"That's right. You're makin it sound so, so sexual. It isn't sexual. You are making it into a sexual thing. Look, I tuck them in, I give them hot milk and cookies, I put on music. It's very sweet."
Posted on 06/13/2005 4:30:51 PM PDT by Graybeard58
The abuse of a child by a sexual offender is a despicable crime, for which every parent and law enforcement officer ought to be on the alert.
Children, the most vulnerable members of society, depend on the care and wisdom of adults to protect them. It's because of that responsibility that so many state and local governments have been tightening laws relating to child molestation.
But as they go about drawing their security circles around children, these governments need to watch that they don't overreact:
• Last week, Miami Beach, Fla., banned convicted child molesters from moving to within 2,500 ft. of schools, school bus stops, day-care centers, parks, and playgrounds. It effectively bans sexual molesters from moving to the city.
• Vermont's governor is pushing to lock up certain violent criminals, including sexual offenders, in mental-health institutions indefinitely, after they've served their sentences. More than a dozen states have "civil commitment" laws for sex offenders.
• New York is considering lengthening the period that paroled sex offenders need to register their location with the state from 10 years to a lifetime. It's also looking at monitoring parolees electronically.
With measures like these, communities are applying solutions far more broadly than necessary.
The Miami Beach case, for instance, assumes that most child molesters are strangers to their victims: If the city just cordons off their children, they'll be safe. In fact, most victims are known to their abusers.
It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low. "Sex offenders as a group have a relatively low recidivism rate. In fact, they have a lower recidivism rate than most other offenders," says John Q. La Fond, author of a new book, "Preventing Sexual Violence."
An extensive study by the Department of Justice published in 2003 shows a recidivism rate for child molesters of just 3.3 percent in the first three years. In almost half of the original offenses, the victim was the prisoner's relative.
Experts say it's possible to identify probable repeat molesters by looking at a person's history, behavior, and mental state. This argues for a selective approach, though governments might be tempted to define high-risk too broadly.
Still, instead of trying to keep tabs on every released offender, governments should target funds, personnel, and expertise to parolees in the high-risk group, monitoring them closely and working to rehabilitate them.
Public outrage and sorrow accompany cases of child sexual abuse. Governments should do all they can to prevent these crimes - and some of the predators do appear to be beyond current methods of rehabilitation. But the outrage shouldn't get in the way of trying to help the majority of abusers - many of whom were molested as children - redeem their lives.
This is the only study I coud find by the Department of Justice:
Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994
Presents, for the first time, data on the rearrest, reconviction, and reimprisonment of 9,691 male sex offenders, including 4,295 child molesters, who were tracked for 3 years after their release from prisons in 15 States in 1994. The 9,691 are two-thirds of all the male sex offenders released from prisons in the United States in 1994. The study represents the largest followup ever conducted of convicted sex offenders following discharge from prison and provides the most comprehensive assessment of their behavior after release.
Highlights include the following:
* Within 3 years following their release, 5.3% of sex offenders (men who had committed rape or sexual assault) were rearrested for another sex crime.
* On average the 9,691 sex offenders served 3 1/2 years of their 8-year sentence.
* Compared to non-sex offenders released from State prisons, released sex offenders were 4 times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime.
* The 9,691 released sex offenders included 4,295 men who were in prison for child molesting.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/rsorp94.htm
These laws would not be needed if we still used a good hemp rope and a tall oak tree.
I had a problem with that stat too. It's meaningless.
This study was in 1994. Let's see now, who was in charge of the department of Justice?
It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low. "Sex offenders as a group have a relatively low recidivism rate. In fact, they have a lower recidivism rate than most other offenders," says John Q. La Fond, author of a new book, "Preventing Sexual Violence."
"This goes against everything I have ever heard about sex offences.."
You and everyone else. i'm sure if we checked out the book we'd find BS statistics to support this argument.
