Parents Often Reluctant to Report Sex Abuse of Children
I just read a frightening and saddening article in which experts explain that parents have a reluctance to report the sexual abuse of children.
The article started with a story about multiple families who had known that a karate instructor sexually abused children more than 10 years before one of his many future victims finally came forward to file a police report.
Of course, it seems frequent that someone who abuses children gets away with it for a while. Of the people who do come forward to press charges, most do not do it until someone else already has.
Experts say that parents of abused children feel a complex set of emotions including self-recrimination, guilt, betrayal and denial. These complex emotions can make the parents reluctant to report the abuse. Also, the parents may worry about the stigma and trouble their child would have to go through.
While I can sympathize with the parents’ feelings in the terrible situation, the reluctance to report child abuse scares me. When victims do not report the abuse, then the abuser will likely continue to abuse others. Reporting the abuse will greatly help protect future victims. For that reason, I think anti-abuse organizations need to find ways to encourage people to report abuse.
At the very least, people can make anonymous tips.
What do you think?
Comment by Anonymous
I can’t even imagine! If I didn’t turn the perp in to the police, I would end up killing him! People must protect the children…PERIOD!
Posted on March 12, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Comment by A Target No More
Police don’t always do something.
They may file a report within Police Dept. But than not send it to the Prosecuting Attorney’s office for review to see if charges will be filed. I know someone’s son that had his friend put a hickey on his arm while he was sound asleep. The mom tried to file charges but the police officer never sent the paper work to the Prosecuter no how many times she called the Police Department.
Posted on April 5, 2008 at 12:47 pm