to isolate the student. At school, this could mean after-hour meetings, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dorm , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will start to de-sensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive language to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This will escalate until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to maintain control over the victim and the continuing abuse. The predator will likely seek to manipulate the student by introducing emotions of guilt, or possibly threats, or use the opposite tactic of continuing to have the victim feel special and desired. In any event, the predator may keep trying to exploit the victim with means available to keep the immoral physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Victims
When the grooming increases as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will likely respond affirmatively to the actions. boarding school abuse lawsuit , through these well planned and performed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-calibrate and reduce the moral confines of the victim. Because the victim participated in the re-calibration, he often experiences deep feelings of shame, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Furthermore, after the abuse has been revealed, survivors of private school abuse are often subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, such as being bullied, alienation from their peers, or retaliation from administrators. Particularly at boarding schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse may be quickly isolated and socially abused. Exposed to such reactions, many boarding school abuse victims who have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social persecution, report the abuse decades later. In either case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse survivors 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. Individual therapy and support groups can help victims get past those effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse may receive financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, from the school for its negligence to protect the student from the predator, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and replying to the survivor’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially review your situation and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are prepared to speak with you. It is important for a victim to realize that being a victim is not your fault. The lawyers at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those responsible for the abuse to justice.
