The current debate has awakened the impression that child abuse is common in boarding schools. Over the past few days we have received many questions about how Salem deals with this topic. An institution like Salem must face up to these questions.
Sexual abuse is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated. In Salem this would result in immediate dismissal and criminal charges would be brought by the school management. The educational programme here in Salem, the pastoral care and the well-equipped communication system assure social control in order that the risk of abuse is minimized. Specifically these points are:
In Salem there is a highly developed culture of social care that is aimed at nurturing children and young people so they become self-confident and worthy members of society. There is shared responsibility amongst the students, particularly through the Salem prefect system and the head boy/girl roles. In my own personal experience, many of the students, not only our prefects, take their social responsibility towards adults seriously. They discuss grievances of every kind and are listened to by the management body. Salem is proud of a supportive and professional culture of constructive criticism.
Salem's concept of support in the boarding school is not so much dependant on building a family atmosphere. It is much more that the students living together on a wing independently take things into their own hands. As a rule, the elected prefects have a good overview of what is going on in their wings. Furthermore, all boarders have more adults they can talk to and be guided by within the boarding team, e.g.: additional boarding masters and assistants.
For many years we have worked successfully with external psychologists. In situations of conflict between students or between adults and students, we have found them to be competent, impartial discussion partners whose confidential help is trusted and required by the students, colleagues and the management. In addition, our two school pastors are always available to confidentially discuss any worries or difficulties a student may have.
Above all, the school fosters an intensive and close cooperation with the parents. The elected members of the Parents' Committee are involved with many of the internal school processes. They monitor our educational work with good intentions and, where necessary, with a critical view. Two years ago a paper jointly developed by the Parents' Committee and the school management about how to deal with conflict situations was approved. This ensures that communication channels are defined between students, or between adults and students, if limits are exceeded and a high measure of transparency and opportunities for dealing with a problem are secured.
I am, therefore, confident that Salem has the awareness of, and is in a position to sensitively deal with, the problem of abuse without trivialising it. Schule Schloss Salem takes this responsibility.
Eva Marie Haberfellner
Principal, Schule Schloss Salem
