Washington D.C., Nov 12, 2011 / 13:21 pm
The Penn State sex abuse scandal is a time both to remember the harm done by abuse and to help abuse victims heal, Catholic writer Dawn Eden said.
“The current stories are heavy on outrage, which is good—the public should be outraged,” Eden wrote Nov. 10 on her blog “The Dawn Patrol.”
“But talking about abuse without giving guidance for those who have suffered it can ultimately re-victimize people who have already been hurt so much—turning them into political footballs, if you will. Those living with the wounds of abuse need to learn that there is hope for healing.”
Priests and other pastoral caregivers should be aware that survivors of childhood sexual abuse are likely to have “highly painful memories” return because of media coverage and they should be prepared to help them.