6797159 responses to “Voices From The Classroom”http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldinconversation.org%2F2012%2F01%2F24%2Fvoices-from-the-classroom-91%2FVoices+From+The+Classroom2012-01-25+04%3A14%3A51Lana+Taylorhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldinconversation.org%2F%3Fp%3D6797
As the Sandusky scandal unfolded last semester, it seemed everyone had an opinion. Some were completely consumed with Joe Pa’s involvement, either defending or scorning his actions. Others talked about the student riot. And many others expressed shock and remorse for the victims. However, no matter the perspective, most people broached the topic in the same way, expressing how first and foremost, they “support” the victims. This week, Sam questioned what it means to “support” the victims. This was the first time I had actually thought about this, realizing for many it is an empty promise. How can a person support these victims if they don’t know them? Perhaps, one could broaden the meaning in scope and try to stand for sexual abuse victims as a whole — but this even is an unlikely task. So Sam asked another question. How we will go forward in our lives to recognize victims of child abuse and do something positive for those who are victims?
As of now, I can only reflect on how I have moved forward thus far. I would say I recognized the victims specifically by reading the Grand Jury Report. In doing so, I was able to build a base for empathy. Learning more about the victims experience was imperative, as I have had little exposure to abuse. I was fortunate to enjoy a safe and happy childhood. I doubt I recognized the existence of sexual abuse until I was much older. And it was only until recently, when a friend confided in me, that I ever knew someone who had gone through this experience. So, in order for me to have empathy for these victims of child abuse, I had to first gain a better understanding of what they went through. It is one thing to feel bad or scarred for someone else, and it is another thing to try to sit with what that means, and uphold a sense of compassion for those individuals.
There are few things worse in this world than child abuse. If learning that one of my dearest friends experienced it’s horrors didn’t cause me to pay attention to the issue, then the scandal certainly did. So, when winter break rolled around, I decided to talk to someone who has made a living out of working with victims. I met with a woman who works for the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization that brings interdisciplinary professionals all under one roof to create a safe environment for children to restore their lives. It was an incredible experience speaking with her, but one thing in particular stuck with me. She had told me there was a time in her career when she wanted to give up. She was looking for any job as far away from social work as possible, until she realized something. Whether or not she was working with abused children, they would be suffering. At this point, she made the decision to recognize that while her work was difficult, it was worth it. Before the Sandusky scandal, before speaking with her, I knew I wanted to do something with my life to help people. However, these experiences have reaffirmed by desire to make a difference. My point? Ultimately, I think I can answer Sam’s question by saying, I am going to do something positive for these victims by paying it forward. Upon graduation in May, I am going to work towards doing good for someone somewhere. At least I really really hope I will.
Sam asked the class how we can personally go about our lives while recognizing victims of sexual abuse. I don’t think I can go out of my way to recognize victims of sexual abuse; it’s more like I’ll address it when I see it, or just as importantly, if I know it is occurring (lesson learned from Penn State).
The most important thing is to create awareness. Just because the Penn State community was confronted with the twisted issue of sexual abuse doesn’t mean the whole nation faced it the same way. They got the news snippets, but the PSU community had to wrestle the issues head on because we were at the eye of the storm (yay cliché).
So going forward, awareness is what is most important. And I also now know that I will go to any length to report sexual abuse, even if it means I have to go on Google and search “How the hell do I report sexual abuse ASAP.”
One issue I still need to resolve in my head going forward is the fact that sexual predators might be mentally ill. Is Jerry Sandusky evil? Maybe he was sexually abused or something bad happened that we don’t know about. I’d rather call him sick than evil. Because he is sick, but he probably needs help too, as do all people who sexually abuse someone else. Something is clearly wrong in their head that they think it is acceptable. It’s sad because these are broken human beings. They get sexually stimulated by things that the rest of the world views as terrible, and it’s unfortunate for them because they need help.
Sexual abuse is just a lose-lose for everyone, unless you learn from it properly and deal with it properly. If it wasn’t such a taboo issue, then people could get the help they need if they are sexually abused or if they feel inclined to sexually abuse someone. The more open and transparent the issue, the better off we all are. So moving forward, personally I will try to raise awareness (as in I will open my mouth to speak if the time is right) about sexual abuse.
