So, they're now teaching children that if they're lost...?

Question

... not to run to a man, but to find a woman, preferably a pregnant one? Is anyone else bothered by the flagrant assumptions about men that this new idea is based on?

Okay, let's put this in another perspective. What if they started teaching kids not to go to a black person, because they might be a gang member, or a muslim, because they might be a terrorist? I bet that would raise a big stink.

A lot of answerers seem to be dealing with absolutes... one, for instance, said that a man cannot be alone at a zoo, an amusement park, or whatnot unless he was up to no good... Okay, so now we can't go to zoos alone without being pedophiles?

To the lady below who seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, I never said I thought this was a particularly bad idea, I said that I was bothered by the assumptions made. I.E. that all men are pedophiles. How's that any different than saying that all women are conniving, backstabbing witches, or that all black men are watermelon eating, bicycle stealing gang-bangers, or that all muslims are extremists. In other words, I'm saying that it's a sad state of affairs that one would have to tell children this.

Oh yeah, and Green Thumb... it's funny that you ask that, because I live in Missouri... and yes, I agree... pregnant women, or women in particular, can be dangerous. I guess the best idea would be to keep an eye on a child instead of letting them go running off alone in the first place.

Just some names to throw at ya'll here. Debra Lafave, Mary Kay Letourneau, Pamela Rogers Turner, Sarah Jayne Vercoe, not to mention several others, a lot of whom never would have made national headlines... all female, all pedophiles, all in a position of trust... that of schoolteachers. Guess that you find them on both sides of the fence, eh?

DJ, change that to 96-97% of "Convicted" pedophiles are male, and you'll be more accurate.

Or rather, "reported". My bad.

"reported" pedophiles, I mean. Damn, I wish I could edit additional info.

Although they also say that 90% of all statistics are made up.

Let me put it this way, if there was a child molester (of any sex) hiding behind every bush, as certain people would have you believe, then there wouldn't be an unmolested kid left in this world.

Answer 1

Well i think it is BS and you can bet i'm not teaching that to mine! The reason so many more men are on the predator lists than women, is this attutude from society that women are all nurturing/protective/safe. Nobody likes to investigate a woman, especially one with kids of her own.
Good things: "America, mom, and apple pie," right?
IT'S A LIE! Women are child molesters too! And it's not so rare as you want to believe.

Answer 2

I'd rather a man be a little irritated then a child be put in danger. I realize there are several perfectly normal men out there, but the truth is, there are several creeps out there too, and a child cant tell the difference.

Edit: Alright lets look at this another way. If your young children got away from you in a mall, and had to go to someone for help, who would you feel more comfortable with them going to? A man, or a pregnant woman? The convicted women pedophiles are usually women teachers who sleep with their 14-15 year old students. Gross? absolutely. But male pedophiles have raped children as young as 2 months old. When a woman abducts a baby its usually because she's desperate and cant have her own. Obviously a pregnant woman can have her own, and isnt going to be desperate for a child.

I'd rather offend someone then take a chance that a child offend the wrong person

Answer 3

Sadly this is not a new thing. Society has for years been drumming it into our heads that women are more trusting and men are idiots or pedophiles. Intelligent people such as us and those who feel like we do know this is a hot load of crap. There are no real statistics that say men are more likely to abuse a child but society has decided that its true anyway. Women play off on the im a woman so im weak and helpless role and men usually take the fall for any wrong doing. make fun of or out right accuse a man of anything negative and your agreed with and patted on the back. Do the same towards a woman and your scorned,shunned,possibly sued.

Answer 4

I've taught my daughter to find a woman (with kids) or an older person (just like grandma or grandpa...!) if she gets lost. Its not because I don't trust every single male that happens to be shopping where I am, its that she finds them much easier to approach. If she's scared I want her to find someone that will put her at ease and not unsettle her more and she has always had an aversion to men ever since she was a baby.
If that woman or grandma happened to be a muslim or black I don't care as long as she is brought back to me safe and sound.

anyone who teaches their children not to go to coloured or different race person, ought to be ashamed of themselves.

