Dirty Old Men

[Jahness]

DIRTY OLD MEN

By Ted Rall

The Cynical Politics of Megan's Law

NEW YORK--Crackdowns on sex criminals are all over the news, from the couple whose newborn boy was seized by Pennsylvania child welfare officials based on the father's conviction two decades ago, to a New Jersey law that bans offenders registered under Megan's Law from answering the door on Halloween. Media accounts of child abduction, molestation and murder are driving apoplectic parents to push for increasingly draconian legislation. Granted, even one victim is too many, but the hype made me wonder: what are the actual odds of falling prey to a pervert behind the bushes at the playground? How many sex offenders are really out there?

My investigation began at New York's searchable online Sex Offender Subdirectory. Are any of my neighbors pervs? To find out, the website informed me, I would first have to provide the state with my name and address. "This identifying information...is collected to identify any pattern or practice of misuse of sex offender registration information such as the commission of a criminal act against a registered sex offender or any attempt to falsely portray an individual as a sex offender." This is a prudent practice given that pitchfork-wielding hysterics have beaten up and even killed parolees they found in the database, but I'm not telling the state jack. Call me a hypocrite, but the idea is to snoop on other people.

In any case, I was able to determine that New York's sex offenders are comparative slouches. If it's pervs you're after, says the comprehensive 2003 U.S. Department of Justice report "Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994," California is the place to start. A third of the nation's sex criminals reside in California, the national capital of sex crime, birthplace of Megan's Law and the site of Polly Klaas' infamous 1993 kidnap-murder. Since Arnold Schwarzenegger's regime isn't as finicky as New York about protecting the privacy rights of ex-cons, I was able to search MegansLawCa.gov for dirty old men living near the apartment I used to rent in Berkeley.

"Compared to non-sex offenders released from state prisons," the Justice Department reports, "released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime." Wow, those guys are like Jason and Freddy combined! Why don't we just lock them up forever? Oh, right--because we need their cells for potheads, silly! Anyway, it turns out that recidivism isn't the huge problem politicians would have us believe, although 5.3 percent of sex offenders were rearrested within three years after their release from prison, compared to 1.3 percent of other criminals. (In other words, 94.7 percent and 98.7 percent respectively don't reoffend.)

At the time of my Web search, I found 12 registered sex offenders within a mile radius of my former residence, none of whom have been charged with a second crime. One, a 59-year-old man, exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl. Two more men, both in their upper 40s, had raped adults. The remainder were convicted of things like statutory rape; they're not the kind of predator who crawls through your daughter's window. (Strangely, statutory rapists are about eight times less likely than child molesters to get paroled.)

In the liberal bastion of Berkeley, in other words, one out of approximately 4,000 residents qualifies as the kind of dude you wouldn't want your kid to solicit for the United Way. But the children of California, if you believe a report by the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, "Prisoners and Parolees 2004," are at greater risk of being killed than molested. In 2004 California arrested 56 ex-cons (including one woman) for committing "lewd acts with children" and 138 for murder and manslaughter. Alameda County, which includes Berkeley, has four times as many paroled killers as rapists--but Megan's Law doesn't apply to them.

So how do the odds of your child being molested compare to his one-in-4.5 million chance of getting hit by lightning or, for that matter, his 1-in-228 chance of dying in a car crash? Roughly 1-in-12, according to a 1997 study by the National Institute of Justice. But "stranger abuse comprises only a small percentage of total victimizations," says the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. This conforms to common sense. Since there are roughly 200,000 convicted sex offenders running free, compared to roughly 2 million victims, there's no way strangers are responsible for most assaults. Family members are the greater danger.

Sexual assault of children is a major problem, but no one has come up with an effective and politically palatable way to prevent it. Treatment programs have reduced recidivism rates by as much as 80 percent, but "get tough on crime" prosecutors and legislators have repeatedly cut their budgets. Meanwhile, legalized harassment like New Jersey's no-trick-or-treat law makes great political hay while lulling us into a false sense of security. As lawyer John S. Furlong told the Associated Press in response to the new Halloween law, "It's unfair, expensive and inane. In other words, it's just stupid. Nobody is going to be safer. Nobody is going to be less at risk."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/2005110...NlYwN5bmNhdA--

Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc.

[nattyreb]

Thanks for raising this, Queen Sis. Jahness. i think the writer chose the wrong statistic to quote from though:

So how do the odds of your child being molested compare to his one-in-4.5 million chance of getting hit by lightning or, for that matter, his 1-in-228 chance of dying in a car crash? Roughly 1-in-12, according to a 1997 study by the National Institute of Justice. But "stranger abuse comprises only a small percentage of total victimizations," says the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. This conforms to common sense. Since there are roughly 200,000 convicted sex offenders running free, compared to roughly 2 million victims, there's no way strangers are responsible for most assaults. Family members are the greater danger.

