Dr. Phil: A Disturbing Episode on Sexual Abuse

Recently, an episode of Dr. Phil aired which addressed the issue of sexual molestation. It was different from other shows about molestation, in that they normally address the sexual abuse being perpetrated by a stranger, parent, or extended family member. In this case the perpetrator was the oldest of five children, Mikai, 19.

Brad and Kenda are married and have five children; four boys, Mikai being the oldest, and one girl, the youngest. Both parents work and take care of the children. Brad and Kenda came to Dr. Phil with worries about their son being a sexual predator. There have been many accusations from different aged girls over the past several years that had led them to this conclusion. Most of all, they were worried that Mikai has been molesting their daughter. When they first became suspicious of Mikai's relationship with his sister, they set up a "two brother rule" under which no one brother could be alone with the little girl at any time. When they first became aware of the inappropriate sexual behavior between Mikai and these girls, they began monitoring his internet access to prevent him from harassing more potential victims. Later on in the show, with the knowledge that Mikai is a pathological liar, he was given a polygraph test. The results showed that he was engaging in the sexual assault of his sister, as well as other girls. Both of his parents had a look of disgust on their faces upon receiving these results. Mikai still tried to deny these accusations even though the polygraph test was administered by a world renowned expert. Dr. Phil told Mikai that he needed to own what he has done and be accountable for it. Mikai responded by admitting that he had sexually molested his sister once Later, when Dr. Phil asked Mikai a question, Brad said "You better talk to him because you're dead to us" which led to Mikai crying. Kenda expressed that although she was both hurt and angry, she didn't love Mikai any less. The decision was made by the parents and Mikai in agreement with Dr. Phil that Mikai would need a lot of help and rehabilitation. Both of the parents agreed with Dr. Phil that Mikai would not be allowed to live at their house anymore and would have absolutely no access to the little girl. Dr. Phil said that although he was willing to help Mikai, the protection of the little girl was his number one priority.

The only activity that the family was shown doing together was going on Dr. Phil, and even then the little girl was not present, in order to conceal her identity. Though this show did not support the authors' of Millennial Rising idea that child abuse is on the decline, the abuse was not carried out by either parent, but the oldest brother instead. The show definitely disproved the authors' idea that millennials have more supervision than earlier generations. It seemed that although the parents cared, neither one of them quit their job to ensure the safety of the little girl. Instead, the four boys watched her and had little to no control over situations between the oldest brother and the sister. Because there was hardly any interaction between the parents and the children shown, none of the kids' attitudes towards the parents could be established.

In conclusion, I do not believe that Mikai, nor any sex offender can ever be rehabilitated. I think that he will always be a threat to society and should be kept away from women and children for the rest of his life. He will always have the impulse to sexually assault someone and the chances of him being able to overcome that impulse every time he has it is almost nonexistent. I do not feel any sympathy for Mikai. However, I feel a lot of sadness for the rest of the family, especially the little girl. They have a long road of recovery still left to travel.