From readings I have done about sexual abuse since the PSU stuff happened, I’ve read that many sexual predators psychologically believe they have done nothing wrong. This is scary, because who am I to say that they did something wrong. Just because I have the law on my side? If this person sincerely thinks they have done nothing wrong, then I don’t think they are evil, but I am just sad for them. I wish for them that they could just be mentally normal, because many people in the world have died or been harmed as a result of mental illnesses.
The topic of sexual abuse is one that many people simply try to avoid. It seems that no one wants to speak on a topic that carries so much sadness and tragedy, so many feel the best thing to do in total is to simply keep it in the dark. Many do not realize that by keeping it in the dark and not wanting to talk about it, makes victims feel as though they have no where to go. Victims feel like there is no one they can talk to, because no one will understand. Many even think they will be treated as if they did something wrong, as if they were part of the problem. It is vital that they understand they have supporters and they are not alone. As a society we need to stop keeping such a strong and life altering problem that can occur in someone’s life in the dark. I truly admire those people who are able to tell their stories to others who may be going through such a painful experience or have been through the painful experience. I have many family members who have been molested or know someone who has been molested. I know and understand first hand how that can deeply affect a person throughout life. An experience related to molestation is life altering and while some people are able to fight through, there are many people who do not make it. The people I personally know who have been molested have helped me to understand that it was never easy and they struggled day-to-day to make it and not be taken back to the tragedy that occurred in their life. I have always wanted to mentor young people.
Upon initially hearing about the scandal, I did not really know what to think, whose side to take, what to make of the situation, or how to “appropriately” react. I had never imagined something like this ever happening, especially at my school.
Despite the overwhelming controversy that has transpired from the recent events, I believe that there are many important lessons that we can take away from all of this. Although the circumstances are truly unfortunate, I believe that this has been a unique learning experience for all of those close to Penn State (students, faculty, alumni), and even those who are not.
One important lesson is that no matter how well you may think you know a person, you don’t. Unfortunately, many people have a hidden dark side to themselves. I think I can speak for many of us when I say that nobody would have guessed that someone that worked for Penn State for many years and had a good reputation, like Jerry Sandusky, would be an accused sexual predator. Furthermore, nobody would have thought that the former president of our university, Graham Spanier, and legendary coaching staff, including Joe Paterno, would be concealing such profound and grotesque offences. I believe that this presents a significant challenge to many people, and always will, as to whether or not to fully trust those in high places in our university and other universities all across the country.
Another important lesson that we can all take away from this horrible situation is that one bad decision can ultimately destroy a person’s, once stellar, reputation. When I say this, I am primarily speaking about Joe Paterno. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, this university, and this world for that matter, will never think of or know Joe Paterno in the same way that they had for over six decades. Although Joe may have fulfilled his legal obligations in this situation, many still believe that there was more he could have done (which he also admitted himself). As we all know, this controversy led to the termination of Joe’s long held position as head football coach for the Nittany Lions. Although I do not agree with the way in which he was fired (over a phone call), I do believe that the university was left with no other choice.
In regard to the victims in this situation, I believe that it is extremely important that we, as a university, reach out to them and offer our support. I can not ever imagine going through the trauma that they endured. At the same time, I think it is important that we recognize the severity of this issue and increase awareness about it on a large scale. We, as students at a large university, have the power to make a significant difference.
I feel as though people can find a way to persuade the victims to open up more about their situations so that they aren't scared by it for the rest of their lives. I believe that when victims of sexual abuse keep their problems bottled up they then prepare themselves for future problems and then they end up hurting other people because of whatever issues they may have faced in the past. I believe that if people open they're ears and they're hearts to hear a victims story then the victims wouldn't hurt as much. Victims need to also feel comfortable enough to want to share their stories, so people need to also be willing to listen. Maybe Victims feel as though the reason for them being a target of abuse is their own fault. They need to be told otherwise and also comforted by others when they're in tough situations. If people are willing to hear a victim's story without taunting them then that would make Victims be more open about certain things, and that would decrease any future strife.
With the news of the Sandusky sex abuse scandal that arose last semester, the issue of sexual abuse has been brought to the surface of many people’s minds. Whereas many students at Penn State have probably not had to think much into this topic in the past, the issue of “what would you have done” in regards to this scandal has presented itself. People can ponder all they want over the actions that they would have taken if they were in McQueary or Coach Paterno’s shoes, but these thoughts are all HYPOTHESES. No one knows what they would have done if they witnessed an adult committing a sexual act on a child, unless they have found themselves in that situation in the past. What is more important than mulling over what one would have done, is to think about what one CAN do, to prevent the sexual abuse of children.
