SPOILER ALERT!
Boarding School Abuse
Private School Abuse illustrates a wide-range of illegal and improper activities frequently perpetrated against students by school faculty members, administrators or employees regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The attack can be a one-time, non-consensual attack or it may involve numerous assaults within an continuing interaction. For example, an continuing intimate relationship with a student, formed by the predatory actions of a faculty member, school administrator or staff 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 can be compounded by the school’s failure to offer a safe environment that enabled the assault to happen. Within the school population are students of varying ages, maturity and experiences. Immature students might be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more mature students. Their intent, along with peer-pressure applied on both the attacker and the targeted victim, can lead to varying forms of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all reported Boarding School Assault matters, a school administration’s megligence to fully, adequately report the assault to law enforcement and other authorities, or its further negligence to investigate, address and deal fully with the situation increases 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 when the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume employment somewhere else in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most private schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities within a well-defined and secure campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often 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 possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some situations, the attacker could be a likeable and popular individual, generally thought to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community is expressing special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration into the school community, abuse accusations against these attackers are frequently met with distrust, disbelief, and resistance by the community. Frequesntly, abusers have distance and morality problems which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are commonly anticipated. This provides a predatory path and opportunity for the attack.
All abusers, to varying amounts, employ predatory methods that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming behaviors used 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 usually works closely with small numbers of students, understanding each student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a victim is located and selected, these vulnerabilities – such as being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust
A predator may first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to see as boarding school communities are usually 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 wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student may begin to rely more and more on the predator for whatever 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. In addition to attention and kindness, the possible victim might receive gifts from the predator, which may include valuable, presents like the guarantee of higher marks, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually where the predatory behavior is noticeable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
While the grooming continues, the predator will work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean late get togethers, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dormitory , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will start to de-sensitize the student from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaching the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will increase until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to maintain control of the victim and the continuing abuse. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the student by introducing emotions of guilt, or possibly threats, or use the opposite strategy 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 maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Survivors
While the grooming escalates as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will probably respond positively to the actions. The predator, through these well-thought-out and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-calibrate and remove the moral boundaries of the victim. Since the victim participated in the re-calibration, she frequently experiences deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, after the abuse has been reported, victims of private school abuse are frequently subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like bullying, alienation from their peers, or revenge from teachers. Especially at private schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse may be rapidly isolated and socially persecuted. Subjected to those reactions, many private school abuse victims who have reported the abuse leave school. Others, fighting with the prospect of such isolation and social abuse, report the abuse a while later. In either case, the impact can be significant and lasting.
Some abuse victims suffer from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings, substance abuse, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups could help survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse can win financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, from the school for its negligence to protect the student from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and replying to the survivor’s report of the abuse. If boarding school abuse lawsuit are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially discuss 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 remember that being a victim is not your fault. The attorneys at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the abuse to justice.
Student-on-student sexual assault is another form of abuse, that can be compounded by the school’s failure to offer a safe environment that enabled the assault to happen. Within the school population are students of varying ages, maturity and experiences. Immature students might be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more mature students. Their intent, along with peer-pressure applied on both the attacker and the targeted victim, can lead to varying forms of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all reported Boarding School Assault matters, a school administration’s megligence to fully, adequately report the assault to law enforcement and other authorities, or its further negligence to investigate, address and deal fully with the situation increases 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 when the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume employment somewhere else in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most private schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities within a well-defined and secure campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often 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 possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some situations, the attacker could be a likeable and popular individual, generally thought to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community is expressing special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration into the school community, abuse accusations against these attackers are frequently met with distrust, disbelief, and resistance by the community. Frequesntly, abusers have distance and morality problems which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are commonly anticipated. This provides a predatory path and opportunity for the attack.
