For those in these sad and painful documentaries, support and understanding have been abundant among strangers, abuse survivors and advocates fighting sexual violence. Shaming or condemning the parents of child victims is one of those things “offenders exactly want to happen,” said Deblinger-Sosland and other experts. “They want the blame to be not on them.”A majority of offenders are known to child victims and their families. When a child discloses sexual abuse, Deblinger-Sosland said, they often do so to their mothers. In the case of high-profile child sexual abuse perpetrators, the feeling of being singled out for special treatment — parents and children alike — makes parents vulnerable to missing warning signs that might seem obvious to others, she said.

Source: National Post March 20, 2019 16:30 UTC