Who were the Duggars protecting 15 years ago when Josh was caught or confessed to molesting multiple much younger girls including two of his sisters?
Not Josh's victims....
Clearly, not the multiple victims. The young girls clearly didn't even count into the equation. The Duggars have been swearing left and right that Josh and the girls got counseling.
Based on the two paragraphs I've read of Jessa Sewald's defense of Josh, I'm willing to bet the farm that she never received counseling from a "secular", licensed counselor. I've seen a psychologist for years and she'd punch holes in "he's not a molester" in about 20 seconds. Because she gives a shit about her clients.
Josh was shipped off to do some manual labor with a friend of a friend. I wonder if they told the friend of a friend that Josh had molested some of his sisters in their house?
Shit, The Duggar Publicity Machine (TM) been touting Josh and his siblings work as first-responders for the tiny, rural area they live in. That position wouldn't be available to Josh if he had a sexual abuse conviction.
See, the Duggars have been pretending that they were protecting Josh...or letting the media assume that. Did they protect Josh?
Nope.Let's pretend that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar acted like responsible adults 15+ years ago. They report the abuse they saw or Josh confessed to them to a police officer. The police officer files a report. Because of Josh's age, the matter would have been handled by juvenile court. After a trial, Josh would likely be sentenced to some time in detention AND/OR required to attend court-mandated counseling until he was 18 (or 21 or 25....I don't know Arkansas' laws, but Michigan would require at least until 21). If he missed counseling, he'd go back to detention until 18.
I've been reading up on outcomes for young teenagers who molest much younger children. Two things popped out. First, the vast majority of abusers in that class have been sexually abused themselves OR severe mental illness. Second, treatment by a mental health professional reduces recidivism rates to below 8% over 20 years when combined with family treatment to give the parents the skills they need.
So, if the Duggars had involved the justice system, they would have managed to protect their daughters, protect other non-relative and given Josh a chance of never molesting again.
Why didn't Jim Bob and Michelle get the system involved 15+ years ago?
Why did they:
- Hold a photo shoot with Josie while she was still in the NICU - despite the fact that premature infants have very weak immune systems?
- Allow the camera crew to enter Josie's "separate" room at home when she was supposed to be separated from new people?
- Use their older kids as unpaid labor to build their home?
- Completely ignore the fact that Jessa detested Ben?
- Feel compelled to explain what Jinger "really" meant when she said she wanted to move to the city when she married?
- Name one of set of twins nearly identical names (Jedidiah and Jeremiah) and give two daughters the same freaking name (Joy-Anna and Johannah)?
- Have Michelle shoot B-reel footage with her phone as Jason was bleeding and scared after a fall into an orchestra pit?
- Seem completely oblivious to the fact that Jordyn was dreading her real mom - Jessa - getting married and moving out?
See, Jim Bob and Michelle could not let a trained therapist anywhere near their kids.
How long would it take a therapist to figure out that the older kids were raising their younger siblings?
How long would take to find out about the absurd amount of chores the kids have? That they were building their house during "school" time before TLC finished it?
Who would be the first kid to explain what "blanket training" is?
Who'd let the therapist know about the "vows" they made at ATI?
Who'd explain the "umbrella of protection" and how the abuse was a sign that the girls (somehow) got out from under it?
Of course, Jim Bob and Michelle didn't want to go near a therapist themselves.
A therapist would have:
- Connected Michelle's previous bulimia and her obsession with having children.
- Challenged both parents to raise their own children.
- Challenged both parents to postpone producing any more children while they had at least 3 kids (Josh, Jill and Jessa....) in a crisis state.
BRAVO!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYES. Excellent post.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to add, The Duggar parents allowed that terrible footage of Josie having her seizure to air on TLC. Absolutely shameful, in such a vulnerable moment, to show a child in distress and a sister (Jana) in agony over it. Pathetic. The Duggar parents were out of town at the time, but those moments never needed to be on tv. Publicity at the expense of the pain of children.
ReplyDeleteI've made it a point never to watch the show - but what the hell were Michelle and Jim Bob doing out of town when Josie was young?
DeleteJana would have been terrified. My second daughter suffered with multiple febrile seizures up to the age of 4 at least. I was a basket case each time. It was horrible. These parents don't care two hoots to raise their own offspring.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, people get weird on reality shows. Take the "I am Jazz" show about the transgender teen. They took the camera into the hospital recovery room when Jazz had a hormone blocker taken out and she didn't know she was being filmed. In her medicated state, she said "I have a boner" before rolling over and her mom and brothers acted quite amused. The mom then decided it was time to let her know there was a freaking camera in the room, and they all thought the rest of us needed to see that. The show even let the brothers comment separately how shucks, sometimes they forget she even HAS..you know, those parts.
ReplyDeleteWell thanks, TLC; that was so educational.
"Completely ignore the fact that Jessa detested Ben?"
ReplyDeleteHer husband??