Editor’s note: The first half of this column was written by Elijah Ayers, a 20-year old abuse victim and resident of York. The second half was written by the Rev. Aaron J. Anderson, pastor of City Church, York, and board member of Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania.
| can sympathize with the young men whose trust was allegedly betrayed at the cruel hands of Jerry Sandusky. I too am now a young adult bearing deep childhood scars given to me by a man named Trusted. My mind has been hardwired with confusion and shame from his abuse, and yet I refuse to give up hope.
I was 4 years old when the nightmare began. Trusted was part of my extended family and lived in our single-parent home in a small urban development.
Mom worked a full-time job and Trusted helped take care of the kids. He cooked for us, put us down for naps, disciplined us harshly, and even entertained us.
Despite the harsh discipline, we trusted him and enjoyed watching television together. Like a responsible adult, he would get us to bed at a decent time. I recall the fateful day he put us to bed but later came back and invited me to stay up late with him.
Trusted betrayed my mom’s trust, but more importantly he robbed me of the carefree childhood every kid deserves.
Sadly, there were other evil men and women in my life who also violated trust. I sympathize with the Second Mile kids because alleged molester Jerry Sandusky was their Trusted.
The world cannot really understand what it is like to grow up with a mind that is dark and confused. Within my own darkness, the hope of Christ flickers. I find solace in the fact that the Great Victim knows my hurt and is walking beyond the second mile with me in my struggle.
Looking back, I deserved so much more from people who were trusted. I am hopeful that my own story illuminates the reality that those who commit unspeakable acts are rarely strangers. They might be living in your home, serving in your church, teaching in the
school or using their star status to violate a kid with a twinkle in his eye.
Aaron J. Anderson: Justice must be done for the victims of trusted men. We cannot rest until the victims have seen the community call their actions out as evil and swiftly deal with their crimes. The victims need to see our community demand a full and transparent investigation of how Penn State University, Second Mile charity and the Department of Public Welfare handled reports of Sandusky’s alleged misdeeds.
Elijah’s story is one that is far too common. The kind of abuse that Jerry Sandusky is alleged to have perpetrated is happening right now under our noses.
Trusted men and women are betraying our community. Schools are performing their own investigations instead of contacting the authorities. Children are being left in a destructive wake that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
Make no mistake, the rest of the community will have to literally pay for the consequences later through medical care of victims, legal expenses, imprisonment, rehabilitation and a litany of other expenses associated with child maltreatment.
Child abuse is the No. 1 health issue facing our nation, affecting more kids than even deadly cancer. We are simply not doing enough to end it. The Penn State scandal has given us an open window to talk about child abuse. That window will soon close as people shut their eyes to this hideous monster.
We must refuse to let the window close!
One abused child is one too many. It is the job of adults to protect our community’s children. We can begin the conversation by talking about ways we can better value children and strengthen families. Kids need us to act today to affect a culture shift that promotes the health and well being of children in homes that are free of violence.
Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania is committed to keeping this community conversation going. The recent canning efforts at the Penn State-Nebraska game were donated with the expectation that dollars toward prevention efforts is money well spent. We can act to invest now and seek to prevent abuse from ever happening or pay later in unimaginable ways. To find out how to keep the conversation going, go to
www.preventchildabuse pa.org. Prevention is possible.
