Sexual abuse was rampant at St Joseph’s Orphanage in Clontarf, WA. The Christian Brothers would leer at the boys while they showered, and in the evenings, the Brothers would choose boys to take to their bedrooms. One of the survivors said this was “pretty much a nightly occurrence, or at least it occurred more often than not”…
Bridget Sipera, a teacher at Camden Catholic High School in New Jersey, has been charged with sexually assaulting a male student less than half her age [1]. The two repeatedly had sex over an 18 month period.
Western society tends to view sexual activity among teens as part of the natural process of development. We bombard teens with sexual images. Discouraging sex seems repressive to us.
While we may be protective toward our daughters, some of us actually cheer our sons on. Sex with a teacher is seen as the ultimate fantasy.
But there are serious dangers associated with early sexual activity. And sex between an adult and child is as damaging to boys as it is to girls.
Risky Behaviors
Teens who engage in sex are likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in adulthood [2].
They are more likely to have multiple sexual partners, and less likely to use condoms. This increases their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or HIV, and having an unwanted pregnancy.
Ten million of the sexually transmitted diseases newly reported each year are acquired by young people between the ages of 15 and 24 [3]. It bears mention that the brain is not fully developed till age 25.
Sexual Addiction
Early exposure to sexual content can, also, give rise to sexual addiction [4A].
Best estimates are that 3% – 6% of American men suffer from sexual addiction [5][6]. However, women can fall prey to sexual addiction, too.
Sexual addiction can destroy relationships, compromise finances, and contribute to criminality.
Typically, sexual addiction is characterized by one or more of the following [4B]:
compulsive masturbation;
reliance on pornography and/or prostitutes;
an endless succession of meaningless sexual encounters;
use of fetishes in place of human interaction;
voyeurism/exhibitionism; and
sexual sadism or masochism.
Addicts persist in these behaviors despite the negative consequences.
In an attempt to better understand the underlying causes, some psychologists classify sexual addiction into categories [6]. These categories help explain why certain individuals are more susceptible to sexual addiction than others. The categories can overlap.
They are:
Biological – Most sexual addiction has a biological component. Where the biological component is predominant, fantasy can supersede or replace relationships altogether. Triggers must be identified and carefully regulated, so that the brain can be retrained to new neural pathways. A sponsor who will hold the addict accountable for lapses can be beneficial.
Psychological – This form of sexual addiction is a reaction to childhood abuse or neglect. As many as 80% of sex addicts may fall into this category. For them, sex has become a maladaptive means of self-soothing. Their underlying psychological pain must be addressed before a healthy self-image can be re-established, more appropriate means of coping substituted, and the addiction overcome.
Trauma-Based – This form of sexual addiction is the direct result of sexual trauma in childhood or adolescence. Trauma drives the repetitive behavior. To heal, the addict must first make the connection between such trauma and his/her acting out. Suppressed feelings surrounding the trauma must be explored and resolved.
Mood Disorder – Sexual addiction can co-exist with anxiety and depression (as well as lead to those). Teens and young adults may use sex as a way of “managing” their mood disorder, and find themselves addicted to the sexual response.
Spiritual – This form of sexual addiction is an attempt to fill an emptiness inside only God can fill. As the philosopher/mathematician/scientist/theologian Blaise Pascal put it, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”
That sexual addiction is a challenging and tenacious disorder does not absolve sex addicts of the harm they inflict on others.
[6] National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, PubMed Central, “Understanding and Managing Compulsive Sexual Behaviors” by Timothy Fong MD, November 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945841/.
To our growing CSA Victims, Survivours, Family-Friends & Viewers – it’s becoming clearer even from our small GPS SEQ ‘school families’ that our own backyards may hold memories not worth repeating. Alike the political alternate halves of government, society is subtly influenced by the class ecosystems of its noteworthy educators. ‘Pedagogues’ is another term known by some elites, who continue to believe that their own children won’t be effected.
