In the past I have written about bullying. I believe that the recent incidents of reports of child abuse at Penn State University are more about institutional bullying than they are abuse itself.

I believe everyone in society, at one time or another, have been subject to bullying, be it from a superior at work, a member of the clergy, a family member, a spouse, a friend or associate, a teacher or coach or scout leader… you name it. We don't tend to interpret it that way, but by its very definition, it's bullying!

I speak on platforms across North America about your "Telos," a Greek word that defines "your purpose in life." A free society lives by a set of rules, and when those rules are violated it tends to favor those in power.

Our society is composed of four institutions: family, school, religion and work. They each have rules by which we have to live; otherwise there would be anarchy. In every case, when abuse occurs, it is because those who possess the power exploit their subordinates. The weak and helpless suffer the consequences.

When you hear of sexual abuse of children, one tends to think initially that it is about sex. I disagree. It is about the person in power bullying those who cannot or will not defend themselves.

When it occurs in a family environment, hopefully the authorities are there to step in and remove the children from the situation, before further abuse occurs. When it occurs in schools, church or the work environment, it takes those institutions longer to respond, citing the rites of the abuser over the victim.

The Penn State situation is particularly sad. By nature, a small-town environment, which certainly defines State College, PA, typically deny first and then start building walls of defense, hoping the problem will disappear.

I think it's more about the "circling of the wagons" by those who are in a position to take action. The Penn State example tells us now that the cover-up is as much at fault as those who failed to take enough action initially, causing scores of other victims to be abused because of their neglect.

In the end, it's about bullying. The person accused of abusing a child bullies that innocent victim into submission. The authorities who took the reports did what all bullies do… they thought of themselves first. They then "circled the wagons" and tried to sweep it under the carpet. Shame on the bullies.

The proper authorities, who learned of the abuse, are themselves bullies in that they deliberately ignored the accusations and covered it up to preserve the precious institutional integrity that Penn State sings about in their Alma Mater. Shame on the bullies.

The police and prosecutors who failed in their responsibilities should be removed from office. If they were caught stealing they would be prosecuted for malfeasance. Their negligence stole something far more precious, the innocence of young boys who could not defend themselves. Shame on the bullies.

Perhaps the greatest fault of all lies with all of the hypocrites that sit in positions of power at Penn State University who failed to act on a situation that was properly and appropriately reported through the proper chain of command. Instead, let's make the people who reported it the sacrificial lamb. Shame on the entire Board of Regents. They all should resign!

Institutional bullying has been going on for years. In one of my management speeches titled "Helicopters, Drill Sergeants or Counselors, Which Are You?" I define the drill sergeants' bullying tactics. I sometimes call it Attila the Hun Management. It could also be called threat management or ambush management because these people, who are in power, bully everyone one under them. Shame on the bullies.

In the end, the entire mess won't be cleaned up with the firing of Coach Joe Paterno or the dismissal of those who reported the abuse. It won't be fixed until the power structure that allowed it all is torn down completely and rebuilt, this time on a transparent foundation of integrity which Penn State so boldly espouses. Shame on the bullies.