Here we go, another round, suggesting perhaps that a few wannabe commentators here might rather check their facts, which is the core issue being addressed, rather than sit there 'empathising' with intellectual constructs and from that launching ad hominem attacks.

Again, no 'research' on children merely observations while raising my own kids, working with other parents, all the kids growing up together and now already graduated from university or in their final years, the remainder with good, well-paying jobs.

On that basis, combined with recognised qualifications in the field, twice now, leading to a Masters in Criminal Justice again focused on the same issues still being raised, with extensive theoretical knowledge backed up by years of field data, postgraduate training in ethics and research method at not one but FOUR universities, and in a position to call seriously into question continuing claims concerning the long term effects of so-called 'child sexual abuse'.

There are many, many others in the same position, even to the point of exposing the trauma myth itself, not at any time arguing that sex between adults and children is right, only that the risk to children is minimal, at most 0.08 in 10,000 for boys and about 10 times that for girls, while in all other measures of violence, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect it is still boys who are the primary victim -, exposing the dodgy business practices of so-called 'child protection' advocates obsessing solely with sex, exposing the shonky politics and even worse record of state-sponsored 'child protection' agencies, arguing repeatedly and on good evidence that the safety of children lies in effective parenting, nothing else.

But, regardless, demonstrably effective parents were being arrested and treated as child abusers anyway, not because any child even remotely associated with them was abused but because they dared to raise their head and publically disagree with not just the policy but with the hysteria behind it, and were prepared to present evidence to back their argument.

We can even demonstrate that over the past 50-60 years children have been at 14 times greater risk of being sexually abused in the general society than in the Catholic Church. The Christian Brothers especially were known for their beatings and cruelty, other orders as well as Protestants for their strictness especially during the Nationalist period in Australia from 1915 to the 1930s, when kids really did cop it. But there was certainly very little sexual abuse apart from the goings-on among the boys themselves

Successive governments all the way from the 1860s all the way through to the 1980s, further, routinely abducted children from their parents, not only Aboriginal kids but English children who were transported all the way out here, and to Canada and all sorts of places, where they were thrown into big empty houses set up as 'orphanages', 'workhouses' and 'dormitories', whatever was available, often not even allowed to talk to one another, thrashed and humiliated, locked under stairs, had their soiled sheets wrapped around them and paraded about when they wet the bed.

But instead of focussing on real cruelty to children, all that is swept aside by hysteria that somebody touched some boy's willy, or the front of his pants. I mean, get a grip. I'll refer you to Freda Briggs for the details on boys in institutions, if you don't already know. If I say anything I'll be censored all over again.

In this respect especially I have come to regard the recent succession of governments generally, and Labor governments in particular, with loathing and disgust. Not has such a regime of ignorance and fear been propagated since Senator Joseph Macarthy. Then it was reds under the bed, now it's paeds under the bed, all to keep covering up what was done in fact beyond a series of Royal Commissions since conveniently shelved.

In the meantime, all this research funding is wasted trying to identify some bloke who might occasionally think about kids the same age as as he was when somebody gave him a blow job, or so they claim. Mate, there is more than enough clear and direct evidence to prove what actually happened and its long term effects. Why make up all this new stuff, then seek to show that's what the problem was, not what everyone knows already?

Two questions. First, how does all this make children safer? Second, how are children to be protected from all these new 'child protection' bureaucrats and activists when 150 years of real children's history in this country and overseas has demonstrated that it was they who were the primary abusers?

Well, my kids are both over 6' 3" now, well able to protect themselves and their Dad in the bargain. So I don't worry about them any more. Back then, on the other hand, I had to take them out of two schools where they were being bullied and abused because mixed-race Chinese, until I found a small country school finally allowing them to simply be children. My eldest came home after the first week grinning from ear to ear now that he found other kids happy to be his friend.

Tells you something, doesn't it?

That's where its all at, nowhere else.

I raise my challenge again for a national public debate on these issues.

No doubt, however, I'll only get yet another email saying my post was deleted and referring me to some 'community standards' page. I'd go there and look at if if I thought they remotely had standards or knew what they were, and something was to be gained from the exercise.

Thank you Rhys. I am the Mother of an eldest son who took his life 19 years ago because of undisclosed sexual abuse from at least the age of 10 years by our then next door neighbour. The greatest sadness for me is that as his Mother, I had no idea this was occurring and found out in January 2012 and only then because another one of his victims who had been trying over a six year period to be heard, finally had Judicial notice taken. The abuser has very successfully avoided his Trial this week and will in all probability continue to be successful in avoiding facing those victims, who have managed to go on living!!!! In my opinion there can be no greater crime than to constantly and continually premeditatively rob a child/children of their innocence, to facilitate one's own self gratification through profound acts of exploitation. We as a society need to protect all our children, however particuarly those who are shy, quiet, sensitive and vulnerable who are more easily exploited. Yvette.

I grew up in a religious tradition that allowed its ministers to be married. Their being married with children seems to have made those ministers better role models than most, perhaps all, celibate priests I have encountered.

It is time that the Roman church gave up the offensive pretence of celibacy of their clergy. There is little evidence that it helps their clerics in any way to be better ministers and much reason to suppose that it contributes greatly to the likelihood of sexual and other abuse.

Went to see an incredible play on male sexual abuse last night in NYC. Here's a review. http://stopabusecampaign.com/feature/go-see-for-petes-sake