Fighting the “Stranger Danger” Myth

Stranger danger is the belief that someone unknown to the child and family (aka “an adult male stranger”) will be the one to perpetrate the abuse. However, this belief is misguided and can in fact be harmful as the large majority of those of individuals who abuse children are known to them. In fact, it is estimated that only 7% of all child abuse is perpetrated by a stranger. One report found that of children who were sexually abused:

34% were sexually abused by a family member

59% were sexually abused by someone known to them

7% were sexually abused by a stranger

Furthermore, focusing on stranger danger neglects to include the fact that one third of all sex crimes against minors are perpetrated by another minor and that up to 12% of individuals report that they were sexually abused by a woman.

By basing our prevention strategies upon antiquated stereotypes of who a perpetrator is (i.e. the adult male stranger in the white van) – we put our children at risk.

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12 thoughts on “Fighting the “Stranger Danger” Myth

  • September 9, 2022

    I didn’t know where to send this video but I thought this is the perfect post to place it. Here’s a youtube video where two missing teens where found in a submerged car not far from their home.

    https://youtu.be/Htw1FdHy6zo

    Reply
    • September 10, 2022

      I’m not sure what this video has to do with this website or stranger danger. The incompetence of LE? That 17 and 18 year olds date?

      Reply
      • September 11, 2022

        I was just basically saying that people/teens go missing due to accidents not from stragers. And that the incompetence of LE contributed to fear mongering that the teens was abducted or something. That they focused their efforts on sex offenders in the area instead of doing a proper search for then. The fear mongering of Mr. Walsh’s efforts has everyone jumping directly to a sex offender/predator jad something to do with it.

        Reply
  • September 8, 2022

    I try to point this out in the comment section every time there is an article in the local paper/website. I can only remember one article in 5 years where the victim did not know the person charged. The rest of them have been everything from babysitters to youth pastors.

    Reply
  • September 7, 2022

    Unfortunately the lesson the crazies will take from this, even if they are capable of reading and absorbing it, is that we need to further empower Child Piracy Services in its fifty-year pogrom against families.

    There is only one way out of our cultural morass and it’s to challenge the myth that everything the law may choose to call sexual abuse automatically creates a traumatized victim. As long as people truly believe that false premise, anything else we do is just like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

    Reply

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