Think you know who the sex offenders in our community are?
Do you think the public “sex offender registries” are helpful in identifying who the sex offenders in our communities are? Think again!
According to research from Bowling Green State University, police officers in the US were charged with forcible rape 405 times between 2005 and 2013. That’s an average of 45 a year. Forcible fondling was more common, with 636 instances. And the majority of sexual offenses committed by police are not reported (SOURCE). Similarly, we are always seeing headlines about teachers or coaches being caught sexually abusing their students.
In defense of police and teachers, a very small percentage commit these crimes. The overwhelming majority are doing their job professionally and living a law abiding life. The same can be said about people on the sex offender registry. There will be a small percentage who re-offend, but the overwhelming majority are also just trying to live their lives.
Police and teachers have strong unions to protect them. The study estimates that for every sexual assault at the hands of a police officer that makes the news, there are — on average, five more that do not. About half of the victims are children. People required to register have no unions to protect them – in fact, they are under such constant surveillance and scrutiny that small technical violations of the long list or requirements placed on them will send them right back to prison.
Historically, we’ve taught our children that their teachers and police are to be trusted – we’ve taught them that the people on the registry are dangerous and to be avoided. What that has done is create a false sense of security. Contrary to what we are teaching our children, the overwhelming majority of sexual offenses are committed by someone who is not on the registry and is actually known to and trusted by the victim.
The registry has proven itself counter-productive – it is merely punishment. If we want to make strides towards prevention, we need to refocus our attention and resources towards teaching our children who the real potential sex offenders in their community are. Anyone! Anybody in their community, their schools, their social circles and even their family can be an offender and instead of looking out for “a person” that can harm them, they need to look out for “an act” that can harm them.
That is the only way to prevent sexual abuse.
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I’m a firm believer that people just don’t wake up one morning and think, I’m gonna break the law. Many male offenders were themselves molested by an adult relative, which for the most part go unreported, leaving permanent scars and a mental programming that is hard to change w/o intervention. Only to resurface later on in life with the introduction of alcohol and X rated movies. Pornography is the door the majority of male and female sex offenders walk through. Watching pornography programs the brain into objectifying others as sex objects and not human beings with feelings and rights. Alcohol or other drugs are also involved with most sex offenses. It’s a fantasy world that doesn’t exist in real life. It’s a lie from Satan making people think and feel ‘it’s ok’ to express sexuality by acting out on who’s available. Typically a family member, son, daughter, nephew, niece etc…I feel looking for the most vulnerable person like the single parent with pre-teen and teenage children before they make a terrible mistake, is the best way to intervene and stop the cycle of sin. They are prime candidates for crossing the line with regard to Satanic attack. There are of course, evil people out there that simply take what they want w/o regard for human life. I’m speaking for those that fall off the morality wagon for what ever reason and in a very short period of time, are in a fog of what’s right vs wrong…they are worth being given a second chance…they are not bad people…they got swept away in the moment…
G, thanks for contributing your thoughts.
Everyone’s situation is different and it’s dangerous to categorically assume that male offenders were themselves victims or that Alcohol or drugs were involved in most sex offenses or that pornography is the gateway to sexually offending. If you make those claims it would be helpful to cite your sources for that information because we know that some of what you say may be accurate, some is totally inaccurate and some delves into areas we’d rather not go.
People required to register are not a homogeneous group. You have many people who had had a consensual relationship which but for being just outside a statutory line was illegal. You have people who were not out to harm anyone but were baited and switched during the course of an online sting. You have people who were children themselves on this registry who simply didn’t have the maturity.
You also have plenty of people who are involved in alcohol or drugs that never sexually offended and if you look at the percentage of people who watched porn and compare it to the percentage of people on the registry, you’ll realize that maybe it’s not “programming everyone’s brain” after all.
I appreciate your post, because it fosters a dialogue and allows us to hear people’s perception and gives us the opportunity to reply. Much of what you say is true. There are many who are not serial offenders but had a one-time, brief, lapse in judgement. I’m sure there are also those where alcohol or drugs contributed to that lapse, but in any case that does not formulate an excuse.
What I think we agree on is that a program that villainizes these people forever, takes away resources from intervention programs that might actually help end the cycle of violence.
very well spoken, very clear message.. do you guys have a channel at youtube? because if not it will be a great idea to have one channel at youtube and one at facebook so it can be more overreaching .. thanks a lot
We do not have anyone managing our social media.
Good post. Thank you.
Thank you FAC for another great article and help educate the media, our legislators and the public with factual information. I totally agree and statistics from a U.S. Department of Justice website nsopw.gov states “that 1 in six boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18”. If we look at census statistics from 2010 the female population was approximately 157 million. If 1 out of every 4 had been sexually abused before 18 years of age that is 39.25 million. The male population was approximately 150 million, 1 out of every 6 sexually abused by the age of 18 would be 25 million. That is 64.25 sexually abused children. These are government statistics. As FAC states and I believe we all agree we do not in any way condone sexual activity between adults and children, nor do we condone any sexual activity that would break laws in any state” However the government should not have it both ways. Another words the statistics are true and sad……millions of people have been sexually abused. The government also has passed legislation for sex offender registries, has enforced unconstitutional punishment upon those of us on the registry, and has painted a picture that we are monstrous individuals and should be feared. WE however are the safe ones. Yes it’s proven the abuse of these millions of people are done usually by people who are in power over them, who know them and are trusted or abuse their control over these victims. The ones who have never been caught but continue to lurk at work places, schools, homes etc. Yes although most people in professions, friends of the family or family members themselves do not abuse, it is THESE people who do. Yes doctors, teachers, coaches, dentists, Washington Politician’s, T.V. personalities, clergy, Aunts, Uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, and the list goes on. It is not the stranger (in most cases). Again I say we are the safe ones. Those of us on the registry who have either been caught or entrapped who the statistics correctly prove of our low recidivism rate especially as more time has passed since our arrest and as we age. We do not have to be feared, we are not lurking about.
Yes thank you to FAC and those who take the courage and time to spread the truth.
Congress and/or SCOTUS should be sent that article..