All abusers, to varying amounts, employ predatory methods that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming behaviors used 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 usually works closely with small numbers of students, understanding each student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a victim is located and selected, these vulnerabilities – such as being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust
A predator may first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to see as boarding school communities are usually 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 wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student may begin to rely more and more on the predator for whatever 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. In addition to attention and kindness, the possible victim might receive gifts from the predator, which may include valuable, presents like the guarantee of higher marks, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually where the predatory behavior is noticeable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
While the grooming continues, the predator will work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean late get togethers, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dormitory , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will start to de-sensitize the student from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions which lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaching the physical-touch barrier, or speaking, with suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will increase until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to maintain control of the victim and the continuing abuse. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the student by introducing emotions of guilt, or possibly threats, or use the opposite strategy 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 maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Survivors
While the grooming escalates as planned by the predator, the targeted student, being made to feel special, will probably respond positively to the actions. The predator, through these well-thought-out and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-calibrate and remove the moral boundaries of the victim. Since the victim participated in the re-calibration, she frequently experiences deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, after the abuse has been reported, victims of private school abuse are frequently subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like bullying, alienation from their peers, or revenge from teachers. Especially at private schools, where academics are rigorous, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse may be rapidly isolated and socially persecuted. Subjected to those reactions, many private school abuse victims who have reported the abuse leave school. Others, fighting with the prospect of such isolation and social abuse, report the abuse a while later. In either case, the impact can be significant and lasting.
Some abuse victims suffer from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings, substance abuse, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups could help survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of boarding school abuse can win financial compensation from the predator and more frequently, from the school for its negligence to protect the student from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and replying to the survivor’s report of the abuse. If boarding school abuse lawsuit are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially discuss 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 remember that being a victim is not your fault. The attorneys at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the abuse to justice.
SPOILER ALERT!
Boarding School Abuse
Boarding School Abuse presents a series of criminal and improper acts frequently committed on students by school faculty members, administrators or staff involving sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault might be a one-time, non-consensual attack or it may involve numerous assaults during an continuing interaction. For example, an ongoing intimate encounter 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 an additional form of abuse, that can be made worse by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to happen. Within the school population are students of varying ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more mature students. Their behavior, coupled with peer-pressure exerted to both the attacker and the targeted victim, may lead to varying types of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Assault situations, a school administration’s failure to entirely, immediately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its further negligence to research, address and deal completely with the situation increases the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the press highlight these failures, including situations when the attacker quietly leaves the campus only to assume working somewhere else in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most private schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities inside a well-defined and secure campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than would be expected in a non-boarding school situation. This can provide both opportunity and cover for the would-be abuser and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the abuser might be a personable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim may feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special attention in him or her. Because of this popularity and involvement in the school community, attack accusations against these predators are frequently met with doubt, non-belief, and resistance by the community. Often, abusers have distance and morality problems which manifest themselves in oddly friendly relationships with students that are past what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing amounts, employ predatory tactics that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a possible abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming methods exhibited by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small amounts of students, realizing every student’s needs and vulnerabilities. Once a target is identified and selected, these vulnerabilities – like being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically leveraged in the following manners:
Trust
A predator may initially work to get the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to realize as boarding school communities are usually tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the attacker is usually part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student might start to count on more and more on the predator for any 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 might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, gifts such as the guarantee of higher grades, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually where the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the student. At school, this may mean after-hour meetings, tutoring sessions, meetings in the dorm , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to desensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other actions that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or communicating, with suggestive language to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This might increase 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 student and the continuing interaction. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the victim by introducing emotions of guilt, or even threats, or use the opposite strategy of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. Regardless, the predator will continue to exploit the victim by whatever means available to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Survivors
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, from these well planned and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-work and reduce the moral boundaries of the targeted student. Since the victim participated in the re-calibration, she often has deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, after the abuse has been reported, survivors of private school abuse are frequently subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, isolation from their peers, or revenge from administrators. Especially at boarding schools, where academics are stringent, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse could be readily isolated and socially abused. Exposed to boarding school abuse lawsuit , many private school abuse survivors who 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 case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse victims bear from long-term effects of the abuse that include depression, anxiety, ptsd, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individual therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome those effects.
Legally, a survivor of boarding school abuse may recover 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 method of reviewing and responding to the victim’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 prepared to speak with you. It’s important for a victim to remember that being a victim is not your fault. The attorneys at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the abuse to justice.
Student on student sexual assault is an additional form of abuse, that can be made worse by the school’s failure to provide a safe environment that enabled the attack to happen. Within the school population are students of varying ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be subjected to the predatory actions of older, more mature students. Their behavior, coupled with peer-pressure exerted to both the attacker and the targeted victim, may lead to varying types of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Assault situations, a school administration’s failure to entirely, immediately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its further negligence to research, address and deal completely with the situation increases the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the press highlight these failures, including situations when the attacker quietly leaves the campus only to assume working somewhere else in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Most private schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities inside a well-defined and secure campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than would be expected in a non-boarding school situation. This can provide both opportunity and cover for the would-be abuser and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the abuser might be a personable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted victim may feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special attention in him or her. Because of this popularity and involvement in the school community, attack accusations against these predators are frequently met with doubt, non-belief, and resistance by the community. Often, abusers have distance and morality problems which manifest themselves in oddly friendly relationships with students that are past what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the abuse.
