Sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools

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Sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools concerns child sexual abuse occurring in educational institutions from kindergarten through secondary education.[1]

Phenomenon[]

With teachers having much influence and close proximity to children, sexual abuse in schools occurs at high rates.[2] A 1993 study performed by the American Association of University Women examined seventy-nine state schools in the United States, finding that 9.6% of students reported sexual abuse by teachers in the school setting.[2]

The victims of school sexual abuse are often "vulnerable or marginal students".[3]

By country[]

Canada[]

750 cases of abuse in Canadian schools were reported between 1997 and 2017, majority of them occurring in public schools.[4]

Estonia[]

In Estonia, the Tallinn Child Support Centre found that 1.3% among the pupils which are aged between fourteen and sixteen had reported rape (a total of 2006 surveys were returned).[5]

France[]

In April 2015, education official Najat Vallaud-Belkacem admitted that "16 teachers were allowed to work in schools last year despite holding previous convictions for paedophilia."[6] An international NGO claimed that "Thousands of children in French schools have been sexually abused by paedophile teachers".[6] In the same year, twenty-seven staff members in primary and secondary schools were fired for sexual abuse.[7]

India[]

In March 2000, a cross-sectional study of students in the 11th grade of eight higher secondary schools in Goa found that "Coercive sex had been experienced by approximately 6% of adolescents."[8] The pupils affected by this experienced higher rates of substance abuse, poorer academic performance, as well as poor mental and physical health.[8]

United Kingdom[]

In The New York Times, Stephen Castle documented:[9]

The very nature of boarding schools — closed environments in which teachers can wield enormous power — can make them attractive to child abusers. But in previous decades, parents were often reluctant to challenge teachers’ authority, said Alan Collins, principal lawyer at Slater & Gordon, which represented the former Aldwickbury student. He has 30 to 40 more cases pending against schools across the country.[9]

Since 2012, "425 people have been accused of carrying out sexual attacks at UK boarding schools".[10]

United States[]

Further information: Sexual harassment in education in the United States

In the United States, "roughly 290,000 students experienced some sort of physical sexual abuse by a public school employee from 1991 to 2000—a single decade, compared with the roughly five-decade period examined in the study of Catholic priests."[1]

A federal report estimated that in the state of California, "422,000 California public-school students would be victims before graduation".[11]

The United States Department of Education withheld US$4 million from Chicago Public Schools "for what federal officials say is a failure to protect students from sexual abuse."[12]

Zimbabwe[]

In Zimbabwe, a 2001 study found that 70% of the time, Sexual intercourse through physical abuse was present by teacher perpetrators in primary schools, with 98% of the victims being females.[13]

Prevention[]

By 1988, prevention programs and materials with regard to school sexual abuse came into vogue.[14] Problems associated with these, however, include "emphasising a simple solution to a complex social problem and contributing to victim blaming."[14]

Despite the prevalence of these prevention programs and materials, multiple studies have demonstrated that "teachers use programs spasmodically and selectively, omitting the essential concepts relating to children's rights".[15]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Hendrie, Caroline (10 March 2004). "Sexual Abuse by Educators Is Scrutinized". Education Week.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Crosson-Tower, Cynthia (2014). Confronting Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse. SAGE Publications. p. 166. ISBN 9781483359267.
  3. ^ Hazelwood, Robert R.; Burgess, Ann Wolbert (2016). Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Fifth Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 9781315316345.
  4. ^ "750 cases of sexual abuse in schools, says Canadian Centre for Child Protection - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca".
  5. ^ "Sexual Exploitation of Children in Estonia and Measures Taken to Address this Situation". Council of the Baltic Sea States. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Capon, Felicity (8 April 2015). "National Scandal Over Major Child Abuse Cover-Up in French Schools". Newsweek.
  7. ^ "French education minister says 27 school staff fired for child sex abuse". France 24. 16 March 2016.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Vikram Patel, Gracy Andrew (2001). "Gender, sexual abuse and risk behaviours in adolescents: A cross-sectional survey in schools in Goa". The National Medical Journal of India. 14 (5): 263–267. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.467.6130. PMID 11767217.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Castle, Stephen (16 March 2014). "Wave of Sexual Abuse Allegations for Private Boys' Schools in Britain". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Renton, Alex (19 February 2018). "Shocking scale of sexual abuse at UK boarding schools revealed by ITV documentary". ITV News.
  11. ^ Profita, Hillary (24 August 2006). "Has Media Ignored Sex Abuse In School?". CBS.
  12. ^ Ingber, Sasha (28 September 2018). "Chicago Schools Lose Millions For Allegedly Not Shielding Students From Sexual Abuse". NPR.
  13. ^ Tichatonga J Nhundu, AlmonShumba (2001). "The nature and frequency of reported cases of teacher perpetrated child sexual abuse in rural primary schools in Zimbabwe". Child Abuse & Neglect. 25 (11): 1517–1534. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(01)00288-5. PMID 11766014.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Trudell, Bonnie; Whatley, Mariamne H. (January 1988). "School sexual abuse prevention: Unintended consequences and dilemmas". Child Abuse & Neglect. 12 (1): 103–113. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(88)90012-9. PMID 3365575.
  15. ^ Briggs, Freda; McVeity, Michael (2000). Teaching Children to Protect Themselves. Allen & Unwin. p. 2. ISBN 9781741154214.

External links[]

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