Sex Offender Stigma – how it sells a story – part 2

Not five minutes after putting up the prior post, we read a story out of Orlando, FL in which a spokesperson is quoted as saying the following:

“Sexual predators are very active out there unfortunately and they are out for our children,” said Wanda Ford of the Orlando Police Department.

Only the article goes on to say that the suspect (neither of them) are sex offenders! So why would a spokesperson make a comment about “sexual predators” instead of a general comment that there are people out there who are trying to harm our children?

The article also says that the victim in the case, a 15 year old, was on a site actively looking for hook-ups, but at the risk of looking like we are minimizing the crime, we don’t want to say too much about that.

Point being… “Sex Offenders” and “Sex Predators” have this unfounded and incorrect perception of high recidivism, but it’s the police and the media who are perpetuating that myth. Don’t they have a responsibility to be truthful?