As a future human service professional, I will be required to report any suspected child abuse, whether sexual, physical, or emotional, because of mandated reporting laws. Once I become a licensed counselor, protecting children, and anyone who I learn is being abused, becomes a part of my job. I believe that all people should be held to this standard. People might feel that since a counselor is more likely to hear of abuse, he or she SHOULD be legally required to report it, however ANYONE has the potential to learn that someone is being abused. Your friend may confide in you that he or she has been hitting his or her kid, or you may walk in on a coworker sexually abusing someone. If either of these situations were to occur, YOU have the knowledge, and the law should require you to do something about it. One thing that I have realized from this scandal is that we cannot rely on a person’s morals and values alone when it comes to the reporting of child abuse, which is why I believe that the law needs to step in.
Another thing that is important to remember when news of an alleged sexual abuse arises is to promote the wellbeing of the survivors. Embarrassingly enough, when news of the Sandusky scandal came out, I overheard some comments that I could not believe came out of the mouths of Penn State students. Some people talked about the violent nature of these crimes so lightly (and graphically), that I was disgusted and appalled. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and believing that this is their way of coping with such a shocking situation. I can only imagine how hard it was for these survivors to come forward with their stories and re-live the horrific details of the abuse that was done to them. We need to stand by these brave people and support them through this hard time.
It’s a tough situation for all of us at this time. I didn’t come from a family of Penn State alumni, in fact I’m the first person I knew to attend this school. I’ve never truly known a feeling of true Penn State pride that some people eagerly boast about endlessly. So when I walk in to a party in my hometown and I have to hear multiple child molester jokes, I cringe. What happened wasn’t right, but something inside me tells me to defend the school that I’ve grown and learned so much in the past four years. I think the focus needs to be taken away from our school, the focus needs to be put on these poor children who’s lives were ruined, those poor families that can’t forgive themselves for trusting such a monster. The focus needs to be on the disgusting and terrible things that Sandusky is made of. We can’t sit around and point fingers, for the families that were so naïve, the children that couldn’t speak up, the faculty that failed to stop the first instant they ever heard a cry for help. I think the best way to do this moving forward, is to get these victims to testify, and if they have the strength, testify on national television- letting the world know what they suffered through, how shattered their lives have become because of such a horrible man. People need to see the human side of this story, not just the one liner jokes, or not just Joe Pa’s face. The benefits of shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is that it touches people, it makes them realize how detrimental sexual assault and rape truly are. It makes people aware, and suspicious, and that’s a scripted television show. So what if the world could see the human side of this story? See the tears from grown adults looking back on a childhood of harm due to this disgusting man. It would be brutal to watch, but I think it would echo in a majority of the world’s heads for a very long time.
I think that child abuse is very relevant to the Penn State community recently because of the Jerry Sandusky case. It is disgusting to think that there are people out there that take advantage of children's lack of knowledge and experience. I can not imagine being a child that was getting abused. If you think about it what would you do as a child? You don’t know what is right or wrong. The child has to be completely confused and unsure of what is happening. For this reason I believe that the best way to prevent child abuse is to educate children about what is considered appropriate touching and what is inappropriate. Furthermore the children should be informed about the steps that they should take if there ever was an incident and how to remove themselves from the situation immediately. The children should be taught to inform their parents or the local authority if there is any suspicious activity. If the children that Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually assaulted had the knowledge to know that what was going on was wrong and how to respond to the reaction, Jerry would not have been able to continue his disgusting actions with multiple children. I think that this is the only way to reduce the risk of children being taken advantage of and abused. There is no realistic way for us to know who is a pedophile and who is not. It’s not something that the messed up individuals are willing to admit. By educating the children about inappropriate advances from adults, we can dramatically reduce the number of child abuse incidents. Furthermore, pedophiles should be given harsher punishments in an attempt to deter child abuse out of fear of receiving the harsh punishment. I also believe that parents have a responsibility to make sure that their children are safe at all times. This means doing background checks on babysitters, camp counselors, etc. Parents should never leave their child unattended with someone that they can not trust. In essence the best way to reduce and hopefully eliminate child abuse is to use a combination of the three strategies: educating the children, harsher punishments as a deterrent, and responsible parenting.
