Many survivors of institutional abuse suffer in silence. For numerous, profoundly personal reasons, people who have been targeted and abused by a sexual predator often find it difficult to come forward and speak about their experiences.
By speaking out against a sexual predator and pursuing justice for the wrongs committed against them, survivors of institutional abuse may be able to reclaim control of their narrative, find emotional closure, and recover financial compensation. In doing so, they could hold an abusive criminal and other contributorily negligent parties accountable for their wrongdoings.
The consequences of being sexually abused vary from individual to individual. Many survivors of institutional abuse experience adverse repercussions that are physical, psychological, and economic in nature.
According to the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services, one in three residents of the province were sexually abused before the age of eighteen. Those who were the targets of abuse as children or adolescents are likely to experience even greater trauma for years or even decades after the fact.
Many survivors of childhood institutional abuse also develop unhealthy, self-destructive coping mechanisms as a way of dealing with their pain. In fact, institutional abuse survivors are 26 times more likely to develop substance use disorders than those who have not been victims of abuse.
Just as the physical and psychological effects of enduring institutional abuse can be long pervasive and long-lasting, so can the financial insecurity that often plagues survivors. This is especially true for children or teenage targets who were unable to complete their education because of their traumatizing experiences with abuse. The criminal actions of a institutional abuser could make it impossible for their targets to pursue higher education or vocational training, thereby reducing their future earning capabilities.
In certain cases, in addition to the abusers themselves, other parties or entities could be considered liable for damages incurred by institutional abuse survivors. This can happen in cases of systemic or institutional institutional abuse, wherein an organization fails to adequately protect the young or vulnerable people in their care from being abused by a sexual predator. For example, if the governing body of a school, religious organization, or other organization fails to identify and reprimand institutional abusers among their staff or personnel, the organization itself might be responsible for compensating the targets they failed to protect through their negligence.
If you are a survivor of institutional abuse, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. By working with our Cochrane institutional abuse lawyers, you may be able to hold the responsible parties accountable for their misconduct. To learn more about working with our institutional abuse lawyers serving Cochrane, contact us today and schedule a free initial consultation.
Our Cochrane institutional abuse lawyers offer a safe, supportive, and confidential setting for survivors in the local community wherein they can receive personalized, case-specific legal advice during their free initial consultation. To schedule your no-obligation initial consultation and learn about options you might be entitled to pursue, contact our institutional abuse lawyers serving Cochrane today.
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