One of the chapters of my upcoming book deals with what I call Institutional Rot, that is, why “good” people do and say bad things in the name of the institution and how children are caught in the crossfire. For an institutional culture to have this kind of crisis, the direction—or I should say, misdirection—has…Continue reading In crisis, Francis fails
The sexual abuse of teens by powerful adults (teachers, coaches, priests, family members) is a trauma double whammy: teens damaged by the abuse AND they are often blamed for the abuse by community members who say that the teen wanted it, was a slut, or should have known better. What these people don’t understand—but predators…Continue reading Predators, Alcohol and Teens … a deadly combination
I’ll be in Honolulu next week to talk about child sex abuse, the Hawaii civil window, victims rights and abuse prevention. If you are in the area, I hope you can join us. Here are the details. The event is free and open to the public. The Unspeakable Crime: Childhood Sexual Abuse Panel …Continue reading Upcoming Panel in Honolulu: Civil Window, Victims Rights, Prevention
Crozier priest Father Jerry Funcheon, who is the subject of the first lawsuit filed under Hawaii’s civil window, is back in the news – this time because Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis church officials “forgot” to put him on a website that lists abusive clerics. Church documents show that Funcheon may have abused up…Continue reading Gerald Funcheon is back in the news
It’s like having a public swimming pool without a life preserver … A story out of St. Paul, MN, is a latest example of why so-called “Safe Environment” programs create a false sense of security and may even protect child predators. The predator in this case was Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, a now-convicted child offender who is…Continue reading Safe environment programs: Safe for predators, not so much for kids
*This is the first in a series of posts on Resources for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse* Finding a good therapist and getting help can be the best decisions a survivor makes. But the process can also be maddening. Referrals from Family and Friends Before launching an online search using the links below,…Continue reading Resources: How do I get therapeutic help?
Fox11 news coverage of yesterday’s press conference: Los Angeles Local News | FOX 11 LA KTTV
I knew I wasn’t crazy to propose a book on child safety. I am very proud of how the completed proposal for THE WELL-ARMORED CHILD: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER FROM ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION has turned out. I received help from some extraordinary folks, who pushed me to go further and create a…Continue reading THE WELL-ARMORED CHILD Book Proposal is already gaining interest …
Yesterday’s big settlement announcement raised a question for me: What about the wives? One of the perpetrators who was a part of the settlement, Michael Nocita, has now been sued by four different women for sexual abuse. He was removed from ministry and laicized. The Archdiocese has paid out big money to his victims. It’s…Continue reading What about the wives?
This just arrived in my inbox Media Advisory February 18, 2014 Sexual Abuse Survivors Settle with Los Angeles Archdiocese Archdiocese used therapy scam to defraud victims of civil rights Cardinal, Bishop thwarted police, helped criminal priest escape US What: At a news conference Wednesday sexual abuse survivors and their attorneys, Anthony DeMarco and…Continue reading Victims Settle With LA Archdiocese for $13 Million
A big question I get from parents is: How can I keep my child safe? While I have a book on the subject coming out soon, there is one thing we can all do right now to make our kids safer: Go with your gut. If you are in a situation and things seem odd,…Continue reading Prevent abuse: Go with your gut
Bishops are very quick divert attention from their role in the cover-up of sex abuse by pointing fingers at public schools, where there is another, very real child sex abuse crisis. But why haven’t the bishops helped to publicly fund or support any legislation that helps victims in public schools? Why haven’t they spoken out…Continue reading The victims’ movement doesn’t discriminate
Speakers will include John L. Allen, Jr., Associate Editor for Catholic news at The Boston Globe and founder of the Vatican beat for National Catholic Reporter, and Fr. Thomas Reese, NCR’s Senior Analyst and author of The Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. I did an MSNBC interview with Reese last month and he…Continue reading VOTF National Assembly – April 5, 2014
How about some GOOD news out of a state legislature? Hawaii State Legislature has TWO ground-breaking, victim-friendly bills that have just passed committee. Why the legislative attention? The current Hawaii Civil Window, which closes in April, has opened lawmakers’ eyes to the problem of child sex abuse and cover-up across the state. Fortunately, these same…Continue reading Hawaii Legislative Update
According to the Riverside Press Enterprise, two victims of convicted priest Alejandro “Alex” Castillo settled their sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits against the Diocese of San Bernardino for $3.8 million. In a statement, the diocese called Castillo’s acts “sinful and unlawful.” They also added this: The diocese acknowledges and deeply regrets the sinful and unlawful…Continue reading Castillo victims settle with Diocese of San Bernardino
There have been a number of things about the recent UN committee report on (and the global response to) the Vatican’s role in clergy sex abuse that have given me pause. The first issue has been the one to which Vatican and global Catholic officials have clung : The report’s inclusion of language about the church’s…Continue reading The Battle of the Scandals, pt 1: The Nation-State
No matter your take on the recent UN committee report on the problem of sex abuse in the Catholic Church and no matter how you feel about the recent public argument involving Woody Allen and his daughter Dylan Farrow, two things are clear: The more we talk about sex abuse as a crime, the more…Continue reading If nothing else …