Former Penn State University Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky (left) has been charged with sexually abusing boys. Football coach Joe Paterno, who allegedly knew of the abuse but did not report it to police, was fired.

Sex crimes against boys, such as the ones that allegedly occurred at Penn State, are often unreported because society is still uncomfortable with male-on-male assaults, according to this ABC News article.

National Association of Social Workers member Frederic Reamer compared the Penn State case to the Catholic Church, which also has a male-dominated culture where such abuse may go unreported. Reamer is a professor of social work at Rhode Island University.

“The parallels seem striking (head in the sand, massive denial, magical thinking about making this problem go away),” Reamer wrote.

To learn more about how social workers help clients overcome sexual abuse, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” family safety articles on the issue by clicking here.