Huffington Post
Vivian Norris
During the past few years we have finally been hearing more about an epidemic of sexual abuse of children , and thankfully, a few prosecutions.. The perpertrators were priests, well loved sports coaches, boy scout leaders and even celebrities. The recent scandal at the BBC, linking a well known personality, Jimmy Savile and his repeated abuse of underage girls, and his charity work which appeared to be a cover for access to children, had been making headline news. Sadly, foundations related to children have often been used as a way to access the vulnerable to use them for sexual abuse. In the US, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the list seems to go on and on, new sordid stories of child sexual abuse are being investigated, at times, linking to a disturbing hierarchy of silence in institutions whch were considered “sacred”, be it the Catholic Church, the BBC or even Penn State football. All of these institutions have been front page headline makers for the media, and now they are losing trust as they are linked to horrific betrayals of trust. The media has a hugely important role to play in continuing to get the message out not only about sexual abuse of children, but how these children can not only survive, but thrive.
For the adult men who are still suffering from the abuse they suffered as boys, the media headlines stir up feelings of anger, sadness, frustration as they see for example priests who are simply moved, still given access to boys, or die before they are prosecuted, and, luckily, for a few, some relief as they are able to confront the men who harmed them in the courtroom. I am going to focus here on sexual abuse by men in positions of power against boys because, “survey by researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Boston suggests that approximately one in six men is sexually abused before the age of 16 ». The majority of the sexual abuse by Catholic priests takes place with children between the ages of 11 and 14. (Associated Press (2004-06-20). “Hundreds of priests shuffled worldwide, despite abuse allegations”. USA Today.) I have seen this same figure repeated again and again, and knowing that it may be even higher as so many live in silence, suffering in shame, their lives damaged by alchoholism, drug abuse, and the inability to trust people in intimate relationships.
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