Why details of sexual abuse from public inquiries must be reported | Paul Chadwick

The welfare of affected individuals is a legitimate concern, but disseminating these facts serves the greater good

The therapist’s concern was carefully and respectfully expressed: why did Guardian reporting of the UK’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse contain specifics?

Having had experience counselling adults who were abused in childhood, the reader’s view was that many people would find details distressing to read, and that publishing them risked psychological harm to vulnerable people. “I wholeheartedly approve of the publication of investigations into sexual abuse, because this is often what encourages people to come forward and seek help. Yet there is a delicate balance between publishing information which is helpful and that which may cause further harm.”

Related: As technology develops, so must journalists’ codes of ethics | Paul Chadwick

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2w1Ns1c