All abusers, to differing amounts, employ predatory tactics that are generally referred to as “grooming,” or targeting a possible abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming methods exhibited by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small amounts of students, realizing every student’s needs and vulnerabilities. Once a target is identified and selected, these vulnerabilities – like being lonely, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically leveraged in the following manners:
Trust
A predator may initially work to get the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to realize as boarding school communities are usually tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the attacker is usually part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student might start to count on more and more on the predator for any 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 might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, gifts such as the guarantee of higher grades, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance stage is usually where the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the student. At school, this may mean after-hour meetings, tutoring sessions, meetings in the dorm , one-on-one sports practice sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to desensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other actions that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or communicating, with suggestive language to gauge the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This might increase 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 student and the continuing interaction. The predator will probably seek to manipulate the victim by introducing emotions of guilt, or even threats, or use the opposite strategy of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. Regardless, the predator will continue to exploit the victim by whatever means available to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Legacy on Abuse Survivors
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, from these well planned and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-work and reduce the moral boundaries of the targeted student. Since the victim participated in the re-calibration, she often has deep feelings of guilt, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Additionally, after the abuse has been reported, survivors of private school abuse are frequently subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, isolation from their peers, or revenge from administrators. Especially at boarding schools, where academics are stringent, competition can be intense and social circles small, victims of abuse could be readily isolated and socially abused. Exposed to boarding school abuse lawsuit , many private school abuse survivors who 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 case, the impact can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse victims bear from long-term effects of the abuse that include depression, anxiety, ptsd, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individual therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome those effects.
Legally, a survivor of boarding school abuse may recover 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 method of reviewing and responding to the victim’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 prepared to speak with you. It’s important for a victim to remember that being a victim is not your fault. The attorneys at Meneo Law Group are committed to bringing those who committed the the abuse to justice.
Private School Abuse
Boarding School Abuse illustrates a series of illegal and improper actions commonly committed on students by school faculty members, administrators or staff regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault may be a one-time, non-consensual encounter or it may include several assaults within an continuing interaction. For example, an ongoing intimate encounter with a student, spawned by the predatory behavior of a faculty member, school administrator or staff and whether leading to physical agreed sex acts or not, is a form of abuse.
Student-on-student sexual assault is another type of abuse, that might be compounded by the school’s negligence to offer a safe environment that allowed the assault to occur. Within the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be exposed to the predatory actions of older, more experienced students. This actions, coupled with peer-pressure applied to both the predator and the targeted victim, might lead to different types of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse situations, a school administration’s megligence to completely, immediately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its additional failure to investigate, address and deal completely with the matter amplifies the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the media exemplify these failures, including times when the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume working elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Many boarding schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities within a well-defined and safe campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than might be expected in a non-boarding school situation. This may create both opportunity and cover for the possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the abuser may be a likeable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted student might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration in the school community, abuse allegations against these abusers are often met with distrust, disbelief, and resistance from the community. Frequesntly, abusers have boundary and morality issues which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the attack.
All abusers, to varying amounts, use predatory methods that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a possible abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming methods exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small numbers of students, knowing every student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a victim is identified and chosen, these vulnerabilities – like loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, may be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust
A predator could first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to discern as boarding school communities are usually tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the attacker is likely part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student might start to count on 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. In addition to attention and kindness, the potential victim may receive gifts from the predator, which may include valuable, presents such as the guarantee of higher grades, or a college recommendation letter. The reliance step is mainly where the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean late get togethers, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dorm , one-on-one sports training sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to de-sensitize the student from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or communicating, with suggestive language to determine the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This will escalate until the relationship transforms to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to keep control over the victim and the continuing interaction. The predator will probably try to manipulate the victim by inducing feelings of shame, or even threats, or employ the opposite tactic of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. In any event, the predator might continue to exploit the victim with means necessary to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Impacts on Abuse Survivors
When the grooming increases 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 performed grooming behaviors and activities, seeks to re-calibrate and remove the moral confines of the targeted student. Since the abuse survivor participated in the re-calibration, she often experiences deep feelings of shame, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Furthermore, after the abuse has been reported, victims of private school abuse are frequently exposed to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, alienation from their peers, or revenge from staff. Especially at private schools, where education is rigorous, competition can be fierce and social circles small, survivors of abuse may be readily isolated and socially persecuted. Exposed to those reactions, many private school abuse survivors that have revealed the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social abuse, report the abuse decades later. In either situation, the legacy can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse survivors deal with from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings, substance abuse, restless sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individual therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome those effects.