As the Sandusky scandal unfolded last semester, it seemed everyone had an opinion. Some were completely consumed with Joe Pa’s involvement, either defending or scorning his actions. Others talked about the student riot. And many others expressed shock and remorse for the victims. However, no matter the perspective, most people broached the topic in the same way, expressing how first and foremost, they “support” the victims. This week, Sam questioned what it means to “support” the victims. This was the first time I had actually thought about this, realizing for many it is an empty promise. How can a person support these victims if they don’t know them? Perhaps, one could broaden the meaning in scope and try to stand for sexual abuse victims as a whole — but this even is an unlikely task. So Sam asked another question. How we will go forward in our lives to recognize victims of child abuse and do something positive for those who are victims?
As of now, I can only reflect on how I have moved forward thus far. I would say I recognized the victims specifically by reading the Grand Jury Report. In doing so, I was able to build a base for empathy. Learning more about the victims experience was imperative, as I have had little exposure to abuse. I was fortunate to enjoy a safe and happy childhood. I doubt I recognized the existence of sexual abuse until I was much older. And it was only until recently, when a friend confided in me, that I ever knew someone who had gone through this experience. So, in order for me to have empathy for these victims of child abuse, I had to first gain a better understanding of what they went through. It is one thing to feel bad or scarred for someone else, and it is another thing to try to sit with what that means, and uphold a sense of compassion for those individuals.
There are few things worse in this world than child abuse. If learning that one of my dearest friends experienced it’s horrors didn’t cause me to pay attention to the issue, then the scandal certainly did. So, when winter break rolled around, I decided to talk to someone who has made a living out of working with victims. I met with a woman who works for the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization that brings interdisciplinary professionals all under one roof to create a safe environment for children to restore their lives. It was an incredible experience speaking with her, but one thing in particular stuck with me. She had told me there was a time in her career when she wanted to give up. She was looking for any job as far away from social work as possible, until she realized something. Whether or not she was working with abused children, they would be suffering. At this point, she made the decision to recognize that while her work was difficult, it was worth it. Before the Sandusky scandal, before speaking with her, I knew I wanted to do something with my life to help people. However, these experiences have reaffirmed by desire to make a difference. My point? Ultimately, I think I can answer Sam’s question by saying, I am going to do something positive for these victims by paying it forward. Upon graduation in May, I am going to work towards doing good for someone somewhere. At least I really really hope I will.
Sam asked the class how we can personally go about our lives while recognizing victims of sexual abuse. I don’t think I can go out of my way to recognize victims of sexual abuse; it’s more like I’ll address it when I see it, or just as importantly, if I know it is occurring (lesson learned from Penn State).
The most important thing is to create awareness. Just because the Penn State community was confronted with the twisted issue of sexual abuse doesn’t mean the whole nation faced it the same way. They got the news snippets, but the PSU community had to wrestle the issues head on because we were at the eye of the storm (yay cliché).
So going forward, awareness is what is most important. And I also now know that I will go to any length to report sexual abuse, even if it means I have to go on Google and search “How the hell do I report sexual abuse ASAP.”
One issue I still need to resolve in my head going forward is the fact that sexual predators might be mentally ill. Is Jerry Sandusky evil? Maybe he was sexually abused or something bad happened that we don’t know about. I’d rather call him sick than evil. Because he is sick, but he probably needs help too, as do all people who sexually abuse someone else. Something is clearly wrong in their head that they think it is acceptable. It’s sad because these are broken human beings. They get sexually stimulated by things that the rest of the world views as terrible, and it’s unfortunate for them because they need help.
Sexual abuse is just a lose-lose for everyone, unless you learn from it properly and deal with it properly. If it wasn’t such a taboo issue, then people could get the help they need if they are sexually abused or if they feel inclined to sexually abuse someone. The more open and transparent the issue, the better off we all are. So moving forward, personally I will try to raise awareness (as in I will open my mouth to speak if the time is right) about sexual abuse.
From readings I have done about sexual abuse since the PSU stuff happened, I’ve read that many sexual predators psychologically believe they have done nothing wrong. This is scary, because who am I to say that they did something wrong. Just because I have the law on my side? If this person sincerely thinks they have done nothing wrong, then I don’t think they are evil, but I am just sad for them. I wish for them that they could just be mentally normal, because many people in the world have died or been harmed as a result of mental illnesses.
