To keep their kids out of harm’s reach, parents who are able often move to ‘nicer neighborhoods’ so they can send their kids to a ‘nicer’ school.
For many types of crime, this is often helpful. Exposure to the kinds of crime that are usually called ‘street crimes’ – drugs, assaults, purse-snatching – can sometimes be reduced by moving to a suburb ore more well-to-do community.
But one of the worst possible crimes knows absolutely no geographic boundaries: Child sexual abuse.
Since it’s most often committed by a trusted adult who knows the child, just buying a home in a ‘better’ school district or zip code isn’t an effective prevention move.
This all comes to mind because of a recent New York Times story headlined “Boarding schools promise a pandemic haven for families who can afford them.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/style/boarding-school-covid.html?searchResultPosition=3
That’s certainly true. But there’s only one physical place that can be counted on to reduce child sex crimes: Prison.
More and more parents are starting to realize “that life may not return to normal by the fall, particularly since none of the available vaccines have been authorized for children under 16 yet,” writes Ronda Kaysen of the Times.
Of course, few families can afford boarding schools. Clearly, like all parents, the more well-off also want what’s best for their children.
Still, predators are drawn to ALL schools, all playgrounds, all sports teams, all day care centers, in rich or poor neighborhoods.
Sadly that means that ALL parents must be vigilant.
(Recent scandals and cases have emerged at a number of private schools including Thayer Academy in Massachusetts, Fessenden School in Massachusetts, Taft Academy in Connecticut, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, Concord Academy in Massachusetts, Kent School in Connecticut, Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Groton School in Massachusetts, Oxbridge Academy in Florida, Milton Academy in Massachusetts, St. George’s School in Rhode Island, and Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut.)
https://www.thoughtco.com/prep-school-scandals-2774135
https://buckscounty.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/solebury-school-report.pdf?sfvrsn=b60232ef_0
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing students who experienced sexual abuse at boarding schools. If you want to discuss filing a lawsuit because you or someone you know was sexually abused at a boarding school, please contact our law firm at (954) 641-2100 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected]. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of sexual abuse nationwide. We can help.