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The arrest of Joseph Duggar almost feels inevitable, given the family’s history and the cult’s extreme beliefs.
We do not know the identity of the 9-year-old victim whom he allegedly molested in 2020. But she was likely a family friend, if not closer.
Cousin Amy Duggar is speaking up about the steps that she’s taking to keep her own young child safe.
And she doesn’t have to name-drop either of her disgraced cousins to bring them to mind.
‘We will protect your world fiercely’
On Sunday, April 19, Amy took to her Instagram page to share a message about the safety of her 6-year-old son, Daxton.
“We can’t shield you from the whole world,” she began, “but we will protect your world fiercely.”
Amy continued: “Your safety, your steadiness, and the life we’re building around you.”
Referring to her husband, Dillon King, she wrote: “Dad and I will never be passive about who we allow near you.”
In the post’s conclusion, Amy acknowledged: “Not everyone deserves a place in your story.”
“We are the gatekeepers of their safety, their peace, and their innocence,” Amy wrote in the Instagram post’s caption.
“And we shouldn’t open doors just because someone expects us to,” she acknowledged.
“Access is earned,” Amy affirmed, “not assumed.”
She advised: “It should be a privilege for someone to know your child, it’s not a right!”
Amy concluded: “And peace at home is worth more than approval from anyone outside of it.”
Is she missing the real danger?
We all know that, for decades, a public campaign to warn children about predators arguably backfired.
“Stranger danger” can be real. But children are much more likely to run afoul of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or both at the hands of family — especially close family — and other “trusted adult” caretakers.
That said, we think that Amy knows this. Perhaps even better than most.
She is the cousin of Josh Duggar. She is the cousin of Joseph Duggar.
Additionally, Amy describes her own grandfather as a “predator.” Josh was not the first monster in the family.
Amy appears to simply be saying that no one is entitled to spend one-on-one time with her son.
(It’s true that the accused Duggar men all allegedly pursued little girls, which is the most common form of predation. But some predators target boys or are simply indiscriminate, seeking a victim above all else.)
That doesn’t just mean that she’s careful about babysitters.
Clearly, Amy and her husband are also making it clear that they’re not just going to drop off the kids with the main Duggar clan and head off for a weekend getaway.
(Truth be told, dropping off your child with members of an abusive cult would be ill-advised, even if there were zero sexual predators in the mix. CSA is not the only harm that can befall a child.)
Could someone ever be TOO over-protective?
Obviously, it is common sense to go to great lengths to protect one’s child, especially from opportunists and abusers.
But there are ways in which “protecting” a child can also cause home. Hopefully, Amy understands this.
Not allowing a child to meet any other adults (instead of introducing them to adults but ensuring that they remain safe) is poor socialization. Even worse is keeping a child isolated from meeting random, age-appropriate peers.
In fact, we see this in the Duggar cult. Much of the family subjects their children to homeschooling. Even if they were qualified teachers teaching a real curriculum (which is not what’s happening), their kids are missing out on meeting other children and experiencing the real world.
The most important step in safeguarding a child against predators is making sure that they have the language to explain what happens to them, and the context that a predator is doing wrong.
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