Can You Believe what the US Gymnasts are Saying About the FBI?

I am in no way an expert on the details regarding the sexual abuse that was widespread in the US women’s gymnastic program.

I get bits and pieces from the newsfeed. And while I care about what has transpired, the truth is that it just sounds…well, kind of… familiar.

Of course I can believe what the gymnasts are saying.

Haven’t we heard this story before?

When it became widely and publicly known that child sexual abuse was being perpetrated by Catholic priests, didn’t we also learn about cover ups?

Didn’t we learn that when complaints were brought to leadership, the leadership protected the clergy and the organized church by burying information and moving priests around to new areas where they could continue to do harm?

Isn’t this the same story we have heard over and over again? In the Scouts, Hockey, Skiing, Residential Schools etc. etc.?

Years of evidence and complaints being buried. Ignored. Dismissed. Minimized. Undocumented.

Enter Resilience

As I start to feel hopeless about humanity, I remind myself of Rehtaeh Parsons.

I was wrong about her story. When I first read her father’s blog post, way back in the beginning, I dismissed it and I thought everyone else would as well.

I thought, there is nothing new in this story. I’ve heard it so many times already. Complaints being minimized. Officials not responding. Services not accessible. Tragic outcome.

But I was wrong. Her story was not ignored. A tipping point occurred.

And here we are again. We’re hearing US gymnasts report that the FBI response to their complaints was to minimize their experiences, fail to document, and fail to take action.

This is no surprise. This is the status quo.

Disrupting the Status Quo

Are you a POLAR BEAR DIP kind of a person? I mean, are you the kind of person who jumps into freezing water on cold days for fun?

This week I am staying on the coast and I’ve been taking daily dips in the ocean. They don’t quite qualify as polar bear dips. It’s September, not January. But still, there aren’t many other people in the water with me.

And I really believe the people who tell me that they would never go into the water at this time of year.

I’m used to doing things that most people don’t want to do.

I understand that people, in general, do not like to put themselves into uncomfortable situations. It’s hard to force ourselves to do something that feels… cold. Or lonely. Or scary. Or confusing.

It’s one thing if we’re forced into it.

But to choose it?

It is no surprise to me that our status quo is to AVOID responding to complaints of sexual violence.

This is why we work so hard, here at Priority Kids, to encourage people to learn about protecting children from sexual abuse.

It is a lot less scary to take the plunge when you know that a warm towel, hot chocolate and good feelings are on the other side of some brief discomfort.

People who have done polar bear dips know that even though it’s tough to take the plunge, there are good feelings that come afterwards.

The same is true with responding to child sexual abuse. When people stand up for children, it feels good. Yes, the situation is difficult. But working through adversity and supporting people through tough times is how relationships are strengthened. It feels good to stand up for protecting children. It inspires empowerment and resilience.

I understand the impulse to avoid knowing about child sexual abuse. But we are missing out on opportunities to experience growth, connection, and strengthened community when we allow this avoidance to be our status quo.

The US gymnasts are bravely and courageously telling us a story that has been told and ignored many times before.

Will you help disrupt this pattern? Will you help increase awareness in our youth-serving organizations?

With a polar dip, it’s not so much the part about being in the water that is difficult. The hard part is choosing to jump.

With protecting children, the difficult part isn’t implementing the practices. The hard part is choosing to know what those practices are.

You can attend our free Best Practices webinar and then you will know what a safe organization looks and sounds like.

Attending the webinar is pretty easy. It’s only 30 minutes and I’m a decent presenter. I am engaging and passionate and sometimes funny. The way that I speak about prevention is unique. It isn't a terrible way to spend 30 minutes.

Attending the webinar isn’t the hard part.

The hard part isn’t choosing to register.

The hardest part is clicking on the link to attend.

Will you challenge yourself to click the link so that we can stop hearing the same story over and over again?

Let’s try something different.