With more and more reports of the British TV celebrity Jimmy Saville sexually abusing the people around him during his TV reign, it seems that the scale of the case is somewhat unprecedented. With over 450 separate victims, almost 200 different crimes, and a reported 31 rapes, it certainly brings to your attention the things that truly do happen behind the scenes.

A number of other celebrities have been arrested, or at least questioned, as a result of Jimmy “Jim’ll Fix It” Saville’s death and subsequent secret life revealed, including Gary Glitter, who has already been in trouble for sexual abuse on children, and comedian Freddie Starr. There have been four more arrests/questions with favorite British personalities, apparently not related to the late Jimmy Saville.

According to the press, almost 600 people have come forward with information on the celebriti8es secret sex life, and around 450 complaints have been logged. The press have also released statistics which showed around 80% of these victims were considered minors, and 82% of them were female. When you think about it, that is seriously shocking information!

The Police have been reported to have said “they had recorded 31 allegations of rape against Saville in seven force areas.” It makes you wonder how this managed to go on unnoticed for so long.

A number of other celebrities have been bought to the limelight with questions surrounding why the news never came out before. Are people turning a blind eye to the fact that this was apparently going on right underneath their noses, or is it really harder than you may have thought to notice sexual abuse, at any age range?

As an outsider, would you ever know what sexual abuse against a child would mean? NSPCC.org states “Child sexual abuse involves persuading or forcing a child to take part in sexual activities, or encouraging a child to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.” Would you have the knowledge necessary to not only realize that this was going on, but also to know how to put a stop to it?

The good thing, (if it can be called “good”) is that the awareness of sexual abuse in children has certainly had a profile raise since the death of Jimmy Saville, and the ongoing investigations. People are now becoming more and more aware of what CAN happen, and also how to take a step in the right direction to stopping it. The signs of sexual abuse in the younger generation are now more commonly known – behaving differently, not taking care of themselves, inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature in inappropriate scenarios, physical symptoms, avoidance of particular people or family members, hinting, and even getting gifts from a certain person or people. If you were to see these signs, would you have what it takes to make something happen for the good? Would you step in and make a change to that poor child’s life? What would you even do? It’s not as if the child would admit to it, and the adult in question certainly wouldn’t. What would the right next stop be?

Of course the first thing to do in any situation like this is to consult the advice of a professional. Most local policing organizations have some kind of helpline that you can call for anonymous advise or information, and it would make sense to use these as they are designed. There are also massive charities that you can contact, which will not only advise you of the next logical step to take, but can also help with the emotional distress YOU may suffer as a result of thinking child abuse may be going on.

At the end of it all, would you be able to make a stand and change the life of one or more children? Do you have what it takes to shout out against a potential abuser of children? It can be a difficult decision to make, and you can almost understand why so many people turned a blind eye in the case of Jimmy Saville – for some, looking the other way is the easier way out. Could you live with that on your conscience?