Sandusky Case Resources and Trial Packet
On trial: Former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County courthouse in Bellefonte after court proceedings concluded June 11.
The trial for Jerry Sandusky began June 5, 2012. The former Penn State University football coach was charged with 48 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys during a 15-year period.
Our Response to the Sandusky Case
NSVRC's Statement on Sandusky Sentencing
Letters to Hon. John M. Cleland from Jerry and Dorothy Sandusky now published.
PCAR, NSVRC respond to verdict in Sandusky trial
Here is a complete breakdown of the charges.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) has created a resource page with tools to help respond to the case and to assist with creating opportunities for talking about the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Communities are invited to use and adapt NSVRC sample letters to the editor.
Read NSVRC bloggers talk about the Light at the end of the Tunnel.
Read news from around the country in our regularly updated News from the Field.
For a review and response to key statements made during the trial, go to the PCAR Blogroll.
Additional responses below.
October 29-30, 2012: Joint Conference with PSU
PCAR and NSVRC will be sponsoring a conference related to child sexual abuse prevention. Registration is now open.
October 9, 2012 NSVRC Statement about Sandusky Sentencing
August 2, 2012 PCAR/NSVRC in the Patriot-News
June 23, 2012: NSVRC in The Patriot-News
NSVRC was interviewed by Diana Fishlock a reporter for The Patriot-News about Resources to get help for suspected child abuse.
June 22, 2012: NSVRC in The Patriot-News
NSVRC was interviewed by Ivey DeJesus a reporter for The Patriot-News about the verdict in the Sandusky trial.
June 21, 2012: NSVRC in York Daily Record
NSVRC and PCAR were interviewed by Mike Argento a columnist for York Daily Record during the Sandusky trial.
June 19, 2012: NSVRC interviewed
NSVRC was interviewed by Joel Achenbach a reporter for The Washington Post during the Sandusky trial.
June 13, 2012: NSVRC in The Patriot-News
NSVRC was interviewed by Charles Thompson a reporter for The Patriot-News during the Sandusky trial.
June 22: PCAR/NSVRC Joint Statement
Issued a joint statement about the guilty verdict in the Jerry Sandusky trial.
June 18: PCAR in Penn Staters Mag
PCAR’s Kristen Houser was interview in the Penn Stater Magazine for an article entitled, Sandusky Trial: Breaking Down Week 1.
June 15: NSVRC on Fox 43
NSVRC’s Tracy Cox was interviewed live in studio by Fox 43’s morning show to discuss the importance of expert witness testimony and preventing child sexual abuse. Watch the video.
June 13, 2012: NSVRC interviewed
NSVRC was interviewed by Sylvia Kurtz, a criminal investigator and writer, during the Sandusky trial for upcoming book about the case.
June 13, 2012: NSVRC in The Patriot-News
Regarding victim reactions and the various details given in victims’ testimonies The Patriot-News ran an article entitled, Jerry Sandusky trial: Man, 18, known as Victim 1, looks alleged abuser in the eye on witness stand. NSVRC was interviewed for this story. To read it, visit:
June 11: NSVRC on Pennlive.com
NSVRC staff was featured in a photo gallery on pennlive.com during the Sandusky trial.
June 11-22: Centre County Courthouse
PCAR and NSVRC was on location for the opening days of the Jerry Sandusky trial at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. NSVRC was in the courtroom, while PCAR worked on live tweeting, blogging and media interviews. Among the interviews, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Washington Post, Pennlive.com, The Patriot-News. View the blog posts.
June 8: NSVRC distributes media packet
The NSVRC media packet was printed and will be distributed this month through a national mailing to media outlets, as well as distributed to journalists covering the Sandusky trial in Bellefonte.
June 6: Joint Statement on Victim Privacy
PCAR and NSVRC released a statement with The National Center for Victims of Crime and the National Crime Victim Law Institute urging the media to not disclose victims’ identities during the Sandusky trial.