Compared to the 9,691 sex offenders and to the 262,420 non-sex offenders, released child molesters were more likely to be rearrested for child molesting. Within the first 3 years following release from prison in 1994, 3.3% (141 of 4,295) of released child molesters were rearrested for another sex crime against a child. The rate for all 9,691 sex offenders (a category that includes the 4,295 child molesters) was 2.2% (209 of 9,691). The rate for all 262,420 non-sex offenders was less than half of 1% (1,042 of the 262,420).Released child molesters with more than 1 prior arrest for child molesting were more likely to be rearrested for child molesting (7.3%) than released child molesters with no more than 1 such prior arrest (2.4%).
"That's right. You're makin it sound so, so sexual. It isn't sexual. You are making it into a sexual thing. Look, I tuck them in, I give them hot milk and cookies, I put on music. It's very sweet."
That is a very strange way to phrase a result. I would expect that sex offenders, as a group, would be more likely to commit another sex offense than say, burglars. But I would also expect burglars to be more likely to commit another burglary than sex offenders. It is not at all clear which group is more likely to be recidivists.
One thing that I have seen from watching the legal system, is that one of the most likely ways for injustice to be done is for a young man to be seduced by an underaged young woman, then crucified by the system, after which he is condemed as a "sex offender" for the rest of his life.
My thinking has been realigned. Had someone asked me to make a guess at the recidivism rate among child molesters I would have made a wild guess of at least 50%
The cases we see posted here at FR are the ones that make the national news. The very worst of the worst. We don't generally hear about the local grampa or funny uncle who is convicted when the victim is a family member and involves something less than rape and murder of the victim. That would also include child porn possession.
BRAVO! An EXCELLENT piece oof critical reasoning!
This will now become my question to EVERY pro-homo lifestyle idiot I come across!
My new derogatory finish to this statement will be...
"Wanna run that Western Blot by me Gregor Mendel?"
later pingout.
"But as they go about drawing their security circles around children, these governments need to watch that they don't overreact:"
===
OPINION: When it comes to CHILD MOLESTERS; there is no such thing as over-reaction.
If we aren't going to give them the death penalty and/or lock them up forever; then let's put them all (male and female) on an island where NO CHILDREN are allowed.
Keep them away from children forever.
"It is not at all clear which group is more likely to be recidivists."
That sentance is a little lumpy, but I think it may stem from the idea that they don't count some one as a "recidivist" unless he commits the same type of crime. So, if one of these released sex offenders robbed a store, it still wouldn't count for the study, likewise some burgler who committed a sex crime wouldn't count. I could be wrong, but that's how I'm reading it.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
I've got a solution, I wish they'd ask me. Just execute all child molesters and other sex offenders (if forcible rape) and voila! No need to worry about parole, mental hospitals, monitoring, and so on.
This article, BTW, is full of crap. LOW recidivism for child molesters? How can the writer lie like that and get away with it? Makes you wonder why the leftists are pandering to sex offenders. Could it be that they are gearing up to promote "inter-generational" sex?
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
I am in absolute, total agreement. Cheaper, much more effective, better deterrant, and gave people some cheap, educational entertainment as well. /sarc kind of.
While I generally agree, this article is flawed. The biggest problems are that child molesters typically disappear from the system. They don't register and keep their noses clean. Then there are those who have plenty of money to hire a team of lawyers and smear the victim. One was acquitted today.
Most importantly are those who were falsely accused, and couldn't properly defend themselves against the charges. They're the ones who get jail time, register and stay in touch with their probation officers. Their lives are in ruins because of a vindictive ex or neighbor. The legal system is completely out of control.
I agree about the flawed judicial system. Look at MJ - un-freaking-believable. Because he's (he??) rich and famous, he got off.
Others, as you have said, have been falsely accused, and their lives ruined.
I wish I knew the answer. There's so much broken in our society, I don't see how it can really improve with just a tweak here and a tuck there.
That means it's time to go to sleep and knit up the ravelled sleeve of care.
Night!
You have a good point there, especially about what counts as a sex crime. I remember reading that when Sweden(?) liberalized its sex laws, the liberal talking point was sex crimes actually dropped precipitously. Of course, a lot of things that had been counted as sex crimes no longer were!
Definition of terms counts for a lot.
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