Where Can Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Happen?
Sexual abuse and sexual violence can occur in a wide range of settings and often involves an abuse of power or intimidation. Therefore, for survivors, recognising where abuse happened can be an important step in understanding what occurred. From a legal perspective, the circumstances surrounding how and where the abuse occurred can also be central to establishing who can be held responsible.
Understanding where abuse commonly occurs can also help survivors see that they are not alone and that institutions may have failed in their duty of care.
Schools and educational settings
Instances of sexual abuse and sexual violence in schools and colleges are unfortunately not uncommon. The national news often covers stories involving abuse by staff, volunteers, or other students. The truth is that, because children and young people can feel like nobody will believe them, or may not actually realise that abuse has occurred, this can make them particularly vulnerable in environments where adults hold authority.
Care homes and residential care
Care homes and residential facilities can also be a location of abuse for similar reasons. Elderly or less physically or psychologically able individuals may worry that they will not be believed if they are experiencing symptoms of memory loss or limited mental capacity. Equally, in extreme cases, it is possible for the individual not to realise that they have been sexually abused.
Historical and contemporary investigations have revealed sexual abuse by staff and others in positions of trust. In a care home setting, an abuser may feel encouraged to act brazenly if they can isolate the individual, such as in their private bedroom.
Religious institutions
Sexual abuse within religious settings has been widely documented internationally. Survivors often describe environments where authority, reverence, and secrecy made disclosure extremely difficult. Within churches and religious organisations such as youth groups, an individual’s faith can be exploited to pressure them not to disclose what happened.
In addition to the impact on mental health and sense of wellbeing, in cases where an individual’s beliefs have been taken advantage of, this can deeply affect their sense of identity. They may be threatened that the church will turn their back on the survivor if they speak about their experience. Alike the other locations of abuse and sexual violence considered in this blog, a religious setting should be a safe environment. Unfortunately, when this is exploited, the individual may feel they cannot confide with other attendees, meaning the abuse may remain undiscovered.
The workplace
Sexual abuse and sexual violence can also occur in workplaces, particularly where there are power imbalances between employees, managers or clients. Survivors may fear career consequences or reputational harm if they report what happened. It is also not uncommon for the individual not to be alone, as some of their colleagues may have been subject to similar unwanted sexual behaviour at work.
Prisons and detention settings
People in detention can be at particular risk of sexual violence as they have lost their liberty and cannot leave custody. We have recently reported on instances of abuse by a criminal solicitor taking advantage of young clients accused of offences. The solicitor went on to commit acts of sexual abuse within the court building itself against these clients.
Our team also represent a large number of individuals who have been abused at prisons, Young Offenders Institutions and Detention Centres across the country where, historically, instances of prison officers abusing both male and female detainees has been common.
At home
Whenever there is a power imbalance, there is a risk of abuse. However, not all sexual violence occurs within a formal setting. Abusers are very often known to their victim and unwanted contact, or sexual behaviour, can be abuse, even if carried out by a family member or friend.
Why location matters
Failures in safeguarding and reporting mechanisms can expose an individual to an increased risk of abuse. The truth is that abuse can happen anywhere; however, the location in which sexual abuse or sexual violence occurs should not be overlooked. It may determine whether an organisation owed a duty of care. Understanding this can help survivors realise that responsibility may extend beyond the individual perpetrator.
From a survivor’s perspective, it is important not to minimise the impact of abuse because it happened in a supposedly ‘normal’ or ’respectable’ setting. Even if there is no organisation to hold liable for failing to prevent abuse, the survivor might still be entitled to compensation and the perpetrator should still be brought to justice. It may also be possible for an application to be submitted to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
We recognise that, no matter where sexual violence occurs, it often has a significant and lasting impact. By speaking to someone, you take control and may even be able to stop it happening to someone else. The police are required to investigate all reports they receive and we would always recommend that survivors of abuse and sexual violence consider contacting their local police force.
Contact Us
We may also be able to help. At Jordans, we have an expert team who are experienced in helping survivors of these incidents. We understand how difficult it can be to talk about abuse and harassment and we partner with specially trained psychologists and barristers to help support you both emotionally and legally.
If you want to discuss the options that are open to you, please contact our specialist Abuse Team at Jordans Solicitors by calling 03303 001103 or 08009 555094, or you can email [email protected]. We can offer a confidential consultation to assess any potential claim you might have.