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Watching the footage of students rioting at Penn State forced a lot of people, including myself, to question a culture that would stand in defense of the indefensible.

Let's get this right -- students are protesting the firing of a coach who, although he was informed, he did almost nothing to stop the alleged abuse of young boys by his own assistant coach.

So they're more worried about the institution than the individual?

We've seen this kind of cover-up in the church, the boy scouts and hockey -- all institutions that have been found guilty of similar abuse.

For a unique perspective on what it feels like to be the victim, ignored or afraid to speak out, I spoke to Sheldon Kennedy, former NHLer who was abused as a young player by his coach, Graham James.

When he went public with his story, he helped so many other victims feel empowered enough to take action. He now acts as a spokesperson for violence and abuse prevention programs with the Canadian Red Cross and through his own foundation, www.respectgroupinc.com.

I'll be speaking with Kennedy tonight on our show about his perspective on the Penn State story and the firing of Joe Paterno.

Kennedy said he sees hope because all these victims came forward and spoke out against one of the most powerful institutions in a state that reveres football – a state where Paterno was king.

"The right thing was done, (those who came out) need to hold their heads up high here and continue making change so it doesn't happen to others," he said.

Kennedy speaks for the young victims who get lost in the shuffle – "and we need to tell them we believe them, we're here for them, and they did the right thing."

But why was the alleged abuse allowed to persist for so long? Why did nobody speak out on behalf of the young players? Kennedy's answer – fear. The abuse persisted because people who either witnessed or sensed there was something going on, simply did not have the tools to know what to do.

"If you walk down the street and ask the average person to give you the definition of harassment, bullying and sexual abuse and your legal responsibilities around it -- the odds of getting a right answer are slim," said Kennedy.

He said as parents, authority figures and leaders, we cannot just drop off our children at hockey practice, gymnastics, or Scouts, and trust that these institutions have the tools to deal with potential incidents of abuse. "We need to ask the questions to protect our youth and make sure the safety of our children is paramount."

For Kennedy's part, he's working closely with federal Alberta MP Rona Ambrose on a program to reach out to all Canadians on abuse prevention and education.

"The goal is to empower the bystander," he said. "We have to give people the tools to know what to do."

Positive words of wisdom but isn't it a moral obligation to come forward?

See you tonight.

Lisa