Dr. Larry Nassar’s Sexual Abuse Scandal Is a Big Lesson

Sexual abuse is an unpleasant and frightening reality in today’s world. It has debilitating and devastating effects on children and is often times dreaded by parents.

The plague of abuse robs a lot of young ones of their courage. They are silenced by fear or by rejection, rejection as a result of the deaf ears turned to them.

With no line of defense, no sex education background, and no effective, protective tools, many kids fall into the traps set by molesters.

World-renowned sports physician Larry Nassar is a typical example of a molester who is skillful at his art of molestation. He is so skilled that he has successfully molested over 265 women. Now, these are known cases. He served as a sports doctor for the Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, using this opportunity to defile young girls.

BBC News reported that Nassar has been jailed for another 40 to 125 years for molesting gymnasts in addition to the 60 years he had on child pornography charges.

There have been weeks of emotional testimony from lots of young athletes victimized by Nassar.

What’s worse? He doesn’t truly understand that what he did was wrong or the devastating effect he has had on the victims, their families and friends, as stated by Judge Janice Cunningham.

Besides Nassar’s jail term, top official at USA Gymnastics and MSU have resigned amidst this case. The entire USA Gymnastics Board has been asked to step down. Several investigations are on to know if complaints from these girls were ignored and by whom.

Survivors of sexual abuse exude raw pain as shown by the testimonies of these brave women who stood up to Nassar. They spoke up, no longer in fear. This has served as a source of inspiration to countless men and women, boys and girls who have been and are victims of sexual abuse.

Speak Up!

In every part of the world, there is a significant number of every country’s population that has been subject to molestation. The majority lives with this pain without speaking up. Are you one of such?

This is the time to speak up! Don’t keep giving sexual molesters an opportunity to thrive and continue to prey on others. If some of these girls had spoken up much earlier against Nassar and their complaints had been taken more seriously by bodies in charge or by their parents, the number of Nassar’s victim would not have skyrocketed to its present figures. He would have been apprehended a long time ago.

If you’re a victim, save yourself and save others from being preyed upon. Speaking up is not easy but look at what speaking up earned Nassar’s victims. Justice! Now is the time to rise and speak up.

Did your kids or students come to you with complaints about some form of sexual abuse? Is your child returning to bad habits that he had left behind before? Is he or she suffering from some sort of withdrawal? Please, please, and please, speak to them and find out what’s wrong. Do not ignore their concerns or complaints. Act quickly. Speak up if your child can’t. Be their voice.

Advice for parents

Some of Nassar’s victims were as young as 9 years old. Others were about 15 or 16. Why was he successful? Why are molesters ever successful? How can you save your kids?

Be their first line of defense

Make them know that they can always come to you. Remember that it is your primary responsibility as a parent to protect your children. Be alert. Discover who are most likely to abuse children and how they go about it.

Give your kids background education

A molester once said: “Give me a child that knows nothing about sex and you’ve given me my next victim”. Give your kids sex education. They are never too young. Let them know where they shouldn’t be touched. Not by their father, uncle, brother, sister, doctor or teacher.

Give them protective tools

One of such tools is the ability to firmly say No! And even scream. Teach him or her to flee. Let them know that they shouldn’t be scared. Do not allow anybody keep singling out your child, always been alone with him or her unnecessarily. Be on guard, be at alert and you’ll protect your children.