Child sexual abuse in the sports world sends an alert signal
Recently , cases of child sexual abuse involving members of high quality sports teams became news around the world and rekindled their parents ’ warning signals . In February , Berry Bennell , former English coach was sentenced to 30 years in prison for abusing twelve children from the ages of eight to fifteen years old , between 1979 and 1999 . Bennell , 64 , played for Crewe Alexandra football team and had ties to Manchester City and other clubs in England .
Clement Goldstone , the judge who delivered the sentence , pointed out that Bennell blackmailed youths who resisted the abuse and threatened to undermine their careers in the sport . “ To these boys , he appeared like a God . In fact , he was the devil incarnated . He robbed their childhood and their innocence ”, stated Goldstone , during the trial , according to El País newspaper .
In January , Larry Nassar , former United States fitness team physician , was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for the sexual abuse of seven gymnasts . Nassar was accused of sexually abusing about 150 gymnasts , among them the Olympic medallists Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles . During the trial , 150 women made sad and shocking reports about the abuse they suffered from the physician , some of them since the age of six . Donna Markham , the mother of one of the victims , reported at the trial that her daughter was abused when she was only ten years old , and committed suicide in 2009 at the age of 23 . Nassar was already in prison , serving 60 years for possessing child pornography . A new sentence should be coming out in October .
Position of power
Sexual abuse doesn ’ t only happen in sports . According to the World Health Organization , one in five girls and one in thirteen boys are victims of abusers . The psychologist and general practitioner Roberto Debski explains that abusers use their position of power over the child to commit the crime . “ The abuser manipulates and makes veiled threats , so the child feels intimidated and does not reveal what happened . Some are afraid ; others don ’ t even know what is happening . In the case of young athletes , many are threatened ”, he says . Debski recalls that many episodes of child abuse occur in the home and are practised by family and people that the child has confidence in ; such as the parents , grandparents , uncles and cousins . “ In the family ,
Source : https :// www . universal . org / noticias / abuso-sexual-de-criancas-no-mundo-esportivo-acende-sinal-de-alerta
the child expects to receive love and care ; often they can confuse the abuse as a way of expressing love . And there are family members who
end up covering up the problem ”.
How to Identify
In the case of gymnasts and footballers , the disclosure of the abuse took several years . Why are such severe cases hidden for so long ? According to clinical psychologist Marina Ponce , from the Ideah Institute , several factors contribute to children not receiving proper attention : “ you have to watch them , observe their behaviour , be available , have meals together , talk about various subjects , ask how school was , work , etc , talk to your family and leave your phone aside . In addition , many have the belief that children lie , and adults speak the truth or that children ’ s communication is less valid or less reliable ”, she points out . Marina explains that parents should be aware of changes in children ’ s behaviour as they may indicate possible sexual abuse . You need to be able to observe if the child starts to feel afraid of dark , no longer wants to take showers or constantly wants to change clothes . Lack of concentration , excessive irritability , lack of appetite or binge eating are also warning signs . “ If the parents are suspicious of a problem , it is important to schedule a psychotherapy session , talk to their teachers and investigate , whether it ’ s in the family , in school or social groups ”, she suggests .
Consequences
During the trial of the North American Larry Nassar , several gymnasts reported psychological problems resulting from the abuse suffered . “ The consequences of sexual abuse range from physical to very severe mental trauma . These children may have affective , self-esteem and sexuality disorders . Some victims develop blockages , fears and depression in adult life . Abuse is a violence and victims need to seek specialised help to re-sign traumas and create resilience ”, she says . Marina Ponce adds that adults who have not overcome the traumas can suffer from feelings such as loss of identity and insecurity , as well as difficulties in their love life and even in receiving gestures of affection .
Prevention
In addition to listening to children carefully and promoting family dialogue , psychologists say that it is important to address the issue of sexual abuse with children , but the conversation should be adapted to each age . “ The language varies according to the age range ; however , children are smarter than they look , do not underestimate them ”, says Marina . “ Parents can teach that there are certain areas of the child ’ s body that no one can touch . It is necessary to explain in a playful and careful way ”, concludes Dr Robert Debski .
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