On Friday, November 5, Oprah Winfrey will air a show on the topic of men who were sexually abused.
In the audience will be 200 men who are survivors of sexual abuse. One of the themes of the show is that sexual abuse of boys is a much larger problem than most realize. According to the National Center for Victims
of Crime, it is estimated that one in six boys will experience an episode of sexual abuse before his eighteenth birthday. Most are abused by either a family member or someone outside of the family whom they know and trust.
One in Six is an incredible number given that medical research reveals that persons who are victims of sexual abuse as children are at elevated risk for depression, anxiety, chemical dependency and suicide. This is a very real and prevalent problem with very real consequences to its victims.
We commend Oprah for tackling this very important topic. The more we know about what has happened in the past, the more effective we will be in combating child sexual abuse in the future. After all, it is about both helping those who have been injured in the past and preventing injury to kids in the future.