Could the Foley Scandal have been Prevented?
If members of Congress had paid closer attention to the legislation they pass, the Foley scandal might have been detected and dealt with earlier and in a more responsible way.
This past summer, Congress passed "Children’s Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act" which seeks to "protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crime, to prevent child abuse and child pornography, to promote Internet safety, and to honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other child crime victims." Interestingly enough, Rep. Mark Foley was a co-sponsor of this bill.
HOW CONGRESS COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SCANDAL: If members of Congress had become familiar with the subject of child sexual abuse and its prevention in the process of readying themselves for a vote on this bill, things might have been different. With appropriate education on the subject they might have recognized that there were holes in their policies governing pages and underage former pages. They would have realized that there were valid reasons why they could not depend on pages or former pages to report inappropriate conduct. They would have been conscious of the negative impact of sexually suggestive and obscene communication between an adult and a teen. They would have been far more likely to recognize and react responsibly to inappropriate behavior by their colleagues and staff. They could have acted proactively to address Rep. Foley’s conduct rather than having to defend their indifference now.
WHY SO MANY FORMER PAGES STAYED SILENT: Power over another individual is a key component of sexual abuse. Those with the most authority have a greater capacity to sexually abuse and coerce a victim into keeping the abuse a secret. Press reports indicate that the former Congressional pages involved in the Foley investigation did not come forward or were reluctant to do so because they feared future employment opportunities would be compromised.
Teenagers often lack the experience and confidence to create and enforce boundaries for the sexual behavior of others. Even if the former pages were uncomfortable with Foley’s advances, their uncertainty might have led to "going along" with ever-increasing sexual innuendo and suggestion. Further, teens may be traumatized by sexual abuse. Sexual victimization, especially by an adult can interfere with and alter critical development of attitudes about self, sexuality and trust.
CONGRESS DROPS THE BALL: The "Children’s Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act" authorizes millions of dollars for tracking and monitoring sex offenders but it does not fund programs that seek to raise awareness about child sexual abuse or prevent abuse from occurring in the first place.
INCREASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS NOW!: Congress has the opportunity to raise awareness about child sexual abuse and do something proactive to prevent it. Funding for prevention programs is essential. An example of such a program is the highly-acclaimed Stewards of Children training, developed by Darkness to Light, a national non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the incidence of child sexual abuse. Stewards of Children training teaches adults simple proactive steps to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The innovative and easy-to-use 2.5 hour training program is available online at www.darkness2light.org. The training is also available in an instructor-led version that is offered in most areas of the country.
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