People shouldn’t hesitate to report abuse, crime victims advocate says
As new details surface daily in the sex scandal involving the former Penn State University football defensive coordinator’s alleged sexual molestation of young boys, a Fayette County crime victims advocate said the disturbing allegations are more common than most might think and all too often get overlooked.
Last week, Jerry Sandusky was indicted on more than 40 counts for allegedly sexually assaulting eight young boys over a 15-year period.
Sandusky, 67, who coached alongside iconic head coach Joe Paterno for decades, founded a foster home for boys in 1977 called the Second Mile in an attempt to help troubled youth.
The indictment alleges that eight boys, all between the ages of eight and 13, beginning in the 1990s, were sexually abused by Sandusky who befriended them through the charity.
In addition to Sandusky, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the senior vice president of finance and business, were each charged in the indictment with perjury and failure to notify police of the allegations against Sandusky.
Both have since stepped down and Paterno and university President Graham Spanier were fired Wednesday in the wake of the indictment and their apparent inaction after one of the allegations was brought to their attention in 2002.
Jackie Fritz, executive director of the Fayette County Crime Victims’ Center, said that as the scandal continues to unfold, more victims will continue to come forward.
“You are going to see more and more come forward,” Fritz said. “They were reluctant because they think it is embarrassing or they thought it was their fault but now they will keep speaking out.”
Fritz said that while the allegations against Sandusky are horrifying, they are all too common in communities across the country.
She said that most important step to try and identify these types of abuses is to listen to children.
“We need to believe what our children are telling us. We need to listen to them and believe them and let them know that we believe them,” said Fritz.
In cases like the Penn State scandal, Fritz said that it is important for counselors and adults involved to really listen to the alleged victims and give them undivided attention.
“The first thing we do in these cases is talk to the child and make sure that the child understands that this is not their fault, encourage them that you believe them and then help move through the trauma,” Fritz said.
She said the only way to bring sexual predators to justice is to break stigmas that have long kept such activity hidden.
“We need to change our belief system that you keep sexual assault behind closed doors. In these cases there is often no visual evidence like domestic violence cases. We need open communication to find them. You have to tell someone and they have to be listening.”
Fritz said that the alleged crimes committed by Sandusky were crimes he could commit because of his position of power and authority over the children.
“He was a helper to these kids, almost a hero to them,” she said, further noting that it is typical for sexual predators to create a system of trust before abusing their victims.
“In these cases, it is almost always someone the child knows and trusts,” Fritz said.
She said that simply being observant can help stop the abuse of children.
“If a child becomes withdrawn or their behavior starts changing those are some signs. Not sleeping, mood behavior changes… we all need to watch and not be afraid to get involved,” Fritz said. “I would rather investigate and find nothing than do nothing and allow abuse to occur.”