June 5: PSU Trainings
PCAR continued training PSU employees. Training will be provided to those who are considered “mandated reporters” by Pennsylvania law. In the future, Penn State will have “permissive” reporters — Penn State employees who are not mandated by law to report abuse — trained on the ways to recognize and report suspected child abuse through the online training in the fall.
June 5: Interview in Philadelphia Weekly
PCAR’s Diane Moyer is interviewed for Philadelphia Weekly blog entitled, ‘No Legal Basis’ for Protecting Alleged Victims’ Identity in Jerry Sandusky Trial Is Misleading.
June 5: Interview on Pennlive.com
PCAR’s Kristen Houser talks about the importance of protecting the identities of sexual assault victims during the opening day of the Jerry Sandusky trial at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. To view the video, visit http://tinyurl.com/7488k2t
June 5, 2012: Media Packet Online
NSVRC created a Media Packet for journalists reporting on sexual violence. The packet contains statistics and 6 resources that answer common questions about sexual violence. This packet can be used and referenced in working with media outlets to provide mindful and informed coverage of the Sandusky Case.
June 4: Letters to the editor campaign
NSVRC and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuser’s (ATSA) prevention committee created 4 sample Letters to the Editor that can be used to spark some different conversations related to the Sandusky trial. The letters can be personalized and submitted to local newspapers.
Kristen Houser was interviewed by The Altoona Mirror and ABC 27 News.
NSVRC worked with Kelly Parsley, victim advocate and Penn State graduate, former Vice-Chair and Chair of NSVRC’s Advisory Council, on an OpEd submitted to The Patriot-News. The OpEd was entitled, Answers are simple in PSU case.
NSVRC and PCAR held a press conference in State College.
PCAR issued a press release entitled, PCAR offers support to Penn State Board of Trustees.
PCAR’s Kristen Houser was interviewed by CNN.
Prevention Letters Campaign
The NSVRC is working with the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuser’s (ATSA) prevention committee to attempt to steer some of the media coverage in the upcoming Jerry Sandusky trial into discussions about prevention and things we can do in our own organizations and communities. We want to use this opportunity to educate and activate people – and give them some ideas of proactive steps they can take to prevent child sexual abuse. We would like to see a grass roots effort of prevention-focused letters to the editor throughout the country that may spark some different conversations than just the legal aspects of this particular case. We have prepared four sample letters to make it easy for people to participate. They are short, since many newspapers have a 250 word limit on letters to the editor. You can select one as-is to submit to your local paper, edit one to better fit what you want to emphasize, or write one of your own. Feel free to forward this to others who may be interested in participating. The NSVRC has other information related to this and similar cases. Contact us at resources@nsvrc.org if we can assist with your communication efforts.
Sample Letter to the Editor #1
(252 words)
Date:
Dear Editor:
Jerry Sandusky, Penn State’s former football coach faces over 52 counts of sexual abuse against 10 boys over 15 years. I understand these allegations are hard to believe. I understand that an indictment of this magnitude would be a tragedy in any organization, but Penn State and particularly, their football team was known for all-American values of honor, integrity, and hope.
Jerry Sandusky deeply violated those values if these allegations are true. And Penn State may have violated those values as well because they allegedly failed to report these sexual abuse allegations to authorities.
It would be easy to end the story with the firing of key university staff and a quick conviction of Sandusky. It would be easy to say that we should always report suspicions of abuse, even if we are unsure of what really happened or whether the actions were sexually abusive. In the wake of all that has appeared in the media, we must take a deeper look at our own responsibilities.
This tragedy is a wake-up call to every organization that works with youth. I hope that such organizations will educate themselves, the families and the children about child sexual abuse. I encourage every organization to understand what they must do to respond to sexual abuse, to use effective screening tools and to put policies into place about appropriate touch and conduct. I hope all of us will learn from Penn State and ask questions to help put effective policies in place before any child is harmed.