The topic of sexual abuse is one that many people simply try to avoid. It seems that no one wants to speak on a topic that carries so much sadness and tragedy, so many feel the best thing to do in total is to simply keep it in the dark. Many do not realize that by keeping it in the dark and not wanting to talk about it, makes victims feel as though they have no where to go. Victims feel like there is no one they can talk to, because no one will understand. Many even think they will be treated as if they did something wrong, as if they were part of the problem. It is vital that they understand they have supporters and they are not alone. As a society we need to stop keeping such a strong and life altering problem that can occur in someone’s life in the dark. I truly admire those people who are able to tell their stories to others who may be going through such a painful experience or have been through the painful experience. I have many family members who have been molested or know someone who has been molested. I know and understand first hand how that can deeply affect a person throughout life. An experience related to molestation is life altering and while some people are able to fight through, there are many people who do not make it. The people I personally know who have been molested have helped me to understand that it was never easy and they struggled day-to-day to make it and not be taken back to the tragedy that occurred in their life. I have always wanted to mentor young people.
Upon initially hearing about the scandal, I did not really know what to think, whose side to take, what to make of the situation, or how to “appropriately” react. I had never imagined something like this ever happening, especially at my school.
Despite the overwhelming controversy that has transpired from the recent events, I believe that there are many important lessons that we can take away from all of this. Although the circumstances are truly unfortunate, I believe that this has been a unique learning experience for all of those close to Penn State (students, faculty, alumni), and even those who are not.
One important lesson is that no matter how well you may think you know a person, you don’t. Unfortunately, many people have a hidden dark side to themselves. I think I can speak for many of us when I say that nobody would have guessed that someone that worked for Penn State for many years and had a good reputation, like Jerry Sandusky, would be an accused sexual predator. Furthermore, nobody would have thought that the former president of our university, Graham Spanier, and legendary coaching staff, including Joe Paterno, would be concealing such profound and grotesque offences. I believe that this presents a significant challenge to many people, and always will, as to whether or not to fully trust those in high places in our university and other universities all across the country.
Another important lesson that we can all take away from this horrible situation is that one bad decision can ultimately destroy a person’s, once stellar, reputation. When I say this, I am primarily speaking about Joe Paterno. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, this university, and this world for that matter, will never think of or know Joe Paterno in the same way that they had for over six decades. Although Joe may have fulfilled his legal obligations in this situation, many still believe that there was more he could have done (which he also admitted himself). As we all know, this controversy led to the termination of Joe’s long held position as head football coach for the Nittany Lions. Although I do not agree with the way in which he was fired (over a phone call), I do believe that the university was left with no other choice.
In regard to the victims in this situation, I believe that it is extremely important that we, as a university, reach out to them and offer our support. I can not ever imagine going through the trauma that they endured. At the same time, I think it is important that we recognize the severity of this issue and increase awareness about it on a large scale. We, as students at a large university, have the power to make a significant difference.
I feel as though people can find a way to persuade the victims to open up more about their situations so that they aren't scared by it for the rest of their lives. I believe that when victims of sexual abuse keep their problems bottled up they then prepare themselves for future problems and then they end up hurting other people because of whatever issues they may have faced in the past. I believe that if people open they're ears and they're hearts to hear a victims story then the victims wouldn't hurt as much. Victims need to also feel comfortable enough to want to share their stories, so people need to also be willing to listen. Maybe Victims feel as though the reason for them being a target of abuse is their own fault. They need to be told otherwise and also comforted by others when they're in tough situations. If people are willing to hear a victim's story without taunting them then that would make Victims be more open about certain things, and that would decrease any future strife.
With the news of the Sandusky sex abuse scandal that arose last semester, the issue of sexual abuse has been brought to the surface of many people’s minds. Whereas many students at Penn State have probably not had to think much into this topic in the past, the issue of “what would you have done” in regards to this scandal has presented itself. People can ponder all they want over the actions that they would have taken if they were in McQueary or Coach Paterno’s shoes, but these thoughts are all HYPOTHESES. No one knows what they would have done if they witnessed an adult committing a sexual act on a child, unless they have found themselves in that situation in the past. What is more important than mulling over what one would have done, is to think about what one CAN do, to prevent the sexual abuse of children.
