Boarding Schools: The Secret Scandal

[crunchymint]

Anyone watching this about sexual abuse of children and how some schools were complicit in covering it up?

It was rife at our comp.

I remember in the 1990s a choirmaster at a top boys' school being exposed (before there was such widespread condemnation of CSA) and the parents complaining that it wouldn't do to make a fuss about it as he was such an excellent choirmaster and they didn't want him to feel he should resign. Beyond understanding.

Alex Renton has done a lot of investigation about this, his book was an eye-opener and truly horrific.
It's pretty clear there's been abuse in just about every boarding school in the country. It was the perfect environment for abusers.

Alex Renton interviewed a convicted offender who said that child abuse was 'traditional' in boarding schools.

Just read The Times article. How distressing. Things are so much better now, aren't they? At least these things are discussed and perpetrators are being prosecuted.

My dd school has a dreadful past ito sexual abuse, things have changed but it isn't good to be complacent.
It was brushed under the carpet at my comp too, but it wasn't rife.

In the documentary Alex Renton was told on several occasions that sexual abuse was in the past. He made a freedom of information request about allegations from 2011 to the present and discovered that child sexual abuse is still going on today.

Mine too, gillybeanz. However, I think once a school has been through a very public scandal, they are more likely to bring in safeguarding measures to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

At ours, women are everywhere. When the children have sports, there always seem to be female coaches as well as men, there are boarding house 'Mums' rather than 'Masters' and all medical staff, etc. seem to be women.

Yes, I get that women can abuse too, but it is much rarer.

Many of the abusers were married men. I don't believe that the presence of women prevents abuse taking place.

Since 2012 175 people have been accused of carrying out child abuse within UK boarding schools. Alex Renton is very keen for people to know this is an ongoing issue.

It doesn't surprise me that it's still going on. I wish it did surprise me. I went to a comprehensive after sexual abuse arrived in the general public consciousness, and it was still rife.

Mostly perpetrated by the children targeting other children; usually those already vulnerable due to other bullying or disability, but not always. The teachers were fully aware of it and did nothing at all.

What sticks in my mind about it was that whenever I pointed out that things like sexual assault, rape threats, and coercive rape, aren't ok, everyone looked at me like I was mad. Teacher or pupil. It wasn't just that they disagreed with me; they seemed genuinely baffled by anyone thinking that sexual abuse is despicable.

It was that reaction as much as anything that left me with a lot of distrust of people in general. And that was a non-boarding school. I have no idea how anyone survives being in a culture like that 24/7. I suppose that many don't survive it, especially mentally.

I sat opposite a solicitor on the train last week who said it's all sexual abuse cases and fights in prisons these days.
I am going to have a chat with my kids this week as I think it will always go on and we must encourage our kids to speak up.. My friends daughter was assaulted in a pub garden by a so called family friend so just because they don't go to boarding school assume they are safe.

At our school one of the key abusers was a female teacher. She did wait until they were sixteen, so it was not legally child abuse, but it is gross moral turpitude. Total abuse of power and neglect of duty of care towards pupils. She groomed a boy each year to become her special friend. I knew her well. She lived in our street for a while. When my brother reached sixth form she tried to choose him as her special friend. He told her to get lost and she never forgave him.
Feels very weird writing this down. It was so normal in those days. Just cheeky gossip. Underage girls would get male teachers turning up on their doorstep asking for dates, and we'd think those girls cool. One teacher exposed himself to a girl in the local park and when she complained she got told off very aggressively for putting his job in jeopardy.

Thinking about it I know a school where two female teachers have been sacked for having relations with boys.

it is awful that this exists at all, but as a pp states, there are lasting effects not just for the victim but sometimes their families too.
My heart goes out to all those affected and we shouldn't forget that people have lost their lives in the aftermath of such cruel sexual abuse.

Yes as has been said, it has been joked about for years. Always a sign that it has in reality been partially acceptable. Horrific

Things are so much better now, aren't they?
Better than they were - yes.
All ok - no.

School staff are still not legally required to report problems to the Police so there will still be cases that are brushed under the carpet.