Disney on Child Abuse
Really? Disney? Yes, really. As this review points out, if you go to see "Tangled" you will see a beautiful and charming re-telling of the old Grimm’s tale, "Rapunzel." You will also see– if you have eyes to see– an excellent portrayal of the way some children are controlled and manipulated by those who would use them. While nothing in "Tangled" hints at child sexual abuse, it surely shows how abusers can and do convince children that they have their best interests at heart. As David Clohessy of SNAP points out in this review, most child abusers do not wear overcoats or masks; most are trusted figures in a child’s life, and are very adept at grooming and then controlling their victims.
It is a sad day when we cannot even go escape to a Disney movie without being reminded of the ugliness of child abuse. But only when we can see the signs of abuse for what they are– in Disney, in church, in the schools and athletic leagues– can we protect children.
