What is the moral way to deal with a child sex offender?

Question

I have a brother who I love as a brother, and he is a child sex offender. I believe that he should be held accountable for what he has done, and I would even agree that capital punishment, although not even a legal option, would be just. He has completed his prison sentence, and has been out for some time. Although he hasn't said it explicitly, I know that he is now considering the option of doing something that would place him back in prison for a substantial amount of time because as a sex offender, his life is less enjoyable outside of prison than it is inside. What do you think has gone wrong here? I think that when it comes to a crime like this, you either terminate life, or give a set punishment that ends with a focus on rehabilitation and the possibility of returning to a semi-normal life. What do you think?

Answer 1

a person like that can only be helped outside of society.it is best to contact the authorities and tell them your fears before it is too late

Answer 2

Well, as much as I do feel for you in the fact that this is your brother and that you obviously love him very much (as you should), you have to put these children first. You absolutely without a doubt must let someone know what it is that you think he is about to do. Try to get him to go to someone himself, if you can, and ask for help. The acts that these people commit are appalling and hurtful and disgusting, but the fact is they need serious psychological help. Throwing them into a prison population to be beaten and raped by their fellow inmates may seem an appropriate payback on the surface, but when they get out it has only made the problem worse, as they have been victimized themselves. Your brother may have been "happier" in prison due to the fact that he was being rid of his guilt through this punishment in a sick sort of way, and the fact that he could not be exposed to being around children. This, however, does not fix the problem and they won't keep him there forever.

Also, most molesters were once victims of molestation themselves. The very child that your brother victimized may very well end up doing this someone else as an adult. The cycle has to be broken here.

Castration and removal of the sex drive doesn't work, because this is a psychological issue involving power, control, and childhood issues, not sexual fulfillment itself. One can have himself castrated, and men have done this trying to stop these urges, and it did nothing. They still had hands, and the ability to psychologically pressure the kids into doing things to themselves, each other, etc. One does not need a sex organ to sexually abuse.

I highly recommend that people watch the movie The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon. It is from the viewpoint of the molester, after being released from prison. You will be surprised who you are hoping for at the end of this film.

I recommend trying to get him intense therapy now before he commits this crime again. If he does indeed do something, turn him in and get him a lawyer that will push for institutionalization instead of incarceration. Blessed Be and good luck to you.

Answer 3

Well, it's a toughie. As far as I'm concerned, you have three options: 1) Death penalty, 2) Rehabilitation or 3) Cut off the genitals.

Being that cutting off their genitals would be inhumane and would probably only cause their sexual tendencies to manifest in different ways, I don't agree with this option.

Rehabilitation doesn't usually work, though you'd have to give it a try to be fair. At least once.

The death-penalty seems to be the only option left, but I would only go there if one or more rehabilitation attempts didn't work (personally, I'd say after just one).

Of course, you have to realize that child molestation has been considered a normal part of many cultures in history, so we can't say that it's inherently wrong. But culturally, we can definitely hold those accountable. Sure, morality is subjective, but as a sentient, feeling human being, we have to draw our moral line somewhere, and when it hurts others irreparably, I'd say that's a good place to draw it.

Answer 4

the moral way to deal with a sex offender is to punish them to fit the crime (there are many shades of offence that fit under the umbrella of 'child sex offence').
once the punishment has been served, then the moral option is to release the offender and offer support to get a new life. as this type of offence is nearly always subject to recidivism, the person should be monitored... maybe even indefinitely.

what has gone wrong? only your brother can answer that... maybe he is known, and shunned, by the community.
maybe he has been threatened or abused by the community.

As his time is served... and is he is abiding by any restrictions placed on him...he should be able to have a normal life.
if he feels that cant have a normal life, maybe you should ask him what he wants out of life, and try to make him see how he can achieve that
this is the sensible answer

Answer 5

Oh boy I know the feeling.. as I have two sex offenders for brothers in laws.They weren't when I married into the family and now I cant stand to be around either one of them.

If you know of his intentions to re-offend you could notify his PO as it sounds like he may be a lvl 3 offender. You could even do it anonymously on your states sex offender website.

