“We were there all alone”: Sexual abuse within the peer group in boarding schools in Israel – Retrospective perceptions of adult survivors

Background: Despite the extensive research on child sexual abuse and the alarming extent of the phenomenon among peers, certain perspectives are still missing. Objective: The current study aimed to explore the subjective experience of adult survivors of peer sexual abuse while in boarding school, which has rarely been explored. Participants and setting: The present study included 15 adults who were sexually abused by their peers while attending boarding school. Methods: The data were based on semi-structured in-depth interviews focused on the abuse story, disclosure, and the meaning of the boarding school context to the participants. The interviews were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis approach. Results: The findings characterized the boarding school as lacking parental figures, lacking rule and regulation enforcement, and staff who were not able to deal effectively with sexual abuse cases. The relationships within the peer group in the boarding school were characterized by intense, although unspoken, intimacy and sexuality. As part of the group's socialization, breaking the rules was encouraged, including in the sexual realm. Furthermore, the boarding school was perceived as a space that maintained conservative patriarchal social structures that encouraged traditional gender perceptions. Conclusions: The findings of the current study indicated the urgent need to advance both policy and practice in this area, for example, greater involvement of the boarding school staff in the lives of the adolescents and implementation of rules and regulations to create a safer climate for those who choose, or need, to live away from home.