Verified Document

Child Abuse And Mass Media Essay

As some journalists have brought up, this scandal is evocative of the scandal with the Catholic Church and demonstrates how a marked upheaval in the way universities and institutions are conducted (Hamilton, 2012). The media, while impartial, can often be a moral compass for the rest of the world. Few people can forget the horrors of the reactions of Penn State's college students when the scandal just broke, upon the firing of Joe Paterno: the media captured how the students rioted the streets, acting out, even turning over a news van. The rest of the world watched in revulsion: these college students, by sympathizing with Paterno, someone who had essentially protected and sheltered a pedophile, these young college students were sympathizing with Sandusky, the pedophile in question. "It's difficult to look at the images of the Penn State University students performing pep rally chants and turning over a media van to protest Joe Paterno's firing and not think: Shame on us all. Shame on us for creating a culture where thousands of students are so caught up in idol worship that they can't see how repugnant it is to pine for a man who essentially looked the other way as serious allegations of rape and child abuse were leveled at his top aide" (Pierre, 2011).

It was important for the media to document this and to capture this footage so that the rest of the country could unite up in arms, voicing their outrage at this reaction and the sunset of decency that had occurred at the school. Even though the community at Penn State was not expressing initial outrage at what had occurred to the victims, but rather what was happening to their beloved football coach, the media, by recording this unsatisfactory reaction, helped to create a national situation that realigned the moral compass on behalf of the victims of the scandal.

When it comes to child abuse and such a complex case as the Penn State scandal, the media can also summarize and educate the general public...

For example, much of what Sandusky did to his victims in the beginning stages was classic behavior of pedophiles: simply by reporting the strategies of the prosecution brings that to light, displaying how much of Sandusky's initial interactions with the boys displayed classic textbook behavior of child sexual abusers: "Eight of the accusers testified, most in graphic and sometimes tearful detail about their relationships with Sandusky. Most said they enjoyed gifts and special attention from Sandusky. Some said they saw him as the father they never had. But what began as a mentoring relationship escalated into the physical abuse, the accusers testified. Some said they were assaulted in the basement of the Sandusky home. Others described soapy showers that included forced sex acts" (Muskal, 2012). Being aware of how what seems like innocent behavior can escalate into abuse is crucial for parents and educators to know.
In conclusion, the media has a powerful part to play when it comes to exposing incidences of child abuse. The media can educate, build public outrage and reset the moral compass of the world at large, creating real venues for change.

References

Engel, J. (2012, July 16). Penn State should get death penalty. Retrieved from Foxsports.com: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/penn-state-should-lose-football-privileges-dealth-penalty-in-wake-of-freeh-report-child-sex-abuse-071212/

Hamilton, M. (May, 27 2012). Penn State and Catholic Church Child Sex-Abuse Trials Divide Penn. Public. Retrieved from Dailybeast.com: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/27/penn-state-and-catholic-church-child-sex-abuse-trials-divide-penn-public.html

Kane, C. (July, 23 2012). Penn State penalties: $60 million fine, 4-year bowl ban. Retrieved from Chicagotribune.com: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0724-penn-state -- 20120724,0,6965116.story

Muskal, M. (2012, June 22). Jerry Sandusky convicted of 45 child sexual abuse charges. Retrieved from LA Times: Jerry Sandusky convicted of 45 child sexual abuse charges

Pierre, R. (2011, October 10). Penn State, Our Collective Shame. Retrieved from Washingtonpost.com: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/penn-state-our-collective-shame/2011/11/10/gIQAD42f8M_blog.html

Sources used in this document:
References

Engel, J. (2012, July 16). Penn State should get death penalty. Retrieved from Foxsports.com: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/penn-state-should-lose-football-privileges-dealth-penalty-in-wake-of-freeh-report-child-sex-abuse-071212/

Hamilton, M. (May, 27 2012). Penn State and Catholic Church Child Sex-Abuse Trials Divide Penn. Public. Retrieved from Dailybeast.com: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/27/penn-state-and-catholic-church-child-sex-abuse-trials-divide-penn-public.html

Kane, C. (July, 23 2012). Penn State penalties: $60 million fine, 4-year bowl ban. Retrieved from Chicagotribune.com: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0724-penn-state -- 20120724,0,6965116.story

Muskal, M. (2012, June 22). Jerry Sandusky convicted of 45 child sexual abuse charges. Retrieved from LA Times: Jerry Sandusky convicted of 45 child sexual abuse charges
Pierre, R. (2011, October 10). Penn State, Our Collective Shame. Retrieved from Washingtonpost.com: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/penn-state-our-collective-shame/2011/11/10/gIQAD42f8M_blog.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Child Abuse Is One of the Most
Words: 1429 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Child abuse is one of the most dangerous and serious problems confronting society, perhaps because of the helplessness and innocence of the victims. What is particularly bothersome about child abuse is that it occurs in all income, racial, religious, and ethnic groups and in urban and rural communities. Likewise, there is no uniform definition of what constitutes child abuse, making it difficult to ascertain what prevention and treatment methods are

Child Clinical Intervention
Words: 4968 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Child Clinical Intervention Part I Child Abuse Physical abuse of children occurs throughout every social strata, although there may be an increased incidence among those living in poverty. Abuse often occurs at moments of great stress, and the perpetrator strikes out in anger at the child. The perpetrator may also have been abused as a child and may have poor impulse control. Because of the relative size and strength difference between adults

Media Violence Violence in the
Words: 1665 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

In contrast, Cline, Croft and Courrier, writing in "Desensitization of Children to Television Violence," reports that the facts bear out the truth of the problem, namely, that children who watch too much television become insensitive to real violence and see it as a way to solve personal conflicts with friends, schoolmates and their siblings. Likewise, D.G. Singer in "Does Violent Television Produce Aggressive Children?" declares that "Most researchers conservatively estimate

Media Violence and Violent Behavior
Words: 8255 Length: 30 Document Type: Thesis

Because there was not the time or means to get a very diverse population of individuals, there may be some limitations when it comes to social class as well as previous levels of aggression in the children and youths. There are only two girls compared with the eight boys. This may be considered a limitation as well, but more parents of boys answered the ad and this may be because

Media Effects: Slumdog Millionaire the
Words: 1377 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Proposal

Slumdog Millionaire contains numerous violent scenes that adults are the most likely audience for this theatrical film. The scenes showing the police brutality in India depicted violence. They showed Jamal being interrogated rudely and tortured. The tortures included Jamal's head being forcefully submerged, Jamal being brutally beaten and later on electrocuted until he was unconscious. Other scenes that showed violence included killings showing Jamal's brother shooting people. A disturbing scene

Media Obsession With Violence &
Words: 2292 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

17). He is disgusted that news executives that direct what should be covered are less interested in "what's happening in Afghanistan" but more interested in "Michael Jackson and Laci Peterson" (Fenton, p. 20). What are the excuses TV executives, editors and producers give for focusing on scandal, sexual trysts, and embarrassing situations for celebrities? Fenton claims that those "gatekeepers of the news" will tell anyone listening that "the average [viewer]

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now