My thought after reading the first 2 sentences was "What about family members/friends who no one ever reports to the cops? It's probably more like 1 in 4 or 5." Since he concludes that family members are the greater danger, he should know that it's way more prevalent than any stastical institution could ever calculate.

Again, thanks for putting this on the front burner, it needs to be there!
Can you, or anyone else reading, post the warning signs to look for that your child may be being abused when you get the chance? i think that would be extremely helpful, if it doesn't already exist on-site (if so, please post the URL). This is also good info for parents of special needs children/adults, we need to know how to be more alert of subtle signs.

[IfasehunReincarnated]

We wont even go into the number of children, especially boys, that are assuaulted by women and dont report it because its considered "gay" or "silly" to refuse sex with an older woman.

[RecoveringAA]

Originally Posted by NattyReb

Can you, or anyone else reading, post the warning signs to look for that your child may be being abused when you get the chance? i think that would be extremely helpful, if it doesn't already exist on-site (if so, please post the URL). This is also good info for parents of special needs children/adults, we need to know how to be more alert of subtle signs.

will get on it....

[RecoveringAA]

Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms
Author(s): National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information (DHHS)

Year Published: 2003



Introduction
The first step in helping abused or neglected children is learning to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect. The presence of a single sign does not prove child abuse is occurring in a family; however, when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination you should take a closer look at the situation and consider the possibility of child abuse.

If you do suspect a child is being harmed, reporting your suspicions may protect the child and get help for the family. Contact your local child protective services agency or police department. For more information about where and how to file a report, call the Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD®).

Recognizing Child Abuse
The following signs may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect.

The Child:

Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance.
Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention.
Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes.
Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen.
Lacks adult supervision.
Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn.
Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home.

The Parent:

Shows little concern for the child.
Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child's problems in school or at home.
Asks teachers or other caretakers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves.
Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome.
Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve.
Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs.

The Parent and Child:

Rarely touch or look at each other.
Consider their relationship entirely negative.
State that they do not like each other.
Types of Abuse
The following are some signs often associated with particular types of child abuse and neglect: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. It is important to note, however, these types of abuse are more typically found in combination than alone. A physically abused child, for example, is often emotionally abused as well, and a sexually abused child also may be neglected.

Signs of Physical Abuse
Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the child:

Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes.
Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school.
Seems frightened of the parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home.
Shrinks at the approach of adults.
Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver.
Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver:

Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child's injury.
Describes the child as "evil," or in some other very negative way.
Uses harsh physical discipline with the child.
Has a history of abuse as a child.
Signs of Neglect
Consider the possibility of neglect when the child:

Is frequently absent from school.
Begs or steals food or money.
Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses.
Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor.
Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather.
Abuses alcohol or other drugs.
States that there is no one at home to provide care.
Consider the possibility of neglect when the parent or other adult caregiver:

Appears to be indifferent to the child.
Seems apathetic or depressed.
Behaves irrationally or in a bizarre manner.
Is abusing alcohol or other drugs.
Signs of Sexual Abuse
Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the child:

Has difficulty walking or sitting.
Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities.
Reports nightmares or bedwetting.
Experiences a sudden change in appetite.
Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior.
Becomes pregnant or contracts a venereal disease, particularly if under age 14.
Runs away.
Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver.
Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver:

Is unduly protective of the child or severely limits the child's contact with other children, especially of the opposite sex.
Is secretive and isolated.
Is jealous or controlling with family members.
Signs of Emotional Maltreatment
Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the child:

Shows extremes in behavior, such as overly compliant or demanding behavior, extreme passivity, or aggression.
Is either inappropriately adult (parenting other children, for example) or inappropriately infantile (frequently rocking or head-banging, for example).
Is delayed in physical or emotional development.
Has attempted suicide.
Reports a lack of attachment to the parent.
Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the parent or other adult caregiver:

Constantly blames, belittles, or berates the child.
Is unconcerned about the child and refuses to consider offers of help for the child's problems.
Overtly rejects the child.
This fact sheet was adapted, with permission, from Recognizing Child Abuse: What Parents Should Know. Prevent Child Abuse America. © 2003.

[Pu Het Maahes]

AWSOME post. I live not to far from Berkeley. The sad thing is that when I was young I showed a lot of these symptoms, I wonder if any of the teachers that run across this information ever wonder what happened to Me. I’m hell, I did tell them.