What About Josh Duggar’s Sisters?
Oldest Duggar daughters (from left to right) Jessa, Jinger, Jana, and Jill have so far stayed mum about their big brother’s molestation scandal. (Photo: Duggar Family Official/Facebook)
Ever since Josh Duggar acknowledged a bombshell report that he molested underage girls in his family’s home in 2002 and 2003 when he was a teenager, disturbing revelations about the story continue to make headlines.
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The most recent: law enforcement reportedly confirmed that Josh forcibly touched the genitals and breasts of five girls beginning in 2002, including his own sisters, according to TMZ. (The Duggars themselves have not commented on the identities of the victims.)
Amid this new information about Josh’s “very bad mistakes,” as his parents called them in a published statement on the family’s official Facebook page, one aspect of the story seems to be lost in the shuffle: how are Josh’s sisters faring — especially with the news that they may have been his victims?
Based on what experts know about how sexual abuse survivors process and heal from the experience, it’s likely that they are dealing with a confusing mix of strong, conflicting emotions.
“Sexual abuse generally leaves a victim with feelings of shame, anger, and guilt,” psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz tells Yahoo Parenting. But when it’s a family member who commits the abuse, those emotions can be amplified because the betrayal is so much worse. Add to that a famous family in the public eye, and there may be additional pressure from other family members to close ranks, stay quiet, and protect the abusive sibling, says Saltz.
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“The pressure of keeping a family secret can prevent people from seeking genuine help,” psychotherapist Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, tells Yahoo Parenting. “Being told not to tell—either by a sibling or parents—sends the wrong message to victims of sexual abuse. They may experience increased shame about being victimized.”
And that can make survivors feel victimized all over again. “Any time a family secret goes public, family members are often left feeling vulnerable and frightened,” says Morin. “When a victim’s story is made public by others, it can re-traumatize the victim.”
Making things more difficult is that the Duggar sisters, if they were abused by Josh, may not be receiving the counseling they need because the family seems to eschew traditional therapy. Case in point: after Josh’s parents found out about the molestation allegations against their son, Jim Bob and Michelle opted to send him to a Christian treatment program that focused on prayer and manual labor, not psychological counseling, reported People.
And for the sisters who weren’t victimized, knowing that their brother may have done this to other daughters in the family may stir up lots of guilt. “Some siblings may regret not knowing what was happening, or may feel responsible for not protecting others,” says Morin.
As of now, the Duggar girls are not releasing any statements about Josh at all, let alone whether they were his victims. Josh himself stated that he feels God has shown him mercy, and Jim Bob and Michelle also say that the experience brought them closer to God.
That may not be enough to help his victims heal. “Women who are sexually abused usually benefit from therapy, and as far as we know, that has not happened with this family,” says Saltz.
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