Pedophilia And Child Abuse In Los Angeles

Amongst the plethora of issues society faces, sexual abuse is a grave topic that is often difficult to discuss due to the nature of its crime. It’s a sensitive subject that leaves many unwilling to approach or dissect the matter, which often leads to more complications in rape and abuse cases. Many organizations and survivors have come together to speak out about this issue in more recent years to bring awareness and educate others. Still, there is an underlying evil in the city of fame, fortune, and endless opportunities: Los Angeles. Pedophilia and child abuse have been ongoing issues in the La La Land but have yet to receive the needed attention and action to protect child stars. The industry has conceived a vicious cycle in which children

It can be classified into four main categories: physical, sexual, neglect, and psychological. Child sexual abuse specifically is exploitation and any sexually motivated behavior, including touching offenses such as molestation, or non-touching offenses such as forced viewing of pornography (Goldman and Salus 23). A child’s innocence is taken away from them when a perpetrator abuses them in this way. Minors in sexual abuse cases are often too young to even comprehend what exactly is occurring, which consequently eradicates consent in these situations. In regard to Hollywood, children are often exposed to new situations and put in vulnerable, unusual positions due to their careers. This sets the environment for child celebrities to be susceptible to potentially dangerous situations which could lead to

Of these perpetrators, 90 percent is composed of men, three point nine percent female, and six percent classifying as ‘unknown gender’ (Sanders). Children especially do not stand a chance against their sexual abusers. Even more so, these criminals are rarely strangers to the victims. It is estimated that seven out of ten rapes are committed by someone known or close to the victim (RAINN). Abusers will often use this level of familiarity with their victims to their advantage, especially when the abuse involves a minor. In a study conducted, perpetrators of sexual abuse admitted that they preferred to gain the trust of children by offering them gifts, playing with them, and taking on the role of a friend (Johnson 466). This method parallels a process in Hollywood commonly called the “grooming process.” Amy Henry, co-founder of the charity Biz Parents which protects children and their families in the entertainment industry, stated the following: “It’s often a funnel situation...The abuser has an array of children in their orbit but they don’t abuse all of them.” She continued by describing how predators will often begin to ask their victims questions about their sexuality, and then ask them to keep secrets. The ones that fail to keep secrets are not chosen, and subsequently, the group grows smaller. The grooming process heightens as the abuser will