The world of football has been thrown into turmoil by revelations of historic child abuse involving thousands of children at numerous professional clubs in England and Scotland. Police forces across Britain have launched criminal investigations into hundreds of incidents. Over 80 people are under investigation.
In the second part of her two-part series on the family, Canadian socialist Susan Rosenthal explains how families can trap men, women and children in violent and abusive relations.
Stripping the romantic veneer from the typical family reveals two people who are socialised to be opposites, crammed in a box, subjected to falling living standards, rising debt and social insecurity. They are expected to raise children, who have lots of needs, and to do this with no outside support. Add bouts of unemployment, injury, or illness. Add some dependent relatives. Then make it difficult for these people to leave. Insist that they solve their own problems, and if they cannot, then it must be their fault or their partner’s fault.
Support is growing for a “People’s Inquiry” into the Rotherham sex abuse scandal.
Barrister Michael Mansfield QC has already agreed to help such an investigation after the launch of a trade union campaign calling for “Justice for the 1,400 – don’t let the racists divide us”. The justice campaign has been welcomed after the horrific extent of the abuse — estimated by the Jay report to be 1,400 victims over 16 years and so far only five convictions — shocked and angered people.
The Jay Report revealed the extent of child sexual exploitation in the UK. Tony Staunton argues that the scandal also exposes the impact of cuts, as well as contempt towards vulnerable young women.
The Jay Report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham over a 12-year period is horrific reading. There were more than 1,400 known cases of abuse, mostly of isolated working class girls, most of whom remained unheard by the services supposedly there to protect them. Those in charge of the services undermined investigations and stopped preventive measures being put in place.
As a newly qualified social worker and young person who has experienced the care system, the recent revelations in Rotherham have shocked me.
It would be naive to believe similar issues do not exist elsewhere. It would be ignorant to believe that the perpetrators of abuse come from one class, race, religion or gender.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997-2013) highlights the fact that today there is not a universal understanding of what abuse is. How abuse is defined has developed as political discourse has changed.
Recent sexual abuse scandals have highlighted the vulnerability of children in care and the collusion of the state in covering it up. But, argues Sheila McGregor, child abuse is not the result of human nature or evil people. Its roots lie in the very nature of the family itself.
The recent revelations about Jimmy Savile's predatory sexual behaviour and the accompanying cover-ups by the BBC continue to send shock waves through society. All of a sudden we seem to be being overwhelmed with revelations of men in positions of influence as sexual predators.
No one could fail to be disgusted by the way in which Jimmy Savile was given free rein to follow his sexual agenda inside the BBC and in various children's homes. The cover up by the BBC was equally sickening.