Sincerely,
[Put Your Name and Contact info Here]
For additional resources, visit the following websites:
www.nsvrc.org The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.atsa.com The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
www.preventtogether.org The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Sample Letter to the Editor #2
(233 words)
Date:
Dear Editor:
I have spent most of my career working to stop sexual violence. I do this difficult work by counseling and advocating for victims – girls, boys, women, and men who have been sexually abused – and often by people they love and trust. When I read about Jerry Sandusky, it showed me people continue to have stereotypes about individuals who sexually abuse, and the characteristics of this case really challenge those stereotypes.
As the country watches the case unfold, I urge parents, families, and organizations to talk about what they need to do to make our communities safer for children. I urge adults to find ways to get involved and learn the scope of sexual abuse. We know it takes a lot of strength to come forward. We can imagine that we would have done everything we could to protect these children. Now we have the opportunity to learn from this experience.
We don’t have to wait.
Start with opening the lines of communication. We can ask our church, synagogue, schools and other organizations if they have policies to protect children, if staff is aware of these policies, and if they know how to implement them on a day-to-day basis. Let's use the Sandusky trial as a "rallying point" to ACT and to begin conversations with every local organization about what we can all do to make our communities safer for our children and teens.
Sincerely,
[Put Your Name and Contact info Here]
For additional resources, visit the following websites:
www.nsvrc.org The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.atsa.com The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
www.preventtogether.org The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Sample Letter to the Editor #3
(250 words)
Date:
Dear Editor:
All the stories in the news lately about child sexual abuse make me wonder if I was paying attention to the wrong things when my children were growing up. I was hyper-vigilant in malls, crowds, and public restrooms. I kept them close to me and watched carefully when strangers approached or seemed to notice them. I honestly thought that I knew what a sex offender would look like or how they would behave. They would probably look mean, unkempt, suspicious and shifty.
I generally relaxed, however, when my children were with a teacher, coach, babysitter, or neighbor. Someone who I knew or who was responsible for caring for children would not be capable of abusing them. But since the Jerry Sandusky and Penn State case came into the news, I’m starting to get a different understanding of the dynamics of child sexual abuse. I know that some people who sexually abuse a child do not fit my stereotype.
I’m also starting to understand that this is something we can prevent (or at least respond to more proactively). Imagine if we begin to ask different questions of the people who care for our children. Is there a policy in your organization to protect children from sexual abuse? Do you know how to report sexual abuse? What do you do if someone is not quite appropriate around the children or teens in your organization? This case has opened my eyes and I, for one, am going to start asking different questions now.
Sincerely,
[Put Your Name and Contact info Here]
For additional resources, visit the following websites:
www.nsvrc.org The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.atsa.com The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
www.preventtogether.org The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Sample Letter to the Editor #4
(239 words)
Date:
Dear Editor:
The Jerry Sandusky case is coming to trial and we will soon see how the process plays out in this situation. For some reason, this particular story has captured the attention of the public in a way that few others have. Is it because well-known people are involved? Is it because of the association with a prestigious University that prides itself on integrity? Is it because of the connection with a respected charity whose founder may have had ulterior motives for serving disadvantaged children? Is it because there was an apparent eye witness to one of the events?
Whatever the reasons – the scrutiny is welcome. Far too many children are sexually abused every day and most of them do not get their day in court.
Hopefully some positive things will come from this painful set of circumstances – maybe more victims will feel safe enough to come forward; maybe even some people who have abused children, or are thinking of hurting a child will have the courage to seek help; maybe organizations who work with children will strengthen their safety policies and procedures; and maybe some of us will act more quickly and more decisively when we suspect that something may not be right. If any of those things happen, then something positive will have come from this tragedy – I know that I am going to begin to be more active and support activities that work toward a safer community.
Sincerely,
[Put Your Name and Contact info Here]
For additional resources, visit the following websites:
www.nsvrc.org The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.atsa.com The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
www.preventtogether.org The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Follow Us