Legally, a survivor of boarding school abuse could win financial compensation from the abuser and more commonly, from the school for its failure to protect the student from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method 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 review your situation and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are ready to talk with you. It is important for a survivor to remember 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 another type of abuse, that might be compounded by the school’s negligence to offer a safe environment that allowed the assault to occur. Within the school population are students of different ages, maturity and experiences. Younger students may be exposed to the predatory actions of older, more experienced students. This actions, coupled with peer-pressure applied to both the predator and the targeted victim, might lead to different types of abuse including sexual assault of varying degrees.
In all alleged Boarding School Abuse situations, a school administration’s megligence to completely, immediately report the crime to police and other authorities, or its additional failure to investigate, address and deal completely with the matter amplifies the effects on the abuse survivor, the school population and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse cases reported in the media exemplify these failures, including times when the perpetrator quietly departs the school merely to assume working elsewhere in a school environment.
Predatory Behavior
Many boarding schools pride themselves on their small, personal communities within a well-defined and safe campus. In this environment, faculty, administrators and staff are often much closer and familiar with students than might be expected in a non-boarding school situation. This may create both opportunity and cover for the possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.
In some matters, the abuser may be a likeable and popular individual, generally considered to be a positive addition to the school community. A targeted student might feel flattered that a popular superior in the school community has expressed special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration in the school community, abuse allegations against these abusers are often met with distrust, disbelief, and resistance from the community. Frequesntly, abusers have boundary and morality issues which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally expected. This creates a predatory pathway and opportunity for the attack.
All abusers, to varying amounts, use predatory methods that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a possible abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming methods exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.
Grooming
Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s ploy. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small numbers of students, knowing every student’s needs and weaknesses. Once a victim is identified and chosen, these vulnerabilities – like loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, may be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust
A predator could first work to gain the student’s trust. This step is most difficult to discern as boarding school communities are usually tight-knit and personal engagement is commonplace. Here, the attacker is likely part of a group of staff who are genuinely interested in the student’s wellbeing and success at the school.
Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential student-victim, the student might start to count on 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. In addition to attention and kindness, the potential victim may receive gifts from the predator, which may include valuable, presents such as the guarantee of higher grades, or a college recommendation letter. The reliance step is mainly where the predatory behavior is distinguishable from well-meaning collegial behavior.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean late get togethers, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dorm , one-on-one sports training sessions, or various other such circumstances.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to de-sensitize the student from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or communicating, with suggestive language to determine the victim’s reaction to the advancement. This will escalate until the relationship transforms to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator may try to keep control over the victim and the continuing interaction. The predator will probably try to manipulate the victim by inducing feelings of shame, or even threats, or employ the opposite tactic of continuing to make the victim feel special and desired. In any event, the predator might continue to exploit the victim with means necessary to keep the inappropriate physical relationship.
Impacts on Abuse Survivors
When the grooming increases 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 performed grooming behaviors and activities, seeks to re-calibrate and remove the moral confines of the targeted student. Since the abuse survivor participated in the re-calibration, she often experiences deep feelings of shame, initially blaming himself for the incident and likely not to report it.
Furthermore, after the abuse has been reported, victims of private school abuse are frequently exposed to discreet social pressure and intimidation, like being bullied, alienation from their peers, or revenge from staff. Especially at private schools, where education is rigorous, competition can be fierce and social circles small, survivors of abuse may be readily isolated and socially persecuted. Exposed to those reactions, many private school abuse survivors that have revealed the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of such isolation and social abuse, report the abuse decades later. In either situation, the legacy can be severe and life-altering.
Some abuse survivors deal with from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings, substance abuse, restless sleeping and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individual therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome those effects.
Legally, a survivor of boarding school abuse could win financial compensation from the abuser and more commonly, from the school for its failure to protect the student from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method 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 review your situation and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are ready to talk with you. It is important for a survivor to remember 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.
