Australians in denial about child sexual abuse

It’s time society looked this problem in the face.

As Melbourne forensic psychologist Bill Glaser told a criminology conference: “Imagine a society afflicted by a scourge which struck down a quarter of its daughters and up to one eighth of its sons. Imagine also that this plague … made (victims) up to sixteen times more likely to experience … life-threatening starvation, suicide, persistent nightmares, drug and alcohol abuse and a whole host of intractable psychiatric disorders requiring life-long treatment …”

Such a plague, if it affected one sector of the population, such as only policewomen, nurses, teachers, would marshall our resources. But because it happens to children whom our laws silence, we continue to marginalise, minimise and deny its prevalence.

Until one extreme offender is identified. Then, the monstering myth continues, creating a veil around the most common offenders - step-fathers (29 per cent), fathers (20 per cent), other family members mainly adolescent boys (11 per cent) and others in the family circle, up to one-third female (30 per cent).

Yes, public outrage, monstering offenders and frenzied vigilante action helps people feel better, but it further endangers children by masking the ordinary face of most child sex offenders.