According to the US Department of Justice, forty percent of convicted offenders will repeat their crimes within a year of being released from jail. That is nearly half!
With two thirds of all victims of sexual assault being under 18 years old, child molestation is a problem that you should certainly be aware of, particularly if you have children at home.
Many parents have an image in their minds of the "typical" criminal, be it a child molester or a burglar, but the truth is, the majority of criminals do not fit this stereotype. While convicted child molesters do tend to be male, there are also females convicted of this crime, such as the recent widely reported cases of female teachers jailed because they had sex with male students.
The truth is, there is no way to tell just from looking at someone that they are a convicted child molesters. You can't count on criminals to give off a "creepy" vibe to alert you to their past. Do you really know the history of those in daily contact with your children, such as teachers and school employees, babysitters, and the people living down the street from you? They seem nice enough, right? These people can turn out to be villains too. All too often the news shows cases of trusted acquaintances who turn out to have dark pasts.
So, how do you spot sex offenders, if you can't tell by looking at them? Since 2008, convicted child molesters have been required to turn in their name, photograph, address, and place of employment. There are currently more than 600,000 registered child molesters living in the United States. Everyone can access these records over the internet in the National Sex Offender Registry. Just enter your zip code, and the profiles of any convicted child molesters in your area will appear.
Do you recognize some familiar faces on this list? If so, what should you do about it? Regardless of whether there are any known child molesters living around them, your children should be warned about "stranger danger" from a young age. According to Department of Justice statistics, most victims of child molestation are under 13. Even young children must know how to protect themselves from these dangers.
How do you protect your child from child molesters, kidnappers, or other threats? In addition to teaching them who to trust and what areas are considered "private," arm your children with a personal safety alarm.
Child-friendly alarms shaped like bears or other animals help you child alert adults when someone is threatening or harming them. These versatile alarms can come in handy in a variety of situations, even when your child has gotten lost at the mall or the park.
All parents know there's no way to watch their children every moment of every day. For this reason, you must prepare your child to deal with the risks and threats they may be exposed to on a daily basis.
