Feeling the Impact's Ripple
I'm a seasoned traveler - meaning that while some families need a mud
room, we need a suitcase room because I'm either packing or unpacking.
This week, I was scheduled for a flight that coincided on a day that was
extremely stormy throughout most of the country. Consequently, flights
were cancelled or delayed in a domino-fall kind of way until it impacted
me. All my flights were so delayed that I never made it on a plane. Not
only that, but I didn't make it to my destination, which meant that the
group that brought me in had to scramble to come up with a Plan-B
because it was doubtful I would make my first presentation.
Abuse
impacts the victim in devastating ways, but that impact can ripple out
with the potential of taking out many more people and opportunities than
the abuse recipient. We saw this a few years ago with the exposure of
Jerry Sandusky's predatory sexual abuse of children facilitated by his
affluence in the Penn State football program. As the facts unfolded, it
was revealed that the actions of this man were known, covered up, and
allowed to continue for years by an entire institution of the
university's and community's leaders. The NCAA sent a clear and
appropriate message with stiff sanctions, drawing a line in the sand
that declared this kind of intentional blindness, callous indifference
for the victims, and breathtaking cowardice will not be tolerated. The
result: the actions of this one predator destroyed the lives of his
victims, his family, his charity, and his university's football program.
Who was to blame for this ripple? Jerry Sandusky and the cowards who
looked the other way.
In
another recent story, a high school football program in New Jersey was
suspended because of a hazing incident that boiled down to sexual
assault of younger, new players by other students. What was stunning to me was the uproar that took place
when the season was cancelled by the school superintendent. Who was to
blame for this cancelled season? Those who committed these atrocities.
In
my home state, we have had a series of high profile sexual assault
cases that have been treated in a cavalier and irresponsible manner, in
my opinion, including the bonding out of a man accused of serial rape
and kidnapping in my own community. His victims were terrified and his
freedom meant that our community was filled with anxiety and fear until
he was again arrested on additional charges. Another case involved a 31
year old woman sexually assaulting a 13 year old boy and two young teen
girls. What is stunning about this is the victim blaming that has taken
place on public forums.
Abuse
and sexual assault needs to be taken seriously, understood accurately,
and not tolerated under any circumstances with very firm and clear
cultural, political, religious, and social sanctions. There is most
definitely a ripple effect when predators act that can often take down
many others besides the actual victims. People may raise a ruckus about
football programs or churches or clubs or schools that suffer the
consequences, but the blame rests squarely on the predators and those
who facilitate their predatory behavior.
Amplify
the outrage of a lost football season with the shame, humiliation, and
suffering of the victims. THEN look me in the eye and tell me it's not
fair. And here's the bottom line: it is not fair that a predator has
stolen so much, hurt so many, and violated the vulnerable. Organizations
and communities will either take these situations seriously or there
will be sanctions that have a ripple effect which stings enough to
change the attitudes and actions of those who would otherwise choose to
look the other way.
© 2014
Written by Sallie Culbreth, M.S. - Founder
This article was reprinted with the permission of Ms. Culbreth. To read more articles or to learn about her organization, please visit www.committedtofreedom.org
This article was reprinted with the permission of Ms. Culbreth. To read more articles or to learn about her organization, please visit www.committedtofreedom.org
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