Why does the media continue to perpetuate myths about sex offenders?

Question

Those who work with sex offenders note most child sexual abuse is committed by people the child already knows. Yet the media continues to perpetuate the myth stranger danger is the norm - that there are wierd, sick sex offenders waiting in parks, at schools, etc. waiting to grab young children. The stranger danger myth has been so extensively promoted many states passed laws requiring registered sex offenders live at least 2,000 feet from schools and parks. Iowa was the first, adopting it in '02 and putting it into effect in 2005. Only now the DA association, the cops and others are screaming for relief, saying it hasn't done a thing except cause RSOs to stop registering and the cops are spending time and money running down formerly compliant RSOs who stopped registering due to the restrictions. More states continue to adopt such laws, ignoring Iowa's experience. Why do we persist in this belief of stranger danger when it is so obviously a lie? What can be done to change beliefs?

The laws originally written by Iowa was designed to make society safer by removing sex offenders from children. It has actually made society less safe. Iowa doesn't know where they are, or in the worst cases, the father RSO has become homeless, putting extreme hardships on their families, children included.

Also the person who thinks there are thousands of children being snatched by strangers and sexually abusing them - where are your stats? Mine are from the US Department of Justice and numerous, reputable organizations that cite these stats.

The myth of the stranger danger is much like the child satanic sex abuse moral panic/scare of the early 1980s - it spread like wildfire, only to later be proven to be absolutely false. Many of the allegations were made by children coerced by overzealous social workers.

And for the poster who doesn't care where they live: where does the discrimination stop? With jaywalkers or people who have parking tickets?

Answer 1

I don't think that the laws on SO are hard enough to begin with. I could give 2 poops whether or not they are having a hard time finding a place to live within a city.

Answer 2

while most all sex offenders are known by the children they too are included in these laws. so it is not perpetuating any myths that i can think of. the reason though also that the stories of strangers are reported so much is because when it happens ina family there is usually a desire within the family to keep it quiet and not draw attention to it for fear of desparaging the family name. Also strangers tend to usually be alot more extreme in their actions imparting bodily harm to a greater extent on thier victims.

RSO's made a decsion and frankly i think they should castrate them if they don't want to keep up with law enforcement. Another good idea may be letting the females and males who choose to have sex offendor burned into their forehead that way they don't have to inconvience themselves with registering where every they decide to live.

Answer 3

The media isn't perpetrating a myth. Yes, many pedophiles know the children they molest, they, too, must register as offenders and be subject to the same laws regarding living away from places children congregate (and in no longer having access to the child or children they molested, even their own.) Even if inconvenient, I would think that an offender wanting to stay out of trouble wouldn't want to be seen anywhere near children.

Answer 4

Good luck. It's easy political points to get behind something like that. And there really are thousands of children assaulted by strangers every year. It's not a red herring.

Answer 5

Welp, I ensue to be a female, and that i want intercourse greater effective than lots of the adult men that i've got been with, so which you're good that's a delusion that females want as a lot intercourse as adult men do. now and lower back, they want it greater. i've got only been with one individual who ought to maintain up with me. I advise, i think of that a lot of human beings want to faux that female sexuality is a delusion, in spite of the undeniable fact that it does exist, and that i think of it scares adult men because of the fact that's a valuable ingredient. The greater expressive we replace into approximately it, the fewer particular the adult men sense, i think of. because of the fact they think of that females only have intercourse below particular situations, and whilst they discover out that females want to have casual intercourse, and want to have a physically powerful time, nicely, that guy isn't particular anymore because of the fact she does it with human beings, too.

Answer 6

The media should NOT decrease focus on stranger danger, they should increase focus on those who are not strangers

Answer 7

Sex offenders should stay in prison

Answer 8

Maybe they should hire them to baby sit their kids.