From what I've seen its a rare thing for some to be rehabilitated as one brother in-law keeps getting into trouble and re-offending even after so called Intense physiological treatment which is the standard for offenders and they cant be let out into the public without it. {what a joke, that is my opinion of it} and many are not put in with the general population as to do so would be a death sentence for them. Many states have their own wings for sex offenders at their state prisons, or separate state facilities for them.

My vote is IF it worked is castration and medication to have no sex drive what so ever.. but they have even proved that wont work, as for some its the act of offending what gets some of these guys off sadly.

Answer 6

I wish I could answer your question objectively.

It is such a moral dilemma.

I honestly do not know if a child sex offender can be completely rehabilitated. Even if they get re-hab, they carry the stigma with them for life.

I do not feel bad for a child sex offender as I do not know what I would do if they did something to my child.


Your question is so difficult to answer and is very thought provoking.

Answer 7

I think you need to find out what happened to him in the first place that would make him even decide to committ such a crime. Every "criminal" was a victim at one point in their life. This society is all worried about protecting children, but what they quickly forget is that every adult was a child at one point. Obviously not all adults were helped when they were children so we as a society need to help them in their adulthood to overcome their "victimhood" mentality. Victimhood is the worst enemy of the world. People do so many hurtful and hateful things all in the name of victimhood.

Society has only hurt these offenders more by making them victims again with their ludicrous laws. If an offender can't get a job, can't find a place to live, or live with their family - what is their chance at having a successful and productive life and what is their chance at contributing something positive to society as a whole?

As his family, I think you need to get to the bottom of his issues, and HELP HIM! Lord knows, society won't - they like blood.

Answer 8

Like many people leaving the criminal justice system your brother has been institutionalized... He knows and understands the hierarchy in prison and understands where exactly his place is in the hierarchy.. Outside he doesn't know where he fits in...

Sex offenders are the newest witches, sex offender registrys being made public has created a with hunt mentality in the general public...

Our criminal justice system is severely broken prisoners are warehoused rather than rehabilitated.. I believe the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul unfortunately that costs money and the general public is only willing to pay for warehousing not rehab...

There are no quick fixes... There are steps that need to be taken... First the national registry should not be publicly accessible it leads to the witch hunt mentality... The registry should be available to law enforcement officials to use in the course of their law enforcement duties, not something they can tap into to for fun, curiosity etc. Law enforcement officials can misuse the information just like anyone else and safeguards should be in place to prevent it...

Answer 9

Ok, this is a hard one for me because as a Christian, I understand that it is not my place to judge others sins, because I have plenty of them myself, and we are supposed to let God deal out punishment. If he has served his time, then techincally.... I believe that if he is a Christian, he has served his time. If not, then he will suffer a more severe punishment for all eternity. But I agree with you that our punishments are not severe enough. I don't believe that our "punishments meet the crime." I think that a child sex offender should be castrated, period. Murders should die, period. So I'm a fence sitter in that aspect. I hate to be that way, but that's just how it is. I think we would have less crime if more severe punishments were done.

Answer 10

Well, I think you should notify someone (who tho?) of his actions that you think he's about to take, because it's not worth your quiteness for a child to receive what he's about to give it. (perhaps.. warn his neighbors.. who have little kids?)

This is very difficult, with it being your brother and all, but I totally agree with you. Rehabilitation rate isn't that well is it?

I work in a drug rehab center where many of the teenagers we get in here have been victims of such abuse, and many others have also been perpetrators.

But, I kind of see your brothers side. It's sad he can't thrive on the "outs" and be glad to have been released from prison.. many ex-inmates relapse just to go back to the comfort of prison. I wish he could turn it around and be sucessful.

I'm sorry to hear of your dilemma, but I totally agree with you. Good luck.

Answer 11

+PAX

If you feel that he is getting ready to commit a crime against a child or anyone again, get in touch with his parole officer or police and lay down the evidence. Perhaps he can be stopped before someone else's family suffers.

If he were to do something to put himself back in prison for a Long time...would you, with the knowledge of what you have now, be able to deal with that? I couldn't.

If it were me, I'd be turning him in.

In humility,
t