I typically don’t write about topics such as these, mainly because I know some middle school children read these posts. However, this topic needs to be discussed. Over the past several years, hundreds of sexual abuse stories have been reported. Jerry Sandusky, a coach at Penn State sexually abused at least 10 boys. Comedian, Bill Cosby, reportedly drugged women and raped them while they were passed out. Movie director, Harry Weinstein has been accused by 84 women of sexual assault. A series of men have lost their jobs due to inappropriate sexual behavior, including newsmen Matt Lauer, Bill O’Reilly, and Senator Al Franken. President Donald Trump has been accused by 18 women of sexual assault.
Last week I finished a new chapter on Simone Biles for the new athletic program designed to teach character and leadership on the athletic field – www.characterandleadership.com/student-athlete-program. I am absolutely amazed with her story. Her father abandoned her and her mother was addicted to crack. She lived in foster care until her grandparents formerly adopted her. Simone went on win the women’s all-around competition in women’s gymnastics at the 2016 Olympic games. She overcame so much to become a champion, and now we learn that she had to endure sexual abuse too.
Yesterday, Simone reported that she too has been sexually abused by Dr. Larry Nassar. Nassar was a long-time physician at my alma-mater, Michigan State University. He worked in the athletic program and gained a positive reputation. He was hired by USA Gymnastics as the medical coordinator. In each position, Nassar had access to girls and young women and abused them.
In total, 126 women have accused Nassar of sexual abuse. Almost Eighty four testified against him in a court of law. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Joe’s Perspective – What a shame: This man misused his trust to violate girls, over and over again. If a girl complained of any injury, he would use this an opportunity to touch their vagina, breasts and the buttocks. Whenever athletes or other practitioners would doubt his “medical procedures,” he would use his title to diminish their claims. He continued his perverted ways for over 20 years. Virtually every female gymnast that you watched in the Olympics since 1996 was sexually abused by this man. How sad. I say this man should rot in a prison cell for the rest of his life. Scumbag is the best adjective for him.
Joe’s Perspective – Report Abuse: People like Jerry Sandusky and Larry Nassar perpetrated their crimes over decades. In both cases, victims told people in trustworthy positions about the abuse. In the Nassar case, coaches told the gymnasts to keep it quiet and university officials discounted the abusers’ stories. This can no longer happen. It is not okay to fully trust a person based on their title, degree or job. I still believe the accused needs to be found guilty in a court of law, but once someone alleges such a claim, we need to take every measure to ensure that a person can’t repeat such an act. At the very least, MSU and USA gymnastics should have mandated that Nassar never treated another athlete without another female in the room after the first allegation in 1996. They didn’t take this step, and as a result, a serial pedophile violated a lot of innocent girls. We need to be better than this.
Your Turn: What do you learn from the Larry Nassar situation that you can apply to your own life?
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Never take advantage of people
Trust people 100% before you start to do anything
We need to learn to not be so quick to knock down other people’s experiences and stories like we have in the past. If someone has suffered a traumatic thing such as this and has told someone they trusted about it, it needs to be heard and it needs to be dealt with asap.
You cannot take advantage of people or use your position of authority to force someone to do something.
You should never take advantage of anyone ever or try to make them do something they don’t want to do
Don’t take advantage of girls who’s injured and this need to stop of all of this sexual abuse and that’s good that he’s going to jail for the rest of his life.
To not take advantage over anyone.
All of your choices have consequences. Larry chose to do that to those girls, so his consequence was time in jail. We decide what we want for our own lives, and what I learned from larry’s Consequences is that I have to be careful what choices I make and take into consideration what the consequences might be and if it’s really worth the risk to make that decision.
Never take advantage of people who do the wrong things that can get the person and possibly you in trouble and suffer consequences
Your choices have consequences. Don’t take advantage from people.
It is important that people speak out against sexual abusers in order for this to be stopped. 20 years is an unnecessarily long time for someone to continue to sexually abuse others without question. More precautions need to be taken.
Every choice you make has a consequence no matter good or bad. Taking advantage of people is a terrible thing to do and should never be an option to you. When you take advantage of people it will eventually be put and the open and there will be consequences for it.
Making bad choices will not last forever One way or another you will get caught. Also know consequences will be included on ur bad choices
I learned that you can’t trust everyone and it’s the people you least except that would take advantage of others.
Every choice you make has a consequence. And you can’t take advantage of people.
Don’t use the authority or the position your in to take advantage of people.
You shouldent take advantage of girls because you think of it as your mom is a woman how would u like if your mom was treated like that