Abuse by the numbers

If you've been following my blog lately, you know I've been writing about a heavy topic. Childhood sexual abuse is not something people like to talk about. It's a topic that scares most people. It's definitely misunderstood. But I'm staying on it for now, as I'm determined to open minds.

Awareness is a beautiful thing if it helps people from turning the other cheek. Besides, we have children to save here. Even if the news is uncomfortable to read, it's important to realize that sexual abuse does not just happen on college campuses like Penn State or by the parish priest in your neighborhood Catholic Church. It happens everywhere. In fact, maybe you have been a victim yourself--or your children could be. To further understand the depth of this often ignored travesty, let's take a look at some of the cold, hard stats that have surfaced in the news since the Penn State scandal made the headlines:

_The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect reports the abuse of more than one half a million children in the United States.

_I've read this over and over again, and the numbers shock me: As many as 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually abused before they turn 18.

_According to the advocacy group Stop It Now, in up to 93 percent of reported child sexual abuse cases, the child knows the person who commits the crime.

_Enablers make the problem worse. More than 15 people at Penn State may have known about Jerry Sandusky's behavior with young boys. Yet, they didn't do enough to stop it.

_Experts say about 70 percent of abuse victims never tell anyone. Bottom line, that means children are not being protected, and we don't know the exact numbers of those being abused. 

Let's vow to do more to stop the violence. Here's an article that offers solid tips on how to abuse proof our children.