OREGON
Statesman-Journal
Sixty-seven percent of sexual abuse victims are children under age 18. About 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before they turn 18.
The statistics are alarming.
Even more alarming is the fact that nearly 90 percent of the time, the abuser is not a stranger.
“It’s almost always someone they know, love or trust,” said Debbie Joa, Prevention and Protection Coordinator for the Salem-Keizer School District.
A family member, a close relative, a neighbor, a pastor, a scout leader, a coach or a teacher, anyone could violate that trust. We have seen the headlines across the country over the years, from widespread abuse by priests in the Catholic church to high-profile charges against a former assistant football coach at Penn State University.
Now closer to home and fresh on all our minds are the recent arrests of five Mid-Willamette Valley teachers — all within a span of less than two weeks — on sexual abuse charges. One of the teachers is from Sprague High School.
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