This moved me to tears.
During the time in which we anxiously awaited a verdict, a friend of ours wrote me an email and said that he was completely torn up in anticipation of the verdict and in fear that Jerry Sandusky would be acquitted.
This friend confided that a guilty verdict for Sandusky would be a verdict-by-proxy for him, because as an abuse survivor himself, he identified so closely with many of the kids whom Sandusky abused.
We were all relieved to learn that Sandusky was found guilty on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.
And for so many, it is a message loud and clear: You are heard. You are important. We want to try to prevent abuse. You are worth standing up for.
This viral thank-you letter was created and shared by an organization called Darkness to Light. On their Facebook page, they describe their organization like this: “Our programs raise awareness of the prevalence and consequences of child sexual abuse by educating adults about the steps they can take to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sexual abuse.”
And while not every child who has been abused will be able to speak up, and some will not be believed, we support all survivors of sexual abuse regardless of their situation.
I hope we can continue to stand behind survivors and to learn more about prevention of child sexual abuse. This message on Darkness to Light resonate with me particularly:
“The nation is talking openly about child sexual abuse. Right now, let us all commit to keeping the conversation alive.”
What can we do to help keep this conversation alive?
How can we better support the survivors of abuse, like those in Sandusky’s case?
For those of us who have children, or are concerned about children in our lives, MaleSurvivor.org offers a great guide to helping keep your kids, particularly boys, safe from sexual abuse and exploitation. Read their guide here.
Most of all—commit to believing the children in your life when they tell you something. Never punish a child or make them feel guilty for telling you the truth about something that happened to them. Tell your kids they are worth fighting for.
If you need support, please reach out. We recommend MaleSurvivor.org and RAINN
I am an employee of Darkness to LIght, and a proud Sheppard of the message. I live this for my own children – our children, as they are our most precious resource and deserve their innocence without question. These have been weeks wrought by emotion, fear, disbelief. We all talk about how important it is. We know how we must talk about it. We all talk about how demonic it is to betray our children in these ways. Know this — we have a talented, professional and passionate team of people working hard each and every day to ensure that… Read more »
My deepest thanks to the accusers most, and then to the other witnesses, the prosecution, judge, investigators, and certainly to the jury, for believing the survivors. Normally I’m not a fan of the news media, but in this case, they were exemplary in sticking to facts, protecting the accusers names, and bringing the facts to the public with dignity and respect for the victims. To be honest, I did not expect that last part; nor did I dare too hope too hard for the conviction we finally, thankfully, received. The public Twitter feed on the #sandusky hashtag was 99% amazing… Read more »
I’d like to add my thank you to the victims. They were very courageous.
Please know, from my perspective, with my childhood, with the train-wreck that fills the landscape behind my current step; I cannot believe this outcome. When this verdict reality sinks-in even just a little, I bawl my eyes out in complete amazement and gratefulness that you came through for us. “You,” the jury. You, the judge. You, the police. You…his victims.
You provided…no…you MADE justice happen! And there are no words for my level of gratitude for that!
Thank you for posting this…yes, it has been an emotional week…reading all the details of the Sandusky case has been triggering…and yet, I, too, was amazed at how brave some of the survivors were able to share their stories in the courtroom up against those ridiculous lawyers (Amendola & Co.)…. The most appalling aspect was the sweeping under the carpet of abuse details 10 years prior…Police, university, coaches ignored and mishandled knowledge of the abuse….and more innocent children got hurt…I suppose with the internet and blogging and Twitter, future victims will have more of a voice to state incidents of… Read more »