Learning About Sexual Abuse
Aho and Petras
1985
This type of material is one we see quite often on this site. (Click here to see Mr T help kids, or this gem of a book that tells kids that sex abuse will make you gay.) Most of it dates from the 1980s and 90s when there was a lot of hysteria associated with stranger danger, sex abuse, and other crimes against children.
Regardless, this book is still dated. Most of the perpetrators are portrayed as having “problems” or are misunderstood. Unfortunately, no one seems to get these people arrested and charged with a crime. However, they do do get counseling or “help”. Note the final line in the story where Uncle Brian is evidently still allowed to hang out with the family. Evidently, just some once a week counseling and a “good talking to” by Laura’s parents will fix Uncle Brian right up. Notice how no one helps Laura and she still has to hangout with creepy Uncle Brian.