As a future human service professional, I will be required to report any suspected child abuse, whether sexual, physical, or emotional, because of mandated reporting laws. Once I become a licensed counselor, protecting children, and anyone who I learn is being abused, becomes a part of my job. I believe that all people should be held to this standard. People might feel that since a counselor is more likely to hear of abuse, he or she SHOULD be legally required to report it, however ANYONE has the potential to learn that someone is being abused. Your friend may confide in you that he or she has been hitting his or her kid, or you may walk in on a coworker sexually abusing someone. If either of these situations were to occur, YOU have the knowledge, and the law should require you to do something about it. One thing that I have realized from this scandal is that we cannot rely on a person’s morals and values alone when it comes to the reporting of child abuse, which is why I believe that the law needs to step in.
Another thing that is important to remember when news of an alleged sexual abuse arises is to promote the wellbeing of the survivors. Embarrassingly enough, when news of the Sandusky scandal came out, I overheard some comments that I could not believe came out of the mouths of Penn State students. Some people talked about the violent nature of these crimes so lightly (and graphically), that I was disgusted and appalled. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and believing that this is their way of coping with such a shocking situation. I can only imagine how hard it was for these survivors to come forward with their stories and re-live the horrific details of the abuse that was done to them. We need to stand by these brave people and support them through this hard time.
It’s a tough situation for all of us at this time. I didn’t come from a family of Penn State alumni, in fact I’m the first person I knew to attend this school. I’ve never truly known a feeling of true Penn State pride that some people eagerly boast about endlessly. So when I walk in to a party in my hometown and I have to hear multiple child molester jokes, I cringe. What happened wasn’t right, but something inside me tells me to defend the school that I’ve grown and learned so much in the past four years. I think the focus needs to be taken away from our school, the focus needs to be put on these poor children who’s lives were ruined, those poor families that can’t forgive themselves for trusting such a monster. The focus needs to be on the disgusting and terrible things that Sandusky is made of. We can’t sit around and point fingers, for the families that were so naïve, the children that couldn’t speak up, the faculty that failed to stop the first instant they ever heard a cry for help. I think the best way to do this moving forward, is to get these victims to testify, and if they have the strength, testify on national television- letting the world know what they suffered through, how shattered their lives have become because of such a horrible man. People need to see the human side of this story, not just the one liner jokes, or not just Joe Pa’s face. The benefits of shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is that it touches people, it makes them realize how detrimental sexual assault and rape truly are. It makes people aware, and suspicious, and that’s a scripted television show. So what if the world could see the human side of this story? See the tears from grown adults looking back on a childhood of harm due to this disgusting man. It would be brutal to watch, but I think it would echo in a majority of the world’s heads for a very long time.
I think that child abuse is very relevant to the Penn State community recently because of the Jerry Sandusky case. It is disgusting to think that there are people out there that take advantage of children's lack of knowledge and experience. I can not imagine being a child that was getting abused. If you think about it what would you do as a child? You don’t know what is right or wrong. The child has to be completely confused and unsure of what is happening. For this reason I believe that the best way to prevent child abuse is to educate children about what is considered appropriate touching and what is inappropriate. Furthermore the children should be informed about the steps that they should take if there ever was an incident and how to remove themselves from the situation immediately. The children should be taught to inform their parents or the local authority if there is any suspicious activity. If the children that Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually assaulted had the knowledge to know that what was going on was wrong and how to respond to the reaction, Jerry would not have been able to continue his disgusting actions with multiple children. I think that this is the only way to reduce the risk of children being taken advantage of and abused. There is no realistic way for us to know who is a pedophile and who is not. It’s not something that the messed up individuals are willing to admit. By educating the children about inappropriate advances from adults, we can dramatically reduce the number of child abuse incidents. Furthermore, pedophiles should be given harsher punishments in an attempt to deter child abuse out of fear of receiving the harsh punishment. I also believe that parents have a responsibility to make sure that their children are safe at all times. This means doing background checks on babysitters, camp counselors, etc. Parents should never leave their child unattended with someone that they can not trust. In essence the best way to reduce and hopefully eliminate child abuse is to use a combination of the three strategies: educating the children, harsher punishments as a deterrent, and responsible parenting.