DEAR ABBY: "No Name, City or State" inquired about how best to respond to an adult gay man who had boasted about a fling he's having with a 16-year-old boy. You recommended that "No Name" tell the boy's mother what the braggart said and leave it up to her to report it to the police.
Abby, I am a clinical psychologist with experience working with sex abuse survivors. Please consider the fact that when alleged sexual abuse is disclosed, many parents are often confused, emotionally overwrought, etc., and consequently their judgment is impaired. Denial, minimization and accusations against the victim are not unusual. Better that the alleged abuse be reported to the appropriate state and/or county child protection agency; their investigators can best intervene in this and similar matters. -- "DOC" ON LONG ISLAND
DEAR "DOC": Thank you for pointing out something I should have pointed out myself. The fact that the alleged abuser bragged that he was "getting away with something" signals that he could possibly be a pedophile with a history of abuse.
As a school guidance counselor wrote, "It's always best to err on the side of caution" when it comes to reporting suspected child abuse.