This has worked in the past when my daughter was forgotten -by my mother-in-law at the zoo (FIL thought MIL had her and vice versa) and she went straight to a female zoo keeper and not the male one that was just as close to her. And this was before I talked to her about the woman-old lady thing. I realised what she had done and went with it.

Answer 5

I didn't realize children were being "taught" this now, but I do know that when shown a group of people and asked who strikes them as "safe" the child will almost always choose a woman.
Obviously there may not be a woman, much less a pregnant woman, available but it's more about a child learning to trust their instinct when asking for help.

Answer 6

I will absolutely teach my daughter to find a woman if she gets lost. 96-97% of all pedophiles are male. That's a statistic, not a "flagrant assumptions about men". The odds are with you if your child is taught to seek out a female.

**EDIT** So I guess there are just as many women pedophiles but for some odd reason they go unreported. Right. You teach your child your way and I'll teach my child mine.

BTW it's reported not convicted.

Answer 7

Pedophiles are typically male. I'm not going to get all politically correct when it comes to the safety of my child. It is a sad state of affairs. So what are we going to do about it? Why do pedophiles only get put away for life when they finally kill a child? Why are there so many repeat offenders? They can't be fixed, so lets lock them away forever or kill them.

edit-yes, there are plenty of woman pedophiles but if you look on the sex offenders registry, what do you see? A heck of a lot of men. Pedophiles are sick, twisted, evil people be they man or woman. Keep an eye on your kid. We are at war with the pedophiles and we need to protect our kids.

Answer 8

I agree its hard to see such blatant prejudices and I hate that our country/world had people that would do things to harm our children. An example of how badly paranoid some women are
I was a caregiver in a school for kids from4 weeks to 6 years and I was working in the infant room which was 4 weeks to 12 months...well anyways my husband would come get me and sometimes parents would be late so he would stay with me. One parent almost threw a total fit because he was in there..sure you are all gonna say he didn't work there etc..but comeon I there were 3 other women who did and 2 walls were all windows...well to get to the point it made my sweet wonderful husband feel horrible and dirty like being male made him a bad person. Generalizations can hurt people.

Answer 9

My husband and I have ALWAYS told our kids that if they get seperated from us, they are to ask a woman for help. Why? Because the places they are likely to get lost (the zoo, the park, amusement parks) are exactly the kind of places where a lone man wandering around by himself isn't there for a good reason. Those places are notorious for pedophiles to lurk around. Sorry if the truth hurts your feelings, but I'd rather my kids be safe than approach someone who could be dangerous to them.

Edit to add: Okay, if you are going to be a butt-head about it I'll spell it out for you, and I'll try to use nice small words. A man by himself at the zoo is MORE LIKELY to be dangerous than a woman with children. I did not say all men who are alone at those places are pedophiles, I said the places are exactly the kind of places where a lone man wandering around by himself isn't there for a good reason. Pedophiles love to lurk at places where children gather. If you don't like it that I would rather my children approach a woman than a man at a place where pedophiles are known to go hunting, that is just too tough for your sensitive little feelings and I'm sorry for you. I hope you can grow a thicker skin before someone else gives you an answer you don't like.

Answer 10

Well, it is a fact that more men will take advantage of a lost child (especially a girl) than women will.

I think that children may apply this to men thinking that they are not as safe as women in general which is bothersome, but I feel that there's no way around it; given the reputation some males have provided for the rest of them.

Basically, I think a pregnant woman is generally safer than a random man.

Answer 11

not really. i've never heard the preg thing but i have hear of teaching children to ask for help from a women w/ children. not that a man w/ children wouldn't due but, fact is women naturally are more likely to be more maternal and as such less of a danger. I actually teach my daughter to go to a police officer or fire person and if there are none around she is to go to someone (in a store) wearing a store uniform w/ nametag.

but to each his own