Giving voice to the voiceless
At this point in time COVID19 is the ‘blind messenger’, where anyone may fall victim when exposed. Quarantines are necessary, yet entire school (Institution) wise is quite unachievable. This is where each state government has formed an updated Act to restrict the earlier ‘playgrounds’ of most Pedophiles-Criminals. Unfortunately some continue to practice, having slipped through the system. Inevitable, yet expected. Our concerns include what will we do with them, how will our minor students continue to achieve the greatest teachings and will there ever be an answer to when this (‘utopian’) idea can be had?
BGS, GT, BBC, ACGS, NC, IGS & TSS, … BSHS & TGS seem to be ‘saved’?! Each of the other Private Schools/Colleges within Queensland’s GPS competitions have been dealing with higher amounts of CSA, than comparative (coed) Brisbane State High & TGS. Perhaps changes in some of the previously same-gender schools/colleges have allowed for coed into early years, avoiding how male/female only has involved increases in CSA occurrence(?).
Similar to allowance of low-SES culture into Private Schools/Colleges, disbanding these permissions has been introduced at some of these locations. There may have been rises in some International Students. Has this solved the situation, or ‘moved the target’? Again, time will tell – yet any responses from our readers is WELCOME! What’s more precious, reputation of the school, or safety of our children?
As the Catholic Church’s Global traditions continue to be shocked’, by the revelations of Millenia of (hidden) Child Sexual Abuse & disagreements with the Scriptures that they supposedly preach: this unravelling Double Standard is rupturing far more than the “fire & brimstone” as foretold in the Hebrew & New Testament Bibles.
Following the 2013-17 Child Abuse Royal Commission, it is becoming clearer the deeper impacts of the Institutional-related Child Sexual Abuses. Another group of the schools in the GPS (Greater Public Schools) cohort, were those influenced by the Catholic Church. Despite the Imprisonment of (Cardinal) George Pell in 2017, other previous and future cases continue to ‘prune back’ this vile & inappropriate behaviour. Resulting from a reading through a Royal Commission Witness Statement from Peter Clinch, Province Leader of the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
It was during the documentation of the Public & Private frequency of the attempts at Institutions in coping with these revealed matters, that the overlapping truths of the immensely, deceptive nature’s concealed (hidden) beneath much of our social fabric. As disappointing as CSA occurring, it does give a wider understanding of the apparent ‘breeding ground’ that Brisbane’s & South East Queensland’s GPS system has demonstrated. BBC, BGS & IGS have already had multiple instances revealed. Most recently, GT, NC & TSS have been revealed.
Through this, a can-of-worms has truly been identified – which many CSA Survivours & Perpetrators have long known of. It is even now being acknowledged that rushed Court approvals are needed, to ensure that some of these elderly/terminal CSA Survivours have their Applications rushed – before they may lose their chance to enjoy spending it.
With the anticipation, similar to days before birth of a first child, another form of publication will soon be released. From our smaller presence in earlier days of the 5 yr Child Abuse Royal Commission (CARC), the need to ‘join the dots’ began to call out. Hopefully, with the increased-global visitors of our RCbbc Blog, we’re now able to Share another media: Newsletters! eNews are becoming a greater extension of the 247 work-cycle, allowing wider varieties of audio, visual, text & combinations of media to be exchanged. A business plan is still being developed, yet many feel that these swapping of ideas is helpful.
Although Australia’s 2013-17 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse didn’t result in many instant actions, it has begun longterm changes. Depending on how confident families are on their own decisions, many church-dependence relationships have been reassessed. Catholic Cardinal George Pell’s ‘fall from grace’ (Court Imprisonment and 4Corners ‘Guilty’) is making huge impact globally.
Gone (it would seem) is much of the previous basis for ‘trust’ in the phony and double-sided preachings of church preaching. Ironically, many Private Schools share a similar defensive nature to that of church legality, often spending more on legal Defense and Private Settlements, than having actual truths publicly revealed.
Church-hopping and School-swapping are so absurd, that they should not still be happening in broad sight. Yet, unfortunately they are. This is where our RCbbc blog can team-up with other Old-Boys/past Students-Families to help you deal with these hidden facts.
With the unfurling truths, since the CARC (Child Abuse Royal Commission, 2013-17) most, if not all, Private Schools in SEQ GPS are being involved in Claims of Child Sexual Abuse. As a courtesy to all involved past & present students, each reported school is listed below:
