Kids Can't Sit on Santa's Lap? - A Sad Consequence of Child Sexual Abuse

While watching the news this evening, I noticed that much of it was dominated by the child sexual abuse scandals and allegations. Accusations against former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky continue to mount, the most recent charge coming from one of his own grandchildren. Now allegations have been raised against Bernie Fine, assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University.

Then there was the news on the sentencing of Michael Jackson's doctor, who administered a deadly dose of a powerful sedative to treat the pop star's insomnia. Yet most would readily agree that lack of sleep was far from being the greatest of Michael's problems. Rather, it was the child molestation charges that followed Jackson till the day he died.

Our family was living and ministering in the Boston area when Cardinal Law resigned in 2002 over the sexual abuse crisis that Law came to symbolize. At that time many parishioners became disillusioned with the Roman Catholic Church and either abandoned religion altogether or began to check out various Protestant churches that formerly were considered anathema.

Going back to the allegations against the college coaches, my wife made a key observation, saying that she would have never guessed that a football coach or some other guy who comes across as "a man's man" would be involved in such a scandal. It raises the question 'Whom can you trust?'

Apparently not Santa. At least that's the way that the British Department of Education sees it. The Telegraph reported that "parents who have offered to don the red suit have been told that they must not allow youngsters to sit on their laps...." While some consider this restriction as going too far, school officials are standing by their decision, saying that they would rather err on the safe side.

While I'm convinced that heavier restrictions should be placed on coaches, priests and teachers rather than Santa (whose time with children is spent with swarms of parents and other adults standing right there), I can appreciate the growing national and international concern for protecting children from sexual molestation.

The Washington Times divulged some unnerving statistics:

As victims of childhood molestation boys face significant and unique barriers in reporting what they intuitively know is inappropriate behavior. Approximately 1,460 children died in 2005 due to child abuse or neglect. Seventy-nine percent of these children were under the age of 4 years old.

Statistically one in eight males are a victim of abuse and a child has to tell seven adults of suspected abuse before he or she is taken seriously.... Rates of suicide among male victims of childhood sexual abuse are 14 times higher than the norm and they are 38 times more likely to die from a drug overdose.

Male victims are also prone to more aggressive behavior than female victims. A male victim is 53% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile compared to others and 38% more likely to be arrested for violent crime as an adult. Victims face a lifetime battle with depression, anger, addiction and possibly suicide....

Statistics and news stories such as these all remind me afresh of just how vital children's ministry is in the local church. I am thankful to have pastored churches that take this ministry seriously by screening all workers, establishing strict guidelines, building trust with parents, keeping one's integrity in tact, and, best of all, showing the pure and holy love of Christ to the children under their care. Despite the many tragic news stories aired daily, there are also unreported acts of genuine love and kindness, not one of which escapes the Lord's attention.

After all, it was Jesus who said,

Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea....

See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

- Matthew 18:5-6, 10-14