Chip Minemyer: Ongoing efforts to absolve Sandusky a slap in the face to all victims

Nov. 13—As sure as the 10th anniversary of Jerry Sandusky's November 2011 indictment for child sexual abuse sparked media reports looking back at that scandal and analyzing what has transpired since, the milestone has also produced a resurgence from those embracing the counter narrative that Sandusky and Penn State did nothing wrong.

For every victim who finds the courage to come forward and confront his or her abuser, and for every advocate who has taken up the cause of supporting those who have suffered physical and mental violations, there is someone working just as hard to push the issue back into the shadows — where only the abusers are protected.

Here are the facts: The former Penn State assistant football coach was indicted for sexually abusing boys in his care, was convicted in 2012 on 45 criminal counts and remains in the state correctional system — despite numerous attempts to win him a new trial or to declare his conviction invalid.

And, three high-ranking Penn State administrators were also charged for their roles in the Sandusky scandal and all served time in jail.

Quickly after Sandusky's indictment and the firing of longtime head coach Joe Paterno, and especially after the 2012 Freeh Report that linked Paterno and others to the abuse case, defending the football program and Paterno's image by defending Sandusky become a rallying cry.

And those efforts to reverse the narrative continue — even after Penn State has clearly moved forward by enacting policies designed to protect children and others, and after Penn State followed the appropriate strategy of putting the victims first in the university's extensive response.

Child sexual abuse — along with rape, sexual harassment and related issues — is not a Penn State problem, it is a societal crisis.

The abusers have included pastors and priests, doctors, coaches, trainers, teachers, counselors, youth leaders and victims' own relatives — and most often the abuse is committed by adult men.

Here are some additional important facts, provided by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN):

n Every 68 seconds in this country, someone is sexually assaulted;

n Every nine minutes in this country, a child is victimized sexually;

n Only 25 of every 1,000 rapists will end up in prison.

The decade since Sandusky has seen increased focus on sex crimes, including child abuse, but extending to areas such as human trafficking.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape cites studies showing that children and teens are at the highest risk of abuse or exploitation.

The facts shared by PCAR include these:

n Most child victims know their abusers, with crimes committed by parents or step-parents, neighbors or other trusted adults.

n Many teenage victims were first abused when they were under 10 years of age.

n Victims of child sexual abuse are at higher risk for psychological disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for substance abuse.

n Only one in 12 child victims feels empowered to report the abuse to an adult.

PCAR said: "Caring adults must learn to spot behavior changes, listen to children and act to protect them from abuse. We must all create a space where children are safe, valued and believed."

And yet, organizations such as the Cambria County Circle of Support child advocacy center say they're seeing more abuse cases and that the severity of the alleged abuse has increased.

On this issue, we've got a long way to go.

At Penn State, the institutional failing was a lack of response — based on fundamental requirements of Title IX, which calls for reporting of incidents of sexual discrimination and misconduct, and based on basic human dignity and responsibility.

The university has said no thanks to repeated requests by our reporters to discuss the response to the Sandusky scandal, and that is unfortunate.

There is a positive story to be told at Penn State — one of a tragic situation prompting necessary change that should be a model for other colleges and organizations.

And a story of how a sex-abuse scandal rocked an enormous organization to its core, and prompted a response build upon compassion and acknowledged culpability.

Rodney Erickson, Penn State president from November 2011 through 2014, guided his university through its response — with considerable help from faculty, students and other key leaders.

"One of the things I felt was most important was to show the respect for the victims and the victims' families, in terms of providing them with access to free counseling and things like that," Erickson told me in an exclusive interview in late summer.

"But in terms of achieving settlements with the victims, to move that through the adjudication process without having to drag them through court proceedings and things like that, I think that worked out very well. By the time I left office, we had settled the bulk of the cases."

He added: "I think that kind of model became one that was used, and is being used, at other universities ... for dealing respectfully, fairly, appropriately with the victims of abuse."

Penn State organized a national conference on child abuse, completed what Erickson called "a re-look at all of our policies," made security upgrades at various facilities and expanded background checks and other clearance measures, and Penn State moved quickly to negotiate settlements with Sandusky's victims.

Erickson said the university took measured steps to "recognize what the victims had already been through, without the specter of putting them through additional abuse, as it were, reliving and going through every aspect of what had happened in their lives."

As a society, we should follow that example — believing and supporting victims, empowering them to confront their attackers, and providing them with a system for achieving justice.

Any effort to rewrite the Sandusky narrative is a slap in the face for those who have already suffered the unthinkable.

Chip Minemyer is the editor and general manager of The Tribune-Democrat and TribDem.com, GM of The Times-News of Cumberland, Md., and CNHI regional editor for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina. He can be reached at 814-532-5091. Follow him on Twitter @MinemyerChip.