Americans are aware that the powerful abuse the weak but we often turn a blind eye because we don't want to get involved.
The Jerry Sandusky case, and the Penn State handling of the disclosures of sexual abuse, have opened a national conversation around child sexual abuse in some unique ways.
How we respond to the real life case of man and monster -- whether it's with mind or emotion, with action or resignation -- will determine how many more horror shows we'll be forced to endure.
Sexual abuse is a disease and a learned behavior. Until we accept that this disease is a significant part of our culture than we will never begin to eradicate it. With these boys speaking out, with Matt standing up, we are one step closer.
Beyond the requisite rue surrounding Sandusky's alleged victims, we're permitting ourselves to feel superior to those who didn't intervene in the right ways. But have we forgotten about the McMartin case?
As parents and educators, we have to stop being reverent, diffident and polite, and learn to be vigilant in regard to children's welfare and safety.
Now that the national consciousness has been raised around this issue, a common question is, why do they do it? What happened to Sandusky and others like him who took the path of such cruelty?
At the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps in the 400-meter individual relay. Both are heading to the London Olympics for a rematch.
Reilly's implication that we want prisoners to continue to mete out street justice while locked up sends a mixed message of the worst kind. Let's not set these men up for failure by implying that violence is acceptable, expected, and that they're good for nothing else.
It's not fair to put Jerry Sandusky and Bristol Palin in the same sentence. But they have linked themselves with their favorite quote, which is weird.
So you train your whole life to make the Olympic team and it might come down to a coin flip? That's the deal after Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh finished in a dead heat for third place in the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
As the trial wound down to its inevitable conclusion, Jerry Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola topped all his prior gaffes and professional missteps with his comments about the inevitability of a guilty verdict.
We need to teach our kids that bad people come in all shapes and sizes.
One part of the Jerry Sandusky story that did not get much attention is the social media and crisis communications aspect. How would you handle social media within an organization faced with a major crisis like this?
The conviction of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky on 45 counts of sexual abuse of children has, once again, put child sex abuse on the front page.