| Who am
I and why did I develop this website? My name is Andrea Clemens, and
I was a target of Educator Sexual Misconduct. As my journey of healing
continues, I find myself needing to reach out and help others going
through similar experiences.
Here is the condensed version
of my story. My ninth grade science teacher spent a year and a half grooming me for an exploitative "relationship".
This man who at first was a caring confidant/father figure soon became a
controlling, abusive, manipulative perpetrator of sexual abuse. By the time my high school career ended, he was
engaging in sexual acts with me on an almost daily basis. His control
and power over me was so great that I lost a sense of who I was or that
I had any control over my life or my body. It was my lack of self worth
and loss of identity, combined with my fear of him, that prevented
me from being able to break away from him until I was twenty-six years
old. Through the love and support of some wonderful friends, family
members, and skilled therapists, I have emerged a stronger and wiser
woman. It is my own survival that has created in me a renewed sense of
purpose: that is to bring about awareness of this issue and to help others
survive.
In order to continue to
fulfill this purpose, I have begun speaking to students, teachers, the
media, law-makers, and concerned citizens about my personal story and
the larger issue of Educator Sexual Misconduct. I really believe that
perhaps the abuse that happened to me happened because I am someone who
has what it takes to do something to help stop it.
I have established this
website for a number of reasons :
- to provide both students
and adults a central resource that can direct victims and concerned
individuals to necessary and vital information/contacts
- to help educate the general
public about the prevalence of ESM by providing current research and
statistics
- to identify some "red
flags" and provide ideas as to how to intervene if suspicion of
ESM arises
- to provide a way for others
to contact me if their organization could benefit from one of my
presentations
- allow people to stay
informed about the progress of my book,
A Perfect Target
Above all, I want
to stop Educator Sexual Misconduct from destroying another childhood. If
I can prevent one child from becoming a target, I have not suffered in vain.
Thank you so much for
visiting.
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