Celebrities Who Abuse and the Organizations That Condone That Abuse
Education leads to prevention – reaction leads to inaction – the story of celebrities who abuse and the organizations that condone that abuse.
With the latest headlines about NFL players and their abuse of women and children, it got us thinking about celebrities, the price they pay for the crimes they commit and the statements they make regarding those “crimes.”
To us, Cris Carter said it best when discussing the recent news of NFL players and child abuse. He said “This is the 21st century. My mom was wrong. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. And I promise my kids, I won’t teach that mess to them.”Easier said than done of course but the only acceptable option for adults who were themselves abused as children.
Domestic violence and child abuse are cyclical in nature and a silent epidemic. If we don’t educate we can’t prevent. If we don’t recognize the wrong, we can’t make it right. Cris Carter’s public call – learn better to do better – really hit home for us at KidSafe.
Our goal is to educate to prevent abuse of women and children, and to advocate that all organizations set up an action plan detailing exactly how they will respond to criminal activity by their employees. Instead of cover-ups, knee jerk reactions, or worse, the professional sports industry needs to reflect on their culture of violence and response to abusive players. The NFL, NBA and all celebrity organizations have the opportunity now to be both brave and proactive and to become models for other organizations regarding how to treat those who abuse children and women.
Like it or not, our celebrities are role models for children (whether they should be or not is a whole other blog) and with that celebrity comes an obligation to our most vulnerable citizens. You are a role model…act like one. You make a mistake…own up to it. Take your consequences and show the world it is not too late to make a wrong….right. Owners, Leagues etc. need to step up and allow some of those dollars to slip away for the greater good.
And to the fans – stop supporting child abusers and men who harm women. Stop wearing their jerseys and chanting their names. Think carefully about what kind of message you are sending to your own children. Right now there is opportunity for action – for change. Let’s not let this moment slip away.
