As journalists, we make a living reporting about the wreckage caused by peoples' actions, like Penn State's Joe Paterno.
There will always be questions about why he didn't call police when he learned his assistant coach might be molesting boys. If the allegations are true, Paterno and others did nothing while the rapes went on for years. One of the most alarming accusations says university employees knew "Victim 8" was being assaulted in the shower but didn't call 911 because they were afraid "they might lose their jobs."
Every parent should read the grand jury report (if they can stomach the graphic content) to see how a predator got away with it for so long. As crime reporters, we get so used to people lying to us that we always look for twisted truths. But most parents aren't so distrusting - as seen in the grand jury report. It reveals how parents swept suspicions aside and never seriously tried to answer disturbing questions - questions that could protect your child:
Why does this adult give my child gifts for no reason?
Is my child acting out when seeing this adult?
Is an adult spending odd hours with my child, like taking them out of school?
Is something "off" about my child's appearance, like disheveled clothes or wet hair, after being with this adult?
If this scandal has a redeeming side, it's that maybe we'll be better equipped to identify predators...and also compelled to protect children - even if they're not ours.
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