Sex in the news...

There are a few stories in the news lately that are troubling me:

There's the General Petraeus resignation... the now-cliché story of a powerful man taken down by a sex scandal.  And aside from an affair being cited for the resignation, the timing is also being questioned because he was supposed to be part of key testimony for the Benghazi trial. 

Then as I was looking for the latest on that story, I came across accusations against Sesame Street and Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash alleging an inappropriate relationship with underage male. And the BBC sex scandal. I'll go as far to call these two cliché too, after the many stories of child sex abuse i.e. Catholic priests and Penn State/Sandusky.

Must I say anything about the recent election and the topic of reproductive health and rape?

And we have the Zumba Prostitution Scandal, as it is being referred to in the news. Also not so unfamiliar.

Also the story we've all seen on the 11 o'clock news if you've ever watched it - the man-jumps-out-of-nowhere-late-at-night-or-in-broad-day-light-to-attack-a-woman story, like this one being reported in Boston.

I'll also throw in the fact that the number of registed sex offenders is increasing (although I have heard arguments debating the reasons behind the increase).

WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THIS!?

While all these stories are very different - they are all tied together by SEX.  There are also so many more stories that I haven't included that are part of the same thread but these are the ones that I've been seeing and hearing about recently.

But really, what do we make of all this?  I can barely wrap my head around it all. 

Are these issues unique to the US?  If not, how are they handled, included how/if they are reported (and/or glamorized) in other countries? 

How do we explain these things to our children? 

What can we take and learn?  Is change possible? 

What is the role of morality (personal and cultural/societal) in these stories?

These are the stories of today, but they are far from new and I can sadly say with confidence that it won't be the last time we see more like them.