Psychologists don’t know much about why people have age-based sexual attractions – such as pedophilia – or how best to help people not act on sexual interests in children.
The royal commission has presented a socially and historically contextualised understanding of child sexual abuse.
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By placing institutional abuse within its larger context, the royal commission has made the prevention and identification of child sex offending a collective responsibility.
Leaders are responsible for the culture and specific practices of their organisation, and they can do much to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse.
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‘Suitability’ checks in organisations are important but have limitations in screening out child sex offenders. Leaders need to change how they approach the issue.
Anthony Foster’s attention to detail and his clarity about the evil perpetrated in the systematic institutional abuse of children was often the object of media analysis.
In a town still reeling, writing is helping to empower women.
George Pell’s evidence, which implied that children’s complaints of abuse were widely disbelieved ‘back then’, overlooks the long history of successful prosecutions.
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George Pell told the royal commission into child sex abuse the Catholic Church was predisposed not to believe children’s complaints. But, when abuse was reported, police and the courts believed them.
Not all paedophiles act on their attraction.
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The sexual abuse of children is, understandably, a key concern for the public. But misperceptions about those who perpetrate it abound in public debate.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not report child abuse to authorities. Instead, they convene an in-house judicial committee, which is fraught with difficulty because they rely on a “two-witness rule”.
The many people who are mourning the loss of Phil Walsh should also reflect on what we as a society can do to help families avoid such tragedies.
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The killing of Phil Walsh is a tragedy for his family and the football community. It should also lead us to question whether we do enough to support families before the issues they face spiral out of control.
The cast have made a personal and emotional sacrifice in entering into the nightmare world of Jimmy Savile. And for that, they deserve our respect and praise.