An Abuse Culture?
If you see something, say something.
Original Link: Syracuse Fires Assistant Basketball Coach
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Published: November 27, 2011, Updated, New York Times: November 28, 2011
Stop Abuse Campaign Commentary:
America has an abuse culture. We allow those with power to operate in ways that permit the abuse of children. A quarter of our children are sexually abused before they are 18 years old.
It’s not just Syracuse, Penn State, the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish yeshivas. They only account for the bit of abuse that, like an iceberg, is above the surface. Visibly shocking, certainly. But it’s the tip of an iceberg whose base lies in the murkier world of incest.
With these cases we see the desire not to offend through accusations. We’ve been trained since childhood to mind our own business, surely someone else will report this. With each decision – whether a famous coach, a revered priest or a respected uncle – we choose to put our awkwardness and their reputation ahead of the child. This is how we allow abuse to continue, why 1 of every 4 children are sexually abused.
