Child Sexual Abuse: Don ’ t Hide Your Head in the Sand

Right as the Summer Olympic Games started in Rio, the IndyStar reported that USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics, ignored sexual abuse allegations filed against coaches. Complaints were reportedly filed against more than 50 gymnastics coaches, but authorities were not contacted about the complaints if they did not come directly from a victim or her parents. Three of those coaches have since been convicted, while a fourth killed himself in jail. Before I mention any details, I have to give a trigger warning to trauma survivors. This news brought up a lot of poignant, ugly feelings for me. In the case of one coach, USA Gymnastics (USAG) received at least four complaints against William McCabe, according to the IndyStar. In 1998, then-gym owner Dan Dickey told the organization in a letter that McCabe “should be locked in a cage before someone is raped.” He also mentioned that he fired McCabe when another staff member claimed he had bragged that he had a 15-year-old in her underwear and that he was hopeful he would “f— her very soon.” Federal charges weren’t brought against McCabe until 2006. He was charged with molesting girls, secretly videotaping them while nude, and posting naked photos of them on the Internet. He pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and making false statements and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. IndyStar filed a motion to make the USAG’s other 50 abuse files public, but a judge has not yet ruled in t...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Bullying Children and Teens General Inspiration & Hope Motivation and Inspiration Parenting Personal Policy and Advocacy PTSD Sports Students Trauma Child Abuse Child Sexual Abuse Childhood Trauma coaches Darkness to Light Source Type: blogs