The Jerry Sandusky trial has put front and center in recent weeks. What about the adults around him who knew and covered it up or suspected but chose to ignore it? Moreover, what about the other adult in Sandusky’s home – his wife? Some may wonder in cases of male pedophilia whether the wives knew about the problem.

Sandusky isn’t the first man who’s been accused of pedophilia. Though his case is the one that’s hogging the spotlight now, many other lesser-known cases came before him. In many pedophilia cases, the men, like Sandusky, were married. Is it possible that the wives were aware of the problem?

It is crucial - and fair to the wives - to understand that the majority or possibly even all of the wives of these men were not aware of the problem. Men who act out in such heinous and harmful ways have cultivated extreme skills in secrecy, covering their proverbial tracks to prevent anyone - especially school authorities or law enforcement - from finding out what they're doing.

We cannot blame the wives because male pedophiles go to great lengths to keep their behavior hidden, even threatening their very child victims to never say a word to the pedophile's wife or anyone else. This problem is a truly tragic problem that causes extreme emotional harm to everyone involved. Of course, the victims suffer the most, but the entire family suffers as the family's lives are turned upside down when the problem behavior is revealed.

My hope for these families is that all of the family members receive intensive mental health services and that each member of the family - the victims and the wives, especially - can find a way to have faith again in the word "family."

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