Dropping the Ball

We've all heard about the child abuse scandal at Penn State.  Chances are, you heard about coach legend Joe Paterno being fired as a result.  Or the outraged students.  But as this article states, "See with your own eyes what he did and how he did it, then have a thought."

After reading the grand jury testimony, I was absolutely disgusted. I honestly can not stop thinking about the atrocities laid out in the case against Jerry Sandusky and how many people could have stopped the abuse but failed - essentially dropping the ball.

The abuse often occurred in public areas, witnessed by multiple parties over the course of a few years.  I kept thinking to myself, "Why didn't these people call the POLICE?"  If I ever found one of my coworkers in the locker room naked with a student I would not stop after telling my boss.  And in one instance, the abuse was reported to the police and the district attorney decided not to charge Sandusky because of a "lack of evidence" - despite Sandusky admitting he showered with one of the victims.  The detectives advised Sandusky not to shower with young boys again.  He said he wouldn't.  That was in 1998. 

Ten years later, he was still sexually abusing young boys.   Eight victims are mentioned in the grand jury testimony.  How many victims have not come forward? 

I know the media will focus mainly on how the scandal is affecting the football program or the Penn State image.  There will be feigned compassion for the victims and how they will be affected.  I guarantee they are scarred for life and will no doubt have trust issues for many years to come.

But I want to know how this will affect the rest of us - the good coaches and role models with pure intentions.  And how will this affect future reporting?

Does Sandusky taint the entire population of coaches, one bad apple in a good bunch?  Are parents going to be less trusting?  What about children themselves, are they going to be more weary of adults as a result?

My guess is yes, parents may be more paranoid and children may be less trusting of adults.  But I don't see this as a bad thing.  Ultimately this will just make everyone more accountable.

As difficult it may be to see the silver lining in such a horrific situation, hopefully this will stop future misconduct, help victims find the strength to confront their abusers and force institutions to be held accountable for reporting inappropriate behavior. 

See something?  Say something.  That's our policy on terrorism, why not when it comes to child abuse?  Who cares if it turns out to be nothing, it could be something bigger.  Nothing should be more important than the welfare of a child.  Not a job, reputation, friendship, anything. 

To all those who continue to complain that a well respected coach is paying for Sandusky's mistakes, I'd like to point out that the victims are the ones who paid dearly for the mistakes of responsible adults who failed to take action.