In his new book, "Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults," Amos N. Guiora shares the stories of sexual assault survivors from USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, and the Roman Catholic Church, focusing not on what the sexual predators did to them, but on how the institutions and individuals allowed it to happen.
The book, based on interviews with numerous survivors, thousands of pages of grand jury indictments, civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, special reports and media accounts, poses this critical question: What do sexual assault survivors expect of the enabler-bystander?
The interviews shed light on two powerful responses: that this question had not been previously asked and that survivor expectation of protection and support from the enabler-bystander was rarely, if ever, met.
With emotions ranging from deep disappointment to seething anger and extreme frustration, the survivors speak of profound abandonment by someone who was in a position to assist them in the face of sexual assaults. The perpetrator benefited from the complicity of the enabler, and from the survivors' perspective, both bear responsibility and must be held accountable.
"Behind every high-profile sexual assault scandal, there's an army of people whose decisions helped perpetuate the abuse," Guiora says. "And yet the role of the enabler has been largely undiscussed in the conversation about sexual abuse. As awful as the predator is, he didn't get access without someone else making it possible or looking the other way."
Guiora uses the survivors' perspective to propose legal, cultural and social measures aimed at the enabler. The changes would address - and impact - both broader society and specific communities including higher education, elite athletics, sports organizations, religious institutions, law enforcement, the entertainment industry and elected officials.
"To whom is a duty owed?" Guiora asks. "I made a commitment to the survivors to give their voices the widest possible platform," he says. "Only by hearing their stories can we fully understand the power of the enabler and the pain they cause the survivor. Their voices must propel us to change."
Guiora is professor of law at the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law. He is actively involved in bystander legislation efforts in Utah and other states around the country. He has published extensively both in the United States and Europe on issues related to national security, limits of interrogation, religion and terrorism, the limits of power, multiculturalism and human rights.
"Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults" costs $24.95 and can be ordered by calling 800-285-2221 or online at shopaba.org.
