The alleged sexual abuse of minors and cover-ups at Penn State, other instances involving the Catholic Church and cases where school administrators concealed educator misconduct in exchange for resignations all form an alarming pattern that must be addressed. The incidents involve two phases and trusted institutions. The first phase is an allegation or suspicion of abuse; the second phase is a failure to report – or attempt to hide – the incident by persons of authority and responsibility. The abuse is more egregious on the criminal scale, but on the scale of moral responsibility, the failure to report the events to law enforcement or social services is as disturbing and even more bewildering.
Speculation has been that those involved in cover-ups do it to protect a friend, the reputation of their chosen profession, or institutions. These all involve people or organizations they know well. However, I believe the real reason people do this is that they are thinking of themselves first. Obviously, they do not think much about the victims, past, present, or future.
In almost all cases, those who fail to report do not sanction sexual abuse, but they fear that the stain and the pain of an investigation is likely to spread by association and it is just too easy to let that fear overrule good judgment. They are looking for an easy way out – most of all they are protecting themselves from having to take immediate difficult steps and deal with one of the most distasteful of society’s problems. They convince themselves that it will all just go away and it almost never does.
What happened to concept that more will be expected from those who are entrusted with more? Authority and responsibility were designed to be a balance – a benefit and a burden. More and more people in our society want the perks of authority, the big bucks, the adulation, the box seats and banquets, but they want no part of the responsibility; the part where you have to call the police to report a serious crime committed by a life-long “friend” who is part of the institution you love. Would a real friend put you in that position?
A Department of Justice publication for investigating the sexual exploitation of children has a section titled “Emotion Versus Reason.” It contains this critical caution, “Regardless of intelligence and education and often despite common sense and evidence to the contrary, adults tend to believe what they want or need to believe. The greater the need, the greater the tendency.” I judge that the same pattern applies to those who become aware of suspected sexual abuse committed by an acquaintance, friend, colleague, or someone in position of power. They need to believe they can limit the damage, after all handling problems it what they do best.
Law enforcement has a special obligation to investigate these emotionally explosive accusations in a professional, objective, and appropriately confidential manner. If the public perceives that vested advocates are on any sort of witch-hunt that tars the innocent, they will have another mental justification for failing to fulfill their responsibilities. It’s a difficult problem, but protocols and proven investigative techniques do exist.
No one can right the wrongs done to the young victims whose physical and partially developed physiological makeup are ill equipped to deal with the abuse that will often effect them for a lifetime, but knowing that there is a dependable structure of caring leadership can help. When those structures become part of the problem, there is little left to rely on; that has to change.
Marty Richman is a Hollister resident.
