With Jerry Sandusky being convicted on 45 of 48 counts of child sex abuse Friday night, child molestation is a big topic right now. And it’s everywhere in society; not just at Penn State or in college football locker rooms. Former ESPN First Take co-host Dana Jacobson writes in her blog that she was molested as a child. Courageous for her to speak publicly about this.
The following comes from a blog written by former ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson.
The Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse trial is over. The long road to recovery for his victims, is just beginning.
I should know, as it’s a path I’m currently traveling.
Like the young men who bravely took the stand in the Sandusky trial, I was molested as a child. That’s still not easy for me to say, let alone write and share publicly, but if we’ve learned anything from the Sandusky scandal it’s that the time for silence is over. As I heard one Sandusky victim put it, it’s time to “find my voice.”
It was something I couldn’t do when I was molested. I didn’t speak out, no matter how many chances I may have had. I just couldn’t. Travis Weaver, one of the young men who testified in front of the grand jury in the Sandusky case but not at trial did an interview which aired on Rock Center last week. He said he was scared to say anything because he thought no one would believe him. I know that feeling.
That’s what these monsters count on, our silence. They have the power and they know it.
In my case, my monster was a babysitter, a neighborhood teen that my parents and others trusted. I had been told to obey him, like any other babysitter or authority figure. Forget the shame, fear, and overwhelming confusion that went along with the sexual abuse, we both knew that he was the one in charge. Is it any wonder my silence came so easily?
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Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, MSN, Walter Football and Yardbarker
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too