I grew up in a small town in North Carolina. I know we all tend to idealize the places where we grew up, but there were just not all these people going around molesting a lot of children where I lived.
I'm sure there were some. Back in the day, parents usually spoke about that sort of thing with other adults and kind of insolated us kids from that reality.
Still, though, there was no fear for us playing outside in the yard or going over to play at our friends' houses. We could ride our bikes until it got dark and there was never any concern that somebody was going to grab us or try to kidnap us. As a matter of fact, neighbors kind of looked out for each other's children and treated us as though we were their own. I can even remember riding my bike home just as the sun started to go down and seeing older ladies step outside their doors to watch and make sure I got home alright.
I feel so bad for today's kids, because they're living in such a dangerous world now. When you have folks who will actually break into a home to take a child from her/his bed and assault and/or murder her or him, you just can't be protective enough of your children.
And who would ever have believed that female teachers would be coming on to young boys??
I recently went to one of those websites where you can type in your zip code to see how many convicted child molesters are living nearby and was horrified to see the number that are close by. We have schools and parks not far from where most of them live and I am simply incensed that these perverts are allowed to be anywhere lots of children are.
I just wonder... Were there always this many pedophiles around or is it the access to pornography on the internet that has contributed to all of this?
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Comments: 14
It's really scary. I don't know what I would do if I found out someone either of my boys. I know I couldn't sit through a trial. There is no way.
As far as the 16 yr old...I'm not sure. I have a friend who got married when she was 15. I can't imagine that. The marriage didn't last and he was abusive. She said she did it because her parents house was horrible and she thought getting married would be her way out.
Sickos are everywhere....even here at Gather.
Most sexual abuse by family or non-family NEVER gets talked about by anyone, except in the therapists' offices, where it is PLENTY talked about...Most people go to a therapist, ultimatley, to talk about this...
The danger today for kids lies in the fact that predators can get around by car (and do) more often than they did even 50 years ago...
Also, most kids who disappeared say 50 years ago were not as widely reported in the news. They were in the missing person's file and nowhere else. Nothing was done, they were never found.
I agree that it is more dangerous today and that is largely because we live in such a mobile society, compared to 50 and 100 years ago. Back then, kids were told to avoid 'the gully' man or 'the mountain' man...rumors would start...
30, 40 and 50 years ago (even 20) 17 year old girls on college campuses were preyed upon by their college professors and nobody thought much about it.
Most Southern states have laws that state that children can get married as young as 14 with parental permission.
The phenomena you are now seeing is that NOW people are getting upset and are going something about this...That is a very good thing.
For generations, people just did as they pleased and did not think it wrong to use a child or teen for their own purposes.
My husband is a psychologist and knows HUNDREDS of women who were sexually abused by their fathers or other relatives, either as children or as teens. On Gather, there are also MANY, MANY women, and probably men who fall into this category. All of this abuse was perpetuated 30 - 50 years ago...
We live in a media rich society and we are using that media to publicize things that need to be talked about and legislated.
I think the internet has definately added to the easy access to children. With children not being monitored on the net by their parents. Incidently you can get different programs such as Net Nanny to keep tabs on your children's internet activity.
The children are prey to many pedoephiles, who seek them out. Children don't understand that the funny Joey who is 12 years old is really a 35 year old creep in disguise.
But I think the media in general has exposed a lot of these goings on in general that we were not privy to before. The media has made information instaneously accessible and brought public awareness to a situation that was often kept behind closed doors.
Years ago the nice neighours that lived next door harboured the dark dirty secrets. Now children are educated to speak out and the villiams exposed.
Although it is an awful world we live in in terms of children being molested, raped etc,
given the two evils, I would prefer that the villiams be exposed and justice rendered then to live in a fool's paradise and think that all is well in my community.
It's really alarming at how many incidents they've had out here with teachers, teacher's assistants, daycare workers and coaches who were discovered to be pedophiles. I keep wondering how it can be so easy for them to get jobs where they are in close proximity to children. Some even had a previous history with these sorts of problems, but why didn't the school systems discover this when they did a background check?
Maybe they are just so desperate for teachers, since there is such a huge shortage here, that they hurry people through the hiring process, in order to get somebody in the classroom.
However, knowing that Vegas seems to be a magnet for pedophiles, I think they need to do a lot better screening of anybody who is going to be near children.
Back in the mid 70's, I could have become a victim.
I was almost a victim of Ted Bundy.
My quick thinking and my reaction saved my life.
Please tell us the story of your reaction and quick thinking saved you! I am curious, of course. But also it could help someone else. Thanks!