Clearly, the Duggar family experienced troubling behavior from their teenage son. It appears that he may have molested his sisters and perhaps other young girls. It is also clear the family kept the matter private and did not go public with any of the incidents until after the statute of limitations had expired. Since the story broke the news, the family has come under intense criticism.
It is likely that the matter is being intensified over disdain many people have because of the family’s ultra-orthodox Christian views. People have criticized their daughters for getting married with what can only be described as virgin lips. Their first kiss was to their legal and lawfully wedded husbands upon hearing the words, “You may now kiss the bride.”
Still, the girls enjoy strong marriages and seem quite happy. The difficulty surrounding their son stems from the fact that sexual deviancy problems are highly sensitive. Even when there are no victims involved, society stigmatizes the disorder making it very difficult for people with the disorder to obtain help. When there are victims involved, law enforcement can end up tearing a family apart.
It is obvious the Duggar family acted in a way they believed would preserve the emotional health of every member. Still, there is no way to explain their motivations. It seems the more the address the issue, the deeper the hole they dig for themselves.
Their recent interview of Fox News did not go over well at all. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar explained that other Christian families have experienced similar problems. Their words have been characterized as suggesting their brand of Christianity is responsible for causing sexual deviancy.
The truth is that sexual deviancy occurs in many families, across all income demographics, and religious and non-religious families. A healthy discussion of the problem and how to provide treatment for all parties involved will be better than disparaging how one family dealt with a very hard issue.