everyone is, rightfully so, outraged by the penn state scandal.
everyone, wrongfully so, thinks that penn state is the exception.
penn state is not the exception. most people cover up sexual abuse. trust me, i know. i work with sexually abused children. i know. trust me.
parents routinely disbelieve their children when their children tell them that they have been sexually abused, especially if the abuse is committed by a friend or a relative, which it usually is.
relatives deny it.
teachers waffle.
courts disbelieve.
blah, blah, blah.
the number one factor that determines the extent to which a child is likely to have a successful recovery from sexual abuse is whether or not he or she was believed when he or she disclosed (the abuse). and the number one task that the clinicians who work with these children have is to get through to the adults that yes, you morons, yes........the abuse happened.
people look the other way all. the. time. and yes. they look the other way in 2011 just as they did in 1911.
do not fool yourselves.
do not believe everyone who self-righteously says that they wouldn't sweep sexual abuse under the carpet.
believe me. there are a whole lot of brooms out there.
