In the world of media, a story typically appears one week and then fades from the headlines in a few days, perhaps in a week. The Penn State story, however, is still front and center. I suspect that this is because of the fact that it involves the alleged sexual abuse of children, for this is a collective nerve that, once touched, does not stop smarting for some time. We are all appalled by the reality that such cruelty exists in our society. But exist it does, and for those who have survived childhood sexual abuse, the fallout from the Penn State scandal is even greater.
I heard from a friend today who said that despite years of distance from the childhood sexual abuse she endured, despite her now happy and successful life, and despite the fact that she now has children of her own, she has been rocked to her core by the story at Penn State. Others have shared that the Penn State scandal has triggered anew the flashbacks and nightmares associated with their own memories of childhood sexual abuse. A woman whose daughter was sexually abused by a family friend is reliving the horror and outrage of fighting for her daughter’s safety and struggling to find her appropriate treatment in the aftermath.
The media makes us aware of the Penn State scandal as it affects the coaches, the administrators, the football program, the university, the students, the alumni. And while the child victims of the abuse are (thankfully) now more frequently referenced, their trauma and its impact continue to receive relatively little of the attention directed to the matter. Perhaps it is not newsworthy, but it is important to also note that the impact of this scandal extends far beyond those involved, all the way to survivors of childhood abuse perpetrated by other people at other times. Their experiences are not new but they can resurface with a vengeance when a story such as this one takes the headlines. It can take awhile for the nightmares, flashbacks, and startle responses to subside once they are awakened like this.
The situation at Penn State is a reminder to all of us that abuse occurs everywhere, and that it knows no institutional, social, or familial bounds. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to it, or to pretend that we don’t know it’s going on if we suspect that it is. Children, mentally compromised adults, elderly people, and animals are abused everyday. The old rule to “mind our own business” is not an excuse for inaction. When we suspect abuse, we must report it. If we witness abuse directly and we are able to act without endangering ourselves or others, we must intervene. The consequences of inaction, as we have just seen, can be devastating to victims and hurtful to many, many others.
Tags: abuse knows no institutional, abuse occurs everywhere, bounds, child sexual abuse, devastating to victims and hurtful to others, flashbacks, Joe Paterno, nightmares, not an excuse for inaction, or familial bounds, Penn State, Penn State scandal, report abuse, social, Startle responses, survivors of child sexual abuse, the consequences of inaction, touched a collective nerve, trauma and its impact, triggered flashbacks
