One day after breaking their silence about a family sex abuse scandal, and the Duggars are under fire for describing their son Josh Duggar's actions as "inappropriate touching" and "nothing like rape."
Those comments were made Wednesday night by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar during an interview with Megyn Kelly on Fox News. Moments later, the internet erupted in disgust and anger.
Mainly this Duggar interview is just sad, because the parents are so stunningly ignorant about child sexual abuse. Even now.
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) June 4, 2015
So, I sit here tonight-- angry at the Duggars and every person who fails to protect innocent children.
— Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) June 4, 2015
Naming the daughters seems to be the final act of patriarchy. Empower the son, expose the girls to more "shame" in their community. Terrible
— Caroline MT (@CaroMT) June 4, 2015
The Washington Post saying parents Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar cast themselves as martyrs, accusing the couple of downplaying the sexual abuse perpetrated by their eldest son Josh Duggar against four of his sisters and a former babysitter.
At age 14, Josh Duggar admitted to touching his victims. Rather than seeking professional help for their son, the Duggars sent Josh to a Christian-based training center in Arkansas.
Dr. Marisol Erlacher, a psychotherapist who works with victims of sexual abuse, says the lack of accountability is alarming.
"I was struck by how much they emphasized that it wasn't that big of a deal," said Dr. Erlacher. "I think it can impact the way people speak about it. It can impact the way people come out and tell their story."
Juveniles account for more than one-third of known sex offenders. Many begin abusing between the ages of 12 and 14, and target younger victims, according to the Department of Justice.
The good news is with clinical help close to 85 percent do not commit sex crimes after adolescence.
"I think the research is showing if there's an early intervention, you can have more positive results," said Dr. Erlacher.
Molesting a child isn't a "mistake" it's a crime. To call it anything else is minimizing & unfair to victims... #DuggarInterview
— Mario Lopez (@MarioLopezExtra) June 4, 2015
The Duggars position is basically, "The girls didn't actually understand what happened to them, we would rather forget about this."
— Ashley Ford (@iSmashFizzle) June 4, 2015
They also literally won't talk about how they feel about their girls. It's all about how they feel/felt about wanting to protect Josh.
— Ashley Ford (@iSmashFizzle) June 4, 2015
"What's really important is people start to open up a dialogue about what's important in families in terms of talking about healthy sexuality, allowing children to speak about things that are difficult, and empowering children to make decisions about themselves and their bodies," said Dr. Erlacher.
People can find more information about child sexual abuse on Dr. Erlacher's website.
Fox News will air more of the Duggar interview on Friday evening.
