Make us your home page  I was molested three times before age 20
It's estimated, though no one knows the actual numbers, that one
in four girls and one in six boys is sexually abused before
reaching 18. What happened shook me up at the time, but my
experiences weren't shattering. I didn't repress the memories —
I've just never given them much thought. But the trial and
conviction of Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach,
has made me think more deeply about what was done to me and what
I did in response.  As the "Dear Prudence" advice columnist for
Slate, I always urge people to report any sexual abuse. Removing
the secrecy takes the shame from the victim and puts the blame
on the perpetrator. Exposure is the way to stop repeat
offenders. But I never told anyone back then. Even with the
benefit of hindsight, considering the world in which these
events took place — from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s — and
the family in which I lived, I still understand my choice.  The
first incident was when I was a