When Is Child Sexual Abuse Considered Normal?, by Nancy Houser, Digital Journal, November 16, 2011

When Is Child Sexual Abuse Considered Normal?

By Nancy Houser
Digital Journal
November 16, 2011

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/314493

[with video]

The Roman Catholic Church and Pennsylvania State University are not only world-renowned but powerful institutions. Yet both made the choice to hide pedophile sexual activities of their staff, a decision that made others equally guilty.

The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian church, while Penn State is an educational hierarchy that is one of the top 15 national public universities. As notable as they are, both have allowed individuals in positions of power to groom children as pedophile targets.

What makes the pedophile wear such an obtuse label is that "not all child sexual offenders are pedophiles, and not all pedophiles engage in the sexual abuse of children."(Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment, pgs. 175-193) Additionally, anyone who is aware of the National Conference of State Legislatures know of the gray area involved in who is required to report each case of sexual abuse. Different states and different schools have different rules.

Normal of African child sexual abuse

Sexual abuse of minors is predominantly under 12-years of age, and there are several countries where childhood sexual abuse is considered a normal occurrence. South Africa has the highest incidences of child sexual abuse, specifically child and baby rape. (Time: "Oprah Scandal Rocks South Africa") Depending on the situation, children of sexual abuse are brutalized so often they can become desensitized.

Surveys throughout South Africa have found that violent abuse is considered normal, with 60% of both boys and girls stating that pedophilia is not a form of violence and it is not wrong to force sex on someone…a country where a victim is raped every 40 seconds. The organization Rape-Outcry reported that 70,514 rapes occurred in South Africa from April 2008 to March 2009, but with only one person reporting out of 35 due to shame and being stigmatized.

Sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church

Last December, the Belfast Telegraph in the UK did an article on "Pope's child porn 'normal' claim sparks outrage among victims" that has infuriated the victims of clerical sex. Pope Benedict claimed that pedophilia is not considered the "absolute evil" as it was in the 1970s, while he addressed the Roman cardinals and officials.

In the same speech, the Pope theorized that child pornography was growing increasing normal in society, due to the fact "In the 1970s…. pedophile was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children."

"We cannot remain silent about the context of these times in which these events have come to light," he said, citing the growth of child pornography "that seems in some way to be considered more and more normal by society."