Preventing Child Sexual Abuse In Youth-Serving Organizations. Norman D. Bates

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СКАЧАТЬ form of sexual abuse.¹⁶ Sexual abuse in sports and the failure to report incidents have received considerable attention after being brought to light by the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Despite extensive publicity, effective policies are still lacking in the sports community. Given the culture of some sports, athletes may “normalize” inappropriate behaviors and therefore not perceive the conduct (e.g., sexual abuse) by the coach as inappropriate.

      The complexity of sport-related sexual abuse has increased because of the role of the offender. In this setting, the offender is frequently in a position of control and authority, making disclosure by the victim much more difficult. Disclosure in these instances can be delayed and may not occur until long after the child has left the sport or been far removed from the offender. For this reason, it is not uncommon for children being sexually abused by coaches to suffer over a long period of time.

      Ignoring the Problem

      In this environment, as well as other youth organization cultures, it is important that administrators understand and respect the seriousness of such crimes and the critical importance of reporting suspected incidents. Unfortunately, there are obstacles. The following is a quote published in a study of sexual abuse disclosures within sports organizations. The administrator is discussing a case that occurred within his organizations where several children eventually came forward making similar claims against the same offender.

      “What really helped in the case in my view was when the second [victimized athlete] came forward. If there had just been the first girl [the victim who filed the first complaint], a girl who is a bit emotionally unstable...Only girls who are kind of [emotionally] weak wouldn’t realize when this happens that it is totally unacceptable. That girl who was a bit unstable at the time...I’m not sure she had the credibility to have him [name of the coach] formally accused and then found guilty.”¹⁷

      On some level, there is an understandable hesitation on the part of many administrators to turn to law enforcement because they do not want to exaggerate a situation that may be harmless, harm the reputation of the accused, or harm the health and well-being of the child. However, those in charge must follow proper procedure once they receive a report regardless of the situation.

      Reporting sexual abuse only starts at the initial disclosure. The quote above stresses the need for more effective procedures on how to investigate those claims. It also emphasizes the importance of taking all claims seriously, regardless of the circumstances. Additional children can be victimized by an offender who goes unpunished.

      Another example of the problem of ignorance surrounding child sexual abuse is illustrated by the numerous e-mails between Penn State University officials about how to approach the allegations of child sexual abuse against Jerry Sandusky.

      On June 8th, 1998, Gary Schultz, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business at Penn State, wrote the following to Athletic Director Tim Curley in an e-mail with the subject line “Jerry” when asked for an update:

      “Tim, I don’t have an update at this point. Just before I left for vac[ation], Tom told me that the DPW [Department of Public Welfare] and Univ[ersity] Police services were planning to meet with him. I’ll see if this has happened and get back to you.”¹⁸

      This e-mail shows an ignorance about both the severity of the problem and the proper procedures to follow when allegations of child sexual abuse are made. Not only did the officials not know if or when the meeting with police had happened, but Schultz went on vacation in the middle of a significant time for investigating and protecting children who were being victimized.

      On June 9th, Schultz informed Curley and two other officials, including the University President, of the following:

      “They met with Jerry on Monday and concluded that there was no criminal behavior and the matter was closed as an investigation. He was a little emotional and expressed concern as to how this might have adversely affected the child. I think the matter has been appropriately investigated and I hope it is now behind us.”¹⁹

      On the contrary, this matter was not behind them. Sandusky continued to sexually abuse boys. These officials faced a similar problem but again failed to go through the proper reporting channels in 2001 when more allegations were made against him.

      The report by a Special Investigative Council states that the investigation revealed “a striking lack of empathy for child abuse victims by the most senior leaders of the University” as well as “a lack of awareness of child abuse issues” and “a failure of the Board...by not having regular reporting procedures or committee structures in place to ensure disclosure to the Board of major risks to the University.”²⁰

      A great deal of concern has arisen from the apparent lack of action and failure to properly report Sandusky’s known offensive behavior to the appropriate authorities. Joe Paterno, Gary Schultz, and Tim Curley have been heavily criticized for their lack of response to the complaints. The timeline of Sandusky’s offensive behavior highlights common grooming methods used, the failure to report, and victim trauma as a result of ignoring the problem.

      A Timeline of Offensive Behavior: The Jerry Sandusky Scandal at Penn State University²¹

      1994: There were allegations of inappropriate behavior against Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator at Penn State, beginning as early as 1994.

      1994-2011: Victims of Sandusky ranged in age from 7 to 13 years old.

      1994-2011: Sandusky, like many perpetrators, began his sexual abuse with grooming such as touching, fondling, talking about inappropriate topics, and suggestive sexual talk. This escalated over time to full sexual encounters.

      1994-2011: The victims were sexually abused in various locations including Sandusky’s home, his vehicle, hotel rooms, and the Penn State football facilities.

      1997: Sandusky founded the Second Mile, a charity that was specifically geared towards assisting “at-risk” youth boys, many of whom became his victims.

      1998: A claim was made against Sandusky stating that Sandusky had showered with an 11-year-old boy. In a June 1998 interview with investigators from multiple agencies, Sandusky admitted to showering naked with the boy, admitted that he knew that it was wrong, and promised not to do it again, according to the Grand Jury report. The district attorney advised investigators that no charges be filed and the University police chief instructed that the case be closed.

      1999: Sandusky retired, but was still given access to the facilities where he continued to carry out his sexual abuse of boys from the Second Mile charity organization.

      2001: Athletic Director Tim Curley was notified after an eyewitness informed Joe Paterno, then head football coach at Penn State, that he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a boy.

      2001: About a week later, Mr. Curley and Gary Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business, met with the eyewitness, then told Sandusky that he could not bring any children from the Second Mile onto campus. Later, a Grand Jury said that Mr. Curley acknowledged that this ban was unenforceable. The university officials did not alert law enforcement.

      2008: Despite the early suspicions and allegations dating back to 1994, the investigation into child sexual abuse by Jerry Sandusky did not begin until 2008.

      2011: Sandusky was ultimately arrested on November 5, 2011 on charges of “sexually abusing eight boys over a 15 year period.” He was found guilty on 45 counts of the total 48 counts against him. Sandusky admitted in an interview, “I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them.”

      2012: СКАЧАТЬ