Empowering Communities to Prevent Youth Victimization and Child Abuse

As a father and grandfather, I am deeply affected by recent revelations of our youth being victimized by those in positions of trust and authority. Clearly, the assurance from town and school officials that they will continue current policies is not enough. This situation must be a learning experience.

Key Questions

• What went wrong to allow this abuse to happen and continue?

• What corrective measures will be put in place to ensure it does not happen again?

Addressing Cultural Issues

At some level, a permissive or tolerant culture may have prevailed. If so, this needs to be rooted out and expunged from our police force and school system.

Moving Forward

As the investigation unfolds, we must ensure it leads to affirmative actions by our trusted institutions. Here are some steps that need to be taken:

• Identify and Address Failures: Understand what went wrong and why.

• Implement Corrective Measures: Put in place policies and practices to prevent future abuse.

• Foster a Culture of Accountability: Ensure that those in positions of trust are held accountable for their actions.As a father and grandfather, recent revelations of our youth being victimized by those in positions of trust and authority affect me deeply and personally.   Clearly town and school officials telling us that they will continue current policies is not enough.  This must be a learning experience.  What went wrong to allow this abuse to happen and continue?  And what corrective measures will be put in place to ensure it does not happen again?

At some level, a permissive, perhaps tolerant culture may have prevailed.  If so, this needs to be rooted out and expunged from our police force and school system.  As the investigation unfolds, we must make sure that it leads to affirmative actions that our trusted institutions implement.