The Duggars Explain Josh’s Actions

Jessa Duggar has come forward as being one of her brother's victims!
Josh Duggar, of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" fame, has been accused of sexual misconduct as a teen, and in a Fox News Cannel interview, his sister Jessa says she wants to defend her brother.  She says he is not a child molester or pedophile and that such accusations are overboard and a lie.

The family gave a full interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly last night.

Josh is said to have fondled his sisters when he was a teenager.  He has apologized for unspecified bad behavior and resigned last month as a Family Research Council lobbyist.

Anyone who's ever watched "19 Kids and Counting" knows the dynamics of the family.  They appear to be a well-oiled machine, where the older children seemingly "mentor" the younger ones.  They appear to be happy to do so. However, they also seem to have very little interaction with people outside of their family.  So, although it's a bit sickening, it's understandable for an early teen coming into his sexuality to find ways to satisfy his curiosity. Unfortunately, that included experimenting with his sisters.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being Christian conservatives. HOWEVER, I do think there's a problem with being so conservative that children don't feel as if they can talk to their parents about their feelings, whether emotional, physical or sexual. When it results in the molestation of siblings, it's increasingly saddening. With their parents obviously "getting it in" on the regular, evidenced by an average of one birth every year and a half, the children have to have questions about sexuality. Luckily, though, Josh Duggar is said to have gone to his parents and told them of his actions after he touched the girls, although there were more incidents after his confession, and Jim Bob and Michelle also proactively talked to their daughters about what had happened.

Now that the children are older, getting married, and having children, they're undoubtedly figuring things out. But it's a shame to have their pasts put on display in this way, when they've worked so hard to project a wholesome image.