After the release of the “Quiet on Set” docuseries, the internet has been in an uproar. This series uncovered the true horrors of Nickelodeon and the abuse suffered by child actors. Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell garnered the most attention with details of trauma they endured. 

Outside of Bell’s sexual assault, this series shined a light on some other issues that can no longer be ignored. 

The perpetrator is always the one primarily responsible for an assault, but it should be acknowledged that the parents in this industry also play a role in the harming of their children. 

For example, Brandi, a child actress on “The Amanda Show,” was emailed nude photos from the producer’s assistant, Jason Handy. Instead of alerting the police, Brandi’s mom, MJ, decided to distance Brandi from Handy in an effort to avoid judgment about her parenting. Brandi and MJ were not referred to with their last names in the series. 

In the beginning of episode two, MJ tells the audience that she always wanted to be an actress as a child, but her mother purposely kept her away from the film industry. In spite of her mother, MJ decided to put her 11-year-old daughter Brandi in acting. 

This is a prime example of parents living vicariously through their children, and unfortunately, Brandi paid the price for her mother’s negligence and selfishness. 

It’s the responsibility of all adults on set to protect the child actors. Parents, actors and producers are to blame for the trauma inflicted on these kids. Some viewers of the docuseries have gone on social media to sing the praises of Jerry Trainor for protecting the children on the show “iCarly.” This is problematic for a few reasons. 

In 2022, Jennette McCurdy released her book “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” in which she details the trauma she endured with her mother and “the creator,” who she says forced her to drink while underage and always gave her massages. 

McCurdy also detailed that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to keep quiet about her experiences with “the creator.” While it’s not entirely clear, it’s been wildly speculated that “the creator” is referring to the show’s creator Dan Schneider. 

So when people decide to applaud Trainor for protecting the children on set, it negates and discredits McCurdy’s experience with “the creator” and Nickelodeon as a whole. 

Other child actors have decided to chime in regarding their experiences on Nickelodeon, and it caused major backlash. The main cast of “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” went on their podcast and laughed at those who decided to share their stories. 

Days later, they retracted their comments and apologized to the victims and viewers. Fans made it known that mocking survivors of sexual assault won’t be tolerated.

Even Dan Schneider decided to conduct the most random interview with the former “iCarly” actor who portrayed T-Bo on the show in an effort to repair the damage done to his reputation, but viewers saw right through his foolishness. 

He must not realize that having a former cast member, a man who’s on his payroll, interview him is lazy and biased. Schneider claimed to have regret and remorse for his decisions, but the people he hurt still have to live with that pain. 

The damage is already done, but true justice would put Schneider behind bars. 

Most shockingly, the docuseries revealed that Bell was one of the many victims. Bell’s story left many viewers sad and empathetic. There were so many moving parts, and most of the adults in his life missed the signs. 

Joe Bell, his father, was weary of dialogue coach Brian Peck and his inappropriate behavior on set. After driving a wedge between the father and son, Peck convinced Bell’s mother to allow sleepovers at Peck’s house. This led to the disturbing assault that Bell suffered. In 2004, Peck was sentenced tp only 16 months in prison, after which he registered as a sex offender and was promptly hired by Disney Channel.

Prior to the world learning of his story, Bell was sentenced to two years probation for child endangerment in 2021. Knowing what we know now, it can be concluded that there’s a cycle of abuse that needs to be broken. 

Bell’s story has been polarizing for those who empathize with him. It’s easy to forget someone is a child predator when they’re also a survivor of unspeakable acts. 

From Bynes to Bell, all of these actors should’ve been protected by the adults in their lives, but instead, they had to remain quiet. 

Jemiah Clemons is a 20-year-old kinesiology sophomore from Miami, Florida.