Editorial: Re-evaluating our priorities

Issue of April 3, 2009 / 9 Nissan 5769

In The Jewish Star last week, two front-page items — a news article and an opinion essay — dealt with the difficult and sensitive subject of child sexual abuse.

In a private e-mail, a reader whom we know, like and respect, politely questioned why both stories were spotlighted so prominently.

"Why does this community need the two lead articles in your fine paper to be about sexual abuse? I don't get it," he wrote, stressing that he was not suggesting that the whole matter be swept under a rug. "I just have to believe that a week before Pesach there may be more pressing matters for our local community."

The simultaneous timing of the two stories happened to have been coincidental. That said, we were proud to publish both of them.

It's true that we have other priorities these days. News stories don't come much bigger than the current state of our economy.

However, as priorities go, before clothing and shelter, even ahead of food, stands physical safety, in the sense that it doesn't much matter what's for lunch tomorrow if after dinner tonight it's lights out at the hands of a violent predator.

Well, sexual abusers of children are violent predators. It's just that when they kill, it's usually more slowly.

It’s certainly true that most children who are traumatized by sexual abuse continue to breathe. And many victims of such trauma — particularly those who have had therapy — go on to lead seemingly normal lives.

However, it's also true that children traumatized by sexual abuse are at increased risk for suicide, substance abuse and depression — even an inability to marry and have children. A reported victim of sexual abuse unfortunately died of an overdose in Lakewood, N.J., just a few weeks ago.

Obviously, reporting on the economy and its impact on our community is important. Literally feeding the poor, including poor children, is a primary need. Doing everything possible to trigger public discussion of child sexual abuse and the traumas it wreaks, to lead to greater awareness of the problem, to improve society's treatment of its victims, and to expose and punish perpetrators, are also primary needs.

Because while food and shelter for the poor are very important, as are many other vital forms of human kindness, if we can't or won’t protect our children, what good are we?

Not too long ago in the Jewish world, this was one of those problems that didn't exist — because nobody acknowledged it, that is. But on account of determined efforts by several newspapers and bloggers, that has changed — to the point where last week a leading Chareidi newspaper, Yated Ne'eman, published an editorial apologizing to victims for not saying something sooner.

But a new willingness by some to talk about this previously taboo subject doesn't mean that newspapers and other opinion shapers can ease up or move on. Quite the opposite is true.