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Boarding School Abuse illustrates a range of illegal and improper actions often perpetrated on students by school faculty members, administrators or employees regarding sexual assault of varying degrees. The assault might be a one-time, non-consensual abuse or it can involve several assaults during an ongoing interaction. For example, an ongoing intimate relationship with a student, formed 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 type of abuse, that can be compounded by the school’s negligence to provide a safe environment that enabled the assault to occur. Within the school population are students of varying ages, maturity and experiences. boarding school sexual abuse might be exposed to the predatory behavior of older, more mature students. Their behavior, along with peer-pressure exerted on both the predator and the targeted victim, can lead to different forms of abuse that includes sexual assault of varying degrees.In all reported Boarding School Abuse matters, a school administration’s megligence to entirely, immediately report the assault to police and other authorities, or its additional failure to research, address and deal fully with the situation amplifies the effects on the victim, the school community and potentially others. Recent Boarding School Abuse issues reported in the press exemplify these failures, including situations when the attacker quietly leaves the campus only to assume employment elsewhere in a school environment. Predatory BehaviorMany 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 can provide both opportunity and cover to the possible attacker and for the predatory behavior.In some matters, the abuser could be a personable and popular person, generally considered to be a enhancement to the school community. A targeted victim may feel flattered that a well-liked superior in the school community has expressed special interest in him or her. Because of this popularity and integration into the school community, abuse allegations against these predators are often met with distrust, non-belief, and resistance by the community. Often, abusers have distance and judgment problems which turn into unusually friendly relationships with students that are beyond what are normally expected. This provides a predatory pathway and opportunity for the attack.Most abusers, to differing degrees, use predatory actions that are generally known as “grooming,” or targeting a possible abuse victim. Below is a compilation of grooming behaviors used by predators that are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate student.GroomingGrooming is a significant part of a predator’s method. In a boarding school situation, a predator often works closely with small numbers of students, realizing each student’s needs and vulnerabilities. Once a target is located and selected, these vulnerabilities – like loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, or attention seeking behavior, might be systematically exploited in the following ways:TrustA predator will first work to get 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 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 engagement with the potential student-victim, the student might 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. Additionally to attention and kindness, the potential victim may receive gifts from the predator, which may include valuable, presents like the promise of higher grades, or a university recommendation letter. The reliance step is mainly where the predatory behavior is noticeable from well-meaning collegial behavior.Isolation While the grooming progresses, the predator will work to isolate the potential victim. At school, this may mean after-hour get togethers, tutoring sessions, encounters in the dormitory , one-on-one athletic training sessions, or other such circumstances.SexualizationThe predator will begin to de-sensitize the possible victim from reacting negatively to touching, 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 response to the advancement. This will escalate until the relationship transforms to one of a physical, sexual nature.MaintenanceOnce the sexual relationship is created, the predator will work to maintain control over the student and the continuing interaction. The predator will likely try to manipulate the victim by inducing emotions of guilt, or even threats, or use the opposite strategy of continuing to have the victim feel special and desired. In any event, the predator might keep trying to exploit the victim by whatever means necessary to keep the immoral physical relationship.Impacts on Abuse SurvivorsWhile the grooming increases as intended by the predator, the victim, being made to feel special, will likely respond affirmatively to the actions. The predator, through these well-thought-out and executed grooming behaviors and activities, tries to re-work and reduce the moral confines of the victim. Because the abuse survivor participated in the re-calibration, he frequently experiences deep feelings of shame, initially blaming herself for the incident and likely not to report it.Additionally, after the abuse has been reported, survivors of boarding school abuse are often subjected to discreet social pressure and intimidation, such as bullying, isolation from their peers, or revenge from administrators. Especially at private schools, where education is stringent, competition can be fierce and social circles small, victims of abuse may be quickly isolated and socially persecuted. Subjected to those reactions, many private school abuse survivors that have reported the abuse leave school. Others, faced with the prospect of the isolation and social abuse, report the abuse decades later. In either case, the impact can be severe 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 creating and keeping healthy relationships. Individual therapy and support groups could assist survivors get past those effects.Legally, a survivor of boarding school abuse can win financial compensation from the predator 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 victim’s report of the abuse. If you are a survivor of boarding school abuse and would like to confidentially discuss your story and learn of your legal options at no cost or obligation, we are ready to talk with you. It’s 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 abuse to justice.