General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I stopped liking Bill Cosby 25 years ago. Here's the story. [View all]Hekate
(91,308 posts)...look to the family structure to see if they are being assigned to carry the family's dysfunction or, in the case of an abusive parent, if they were the one child singled out for abuse.
There were a bunch of child actors who grew up on the Huxtable set -- in many ways it was a family. And there was ole Bill, in the role of all-powerful father, writer of pay checks, and to all appearances a benevolent despot.
It takes on average 20 years for a victim to speak out; some much longer. Sometimes the fact that others are speaking out frees even more victims to say their piece. Sometimes I think it must have the opposite effect as well: a person who is afraid may feel they have permission to keep silent because someone else has taken the responsibility of trying to stop this monster. There are many facets to silence and secrecy, and having been silent myself, I can't judge others.