The legacy of the clergy abuse scandal.

The clergy abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has left its mark on child protection efforts. It was a major national story about child maltreatment that has dominated the media for more than an entire year. It has prompted discussions about child exploitation issues in countless homes and organizations. But has it helped the cause of child protection? I do not think the answer is a straightforward yes. The controversy has had a complex kind of impact in the United States, both positive and negative. The scandal certainly kept the child maltreatment topic in the news. The sustaining power of the sexual abuse issue never fails to amaze. Social scientists tend to see public interest in most social problems as reaching some saturation point over the course of a few years and then subsiding. But sexual abuse keeps managing to reincarnate itself in new guises, just when one thinks it might expire. Before the clergy scandal, backlash concerns seemed to be the major focus in the media. People sensed a negative tide on this issue. But, then ensued, to almost everybody's surprise, a year full of the most credible child maltreatment stories. Gone are images of overzealous investigators, mendacious children, and a child protection system threatening the integrity of families. Back are images of fiendish predators, intimidated children and a message that state child protection mandates need to be expanded to penetrate some still recalcitrant corners of our society. Certainly this news helped by keeping the topic of child maltreatment in public view. Certainly it overrode much of a negative press the child maltreatment field was getting. But beyond these superficialities, child abuse professionals need to be cautious and critical and consider what was helpful and what was harmful in the public awareness generated by this scandal. First helpful aspect: this scandal almost certainly alerted parents again of the need to talk to children about sexual abuse and about the risk at the hands of people who are known and respected by children and families. There are few Catholic parents who did not ask their children sometime during the course of this year, "Did Father so-and-so ever do anything