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	Protecting Victims Is Preeminent | Child Abuse Has Been Thrust into Spotlight The Tribune-Democrat November 25, 2011 http://tribune-democrat.com/editorials/x646421803/Protecting-victims-is-preeminent-Child-abuse-has-been-thrust-into-spotlight We support renewed efforts to extend the length of time sexual abuse victims have to report such crimes, and we see the movement as a potential positive reaction to the scandal that has engulfed Penn State in recent weeks. In Pennsylvania, as you read in a recent Associated Press report, accusers must come forward before they reach age 30 to confront their alleged attackers and to file related lawsuits. Advocates are pushing for the age limit to be raised to 50 in civil cases, which would match the limit for criminal cases, and for alleged victims to have an additional two years beyond that for the filing of lawsuits. Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky faces 40 counts of child abuse following a grand-jury investigation of his activities at the university and with The Second Mile, a nonprofit he founded four decades ago. Indeed, it appears the Penn State situation has done more to elevate the issue of child abuse than even the numerous accusations against Catholic priests and scandals involving other prominent organizations. “Really, what happened at Penn State is happening to lots of kids everywhere,” said Cathleen Palm, executive director of the Protect Our Children Committee. The charges against Sandusky – that he abused at least eight boys over a 15-year period – and allegations of a cover-up by Penn State officials led the board of trustees to fire legendary head coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier and appoint a committee, led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, to investigate the school’s response to the Sandusky situation. The scandal also has spawned a planned Congressional hearing aimed at reducing incidents of child abuse, while the NCAA has announced plans to conduct a probe to determine if Penn State violated its bylaws for collegiate athletics. Frank Cervone, executive director of the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia, noted that “more people are upset” over the Penn State situation than during the scandals involving abuse of children by members of the clergy – including the 2002 revelation of abuse by a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston that launched a flood of lawsuits across the country. John Salveson, president of the Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse, said: “This is not a Catholic issue. It never has been. It’s a kids’ issue.” Salveson added: “Whether Penn State, whether the Boy Scouts, whether it’s the Catholic church – it’s not about those institutions. I think people are starting to see the difference.” It’s certainly a shame that it took so long, but we hope his assessment is accurate. The focus should be on protecting children from abuse, and giving those who become victims every opportunity to see their attackers pay for their transgressions. Reports cited in the wake of the Penn State scandal do illustrate that much progress has been made in the past two decades in reducing child abuse. Two different national studies show drops in incidents of abuse – ranging from 38 percent between 1993 and 2006 in one, to 55 percent since 1992 in the other. Still, thousands of children are victims of abuse each year. Such crimes against children leave lifelong emotional scars, counselors say. And abuse victims and their families are still reluctant to expose their experiences by stepping forward to challenge their attackers. “Many child victims and their parents that I treat do not believe that anything will happen and do not move forward legally due to their level of fear, shame and guilt,” Robert Edelman, a counselor in Florida, told the AP. David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, added: “There are still so many cases, and it’s such an intrinsically horrifying and alarming problem.” We join former Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham and others in pushing to extend the time alleged victims have to come forward and file lawsuits. Abraham has been retained to help The Second Mile perform an internal investigation of the Sandusky child-sex charges. She once led a grand jury investigation into similar allegations against the Philadelphia archdiocese. “To convince witnesses to come forward, and tell these horrible secrets, it’s very difficult,” Abraham said. It’s time we do more to help them. If we can accomplish this, then some good will have come from the shocking events at Penn State.
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