There appears to be no end to the horrible stories of men sexually assaulting young boys. The same week that a guilty verdict was brought against former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, a Catholic priest in Philadelphia was found guilty of covering up child sexual assault allegations. Closer to home, Steven Geyer, a former assistant principal of Lancaster Mennonite High School, confessed to sexually assaulting male international students from South Korea.

Two victories in this public nightmare are the victims who gained courage to talk about their abuse, and here in Pennsylvania, a unanimous vote by the House Judiciary Committee to do away with the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse.

In the wake of the Sandusky trial, Michael Reagan (son of the late president Ronald Reagan) told his story of being repeatedly sexually molested by a day-camp counselor for an entire year. Reagan said he was only 8 years old when this man "had me take my clothes off, took photographs of me, and had me develop the photographs and said, wouldn't your mother like to have a copy? My life ended that day. Absolutely ended."

Parents everywhere will be thinking twice before entrusting their children with coaches, priests, teachers and camp counselors. What a sad reality!

It's mostly sad for victims and their families. But it's also difficult for many trustworthy leaders because suspicion creates a difficult environment for good things to happen. Yet no one should blame parents for taking extra precautions.

The recent public focus on sexual assault should serve as a wake-up call to institutions to create better systems of accountability. Because leaders are often overly scrutinized and wrongly criticized, they can easily slip into an insulated disposition where protecting their own removes accountability. Obviously there's a balance to find, but the message for everyone is that when it comes to protecting our children extra measures must be taken.

We need more public education on the profile of abusers. Admittedly, this is difficult because predators try to appear normal and even benevolent to trap their victims. Deception is a big part of their MO.

In offering a profile, there's a danger in seeing an abuser behind every bush. Yet parents need to know some of the warning signs. Children (age appropriately) should also be informed of some of the dangers.

In "Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse," Steven R. Tracy identified four general characteristics of abusers. After considering these, I'll include a fifth characteristic.

1. Pervasive denial of responsibility

"The single most consistent characteristic of abusers is their utter unwillingness to accept full responsibility for their behavior," Tracy wote.

Abusers are full of excuses, rationalizations and justifications for their abusive behavior. They use the blame game, projecting onto others responsibility for their actions.

2. Bold deceitfulness:

Abusers create their own self-serving reality and expect others to affirm it. Tracy noted how they're often "masterful at manipulating words and actions to confuse, confound, and put others on the defensive."

3. Harsh judgmentalism:

To deflect attention from themselves, abusers will often be judgmental toward others. They replace their shame with blame to escape a guilty conscience. Self-righteous legalistic religious communities can be havens for undercover abusers. But communities where people celebrate God's grace in a context of humble transparency will not be as safe for abusers.

4. Calculated intimidation:

Intimidation is an abuser's weapon of choice. Abusers are notorious for threatening their victims into silence and submission. But they also use what might be viewed as a positive manipulation like buying gifts and showering potential victims with affirmation.

5. Fear of rejection:

Abusers often have issues with acceptance and rejection. Sometimes they have an inordinate need for affirmation connected with personal histories of rejection. They commonly project onto the words or actions of others motives of rejection. Closely related, abusers often have unhealthy attachment and detachment issues. Abusers mostly refuse to seek help and prohibit their victims from seeking it.

Irrational fears can make abusers unpredictable and volatile. It's not uncommon for them to carry inner rage that they periodically unleash. While abusers typically have difficulty admitting to failure and weakness, after unleashing rage on others, it's not uncommon for them to profusely apologize to atone for the damage they've caused and to control their victims. Yet any apology that does not lead to change should be viewed as manipulation.

Understanding some of the behavior of abusers offers a secondary benefit to parents. Avoid raising an abuser by teaching your children to take responsibility for their actions and by exposing their efforts to be manipulative. Correct them quickly and firmly if they show any tendency to bully others or to make fun of others. Provide a home of honest and healthy love and acceptance in an atmosphere where each one is taught to be "kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

Finally, if you're being subjected to behaviors associated with abuse, save yourself and others untold trouble by seeking counsel and accountability immediately. Abuse hotlines are available in most communities. If you're being manipulated or intimidated, and you face true danger, you must involve the police.

Steve Cornell is senior pastor of Millersville Bible Church. He is also a correspondent for Lancaster Newspapers Inc. Email him at s.cornell@millersvillebiblechurch.org.