The One Good Thing About the Jerry Sandusky Scandal

on November 16, 2011 at 6:34 PM

jerry sandusky It's incredibly difficult to look at the Penn State Scandal as anything but a tragic tale of innocence lost and lives shattered. How could any good possibly come of this dark and twisted mess? If you asked me that yesterday, I would have said that nothing good could come from the years of pain Jerry Sandusky caused.

But today I have a different answer.

Over the past couple of weeks, attorneys across the country have been reporting a rise in phone calls from abuse victims; specifically, victims who've kept what happened to them a secret for years, even decades. Victims who are finally allowing themselves to begin to hope in the possibility of their abusers being caught.

As attorney Mitchell Garabedian explains it:

What happened at Penn State is further validation, validation that the victim did nothing wrong, the victim should not feel guilty, the victim should not feel ashamed, the victim should not feel alone.

An undeniably good thing, I would have to say. A true illustration of taking a positive from a negative.

Apparently the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic church didn't have the same effect when it made headlines. Garabedian thinks that's because there were so few cases of church officials facing any real repercussions for what they did -- in the majority of cases, priests were simply transferred to another parish or dioceses when rumors began to swirl. But Joe Paterno has already been fired, and two other Penn State administrators have been indicted for perjury. The future of Jerry Sandusky himself is unclear, but I think it's safe to say the vast majority of the population thinks he's guilty.

So the victims who are coming forward now probably feel, for the first time ever, that the pain and effort involved in telling their stories won't be in vain. And whether their testimonies lead to jail sentences for their abusers or monetary damages awarded or just a long overdue sense of vindication, I hope to God their bravery is rewarded.

Do you know anyone who's kept their abusive past a secret for too long? Will you show them this story?

Photo via Pennsylvania Attorney General

About the author Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance!

Filed Under: in the news, sports, scandal

Comments (4)

PaMountainGal

on Nov 16, 2011 at 6:44 PM

Any man or woman who would abuse a child sexually should be subject to the the fullest punishment allowed by law and that includes castration and even the death penalty.

I say this as one who has lived her life with the memories of assault; not an outsider looking in but a witness to my never ending painful memories.

These children will never be able to ignore the abuse imposed upon them no matter the apologies offered in response.

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Nonmember comment from Respect

on Nov 17, 2011 at 1:36 AM

I am so proud of the people coming forward. The one thing you forgot to mention is that in this case, the victims were boys and it is very difficult for boys and men to admit to being abused because of the ridiculous stigma attached (i.e. people will associate the abuse to a homosexual act and therefore think they are gay). I think the violent public reaction to Sandusky helped a lot of victims realise that they have support. I am so proud of men and boys who report their abuse. It takes a LOT of courage on their part.

Malissa1578

on Nov 18, 2011 at 10:24 AM

Yes. I know several people who were abused and I was raped. Its not like we hid it because we didn't want to tell... we just didn't know what to do when it happened. I can tell you from my stand point that I just felt alone and I didn't want to tell my family, namely my mom, because she wasn't there for me for much of anything so I just told my best friend at the time, Eve. My ex-brother-in-law was abused and he didn't tell for a long time, just recently like I did. I told my mom 2 yrs ago. the rape on top of everything else in my life was just another reason to not be emotional or care. I was a very introverted person for a long time... until I just blew up and started fighting back one day. My ex-brother-in-llaw will carry this for the rest of his life. He thinks that the abuse led him to being gay and I think he may be right. He said he wasn't born that way and once the abuse started it flipped a swicth in his brain. He may be right, who knows. He will live with the scars for his entire life.

lynnette1996

on Nov 18, 2011 at 10:27 AM

I just have to say that it takes a lot on anyones part to report the abuse whether male or female. I was abused as a child. I did not tell my parents until I was married and much older. I use to have nightmares and beat up my husband because of the abuse so We finally decided to tell my parents together. To this day, they do not believe that the abuse happened and it went on for 10 years. So, do not tell me that it is harder for boys to tell than girls. It is just as hard and even harder when you are called a liar and they are closer to the abuser than they are you. That is so not cool!