Sex Offender Facts
- Sex offenders come from all walks of life and from all socio-economic groups. They can be male or female, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, religious or non-religious, highly educated or uneducated or from any race.
- The suspect is known to the victim in over 80 percent of sex crimes. In other words, the suspect is a parent, relative, caretaker, neighbor, co-worker, or significant other.
- Strangers can be "good guys" or "bad guys." (This includes females.) Persons know to you or your children can be "good guys" or "bad guys." (Again, this includes females.) We do a great disservice to children when we teach Stranger Danger and leave it at that.
- Sixty-seven percent of adults convicted of felony sex crimes in FY 1995 had no prior criminal history.
- Many pedophiles seek out mothers of single parent families for the purpose of victimizing their children. As an example, the following was taken directly from a sex offender's treatment summary:
"During treatment..(Name)..disclosed that he has been sexually assaulting children, males and females, since he was 8 or 9 years old. His victims range in age from 2 to 10 years old. He groomed his victims by keeping candy, popsicles, and children's toys in his apartment. He raised birds to attract children; took children to the park, beach and McDonald's; and used children he was babysitting to gain access to other victims. He groomed the parents by offering free babysitting; helping out by providing transportation and money "when they needed it." He disclosed he gains access by targeting single parents with a large number of children who are not good housekeepers. In his words, "a mother who doesn't give a damn."
- Most sex offenders "groom" their victims prior to any sexual abuse. As an example, the following was taken directly from a sex offender's treatment summary:
"He played the part of (Name)'s best friend by being around her as much as possible and telling her she could always come to him if she needed someone to talk to. He helped (Name) do her homework and her household chores. He played games with (Name) and took her to the park. Other places he took her were the malls, toy stores, clothing stores, and swimming pools. He gave (Name) money and bought her things, such as new toys, board games, a bike, and expensive clothing. When he was babysitting (Name), he would tell her she could do anything she wanted. He told (Name) if she would let him do what he wanted to her, he would buy her things. To keep her quiet, he told (Name) that if her mother found out about what "we" were doing, she would be mad and it would be all (Name)'s fault."
CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS OF A PEDOPHILE
When most people imagine a child molester, they picture some ugly, old man in a trench coat coaxing children to come to him in exchange for some candy. They don't picture uncle Joe or aunt Lorraine, the neighbor next door, the friendly parishioner, another family member, or trusted co-worker. They don't think of mom or dad, or in the case of single parents, their significant other. This misconception has been effectively dispelled through information obtained in thousands of child sexual abuse investigations over the years. Child molesters come from all walks of life and from all socioeconomic groups. They can be male or female, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, religious or non-religious, or from any race.
Through numerous case studies, the Department of Justice has developed characteristics and behavioral indicators of a pedophile. They are as follows:
- Is most often an adult male
- Is usually married
- Works in a wide range of occupations, from unskilled laborer to corporate executive
- Relates better to children than adults
- Socializes with few adults unless they are pedophiles
- Usually prefers children in a specific age group
- Usually prefers either males or females, but may be bi-sexual
- May seek employment or volunteer with programs involving children of the age of his preference
- Pursues children for sexual purposes
- Frequently photographs or collects photographs of his victims, either dressed, nude, or in sexually explicit acts
- Collects child erotica and child-adult pornography:
- To lower the inhibitions of victims
- To fantasize when no potential victim is available
- To relive his sexual activities
- To justify his activities. (The depiction of others engaged in these acts legitimizes them in the pedophile's mind.)
- To blackmail victims to keep them from telling
- May possess and furnish narcotics to his victims to lower their inhibitions
- Is usually intelligent enough to recognize that he has a personal problem and understand the severity of it
- May go to great lengths to conceal his illegal activity
- Often rationalizes his illicit activities, emphasizing his positive impact upon the victim and repressing feelings about the harm he has done
- Often portrays the child as the aggressor. This usually occurs after the child realizes that by withholding "sexual favors" the child will obtain what he or she desires, such as new toys, clothing, or trips
- Talks about children in the same manner as one would talk about an adult lover or spouse
- Often was a child molestation victim and frequently seeks out children at the age or stage of physical development at which he was molested
- Often seeks out publications and organizations that support his sexual beliefs and practices
- Usually corresponds with other pedophiles and exchanges child pornography and erotica as proof of involvement
- Is usually non-violent and has few problems with the law (pedophiles are frequently respected community members)
- The widespread misconception that child molestation consists solely of children being seized from the street and forcibly molested couldn't be further from the truth. Although these incidents do occur, the vast majority of child molesters are adults who seduce children through subtle intimidation and persuasion and are known to the child
- The incestuous or interfamilial molester is usually an adult male (father, stepfather, grandfather, or live-in boyfriend of the mother) who molests the female child or children. Although physical abuse may occur, the molestation is usually secretive and is accomplished through mental duress and threats - that the child would be removed from the family if she did not succumb to his wishes, that she would be blamed for hurting the family if the offender is arrested, or that a sibling would be sexually abused if the victim did not consent. The molestation occurs over an extended period of time, occasionally into the victim's adulthood. Through intimidation, the child is made to feel responsible for the molestation and for keeping the acts secret. The secret is normally kept between the offender and the victim, or within the immediate family.
- The stranger molester will use force or fear to molest children. As the term implies, the child does not know the molester. This type of molestation is usually reported promptly to the police because the trauma to the child is readily apparent.
- The single-parent family is particularly vulnerable to the pedophile. The parent usually has a full-time job and is attempting to fulfill the role of both parents, as well as run the household. In many cases, the parent is unable to provide the psychological support the child needs. These situations may contribute to the success of the child molester who can and will provide the caring attention, however superficial, that may be lacking at home. Of course, domestic problems to intact families also can make children vulnerable to the pedophile. It should be noted as well, many pedophiles seek out mothers of single-parent families for the purpose of victimizing their children.
- The single most effective means of protecting your child is communication with your child. They have to feel comfortable discussing sensitive matters with you. If they don't feel they can talk with you about their true feelings or that they will be "put down" for it, then you can't expect they will tell you when they are put in an uncomfortable situation by a child molester.
- Teach your children that they should not be asked to touch anyone in the bathing suit areas of their body or allow anyone to touch them in those areas. Teach them types of situations to avoid. It's not good enough to tell a child to avoid strangers. Most child molestation's are committed by someone known to or related to the child.
- The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of who do not report the offence; Source: National Institute of Mental Health
- About 60% of the male survivors sampled report at least one of their perpetrators to be female; Source: Mendel
- About 95% of victims know their perpetrators; Source: CCPCA
- It is estimated that approximately 71% of child sex offenders are under 35 and knew the victim at least casually. About 80% of these individuals fall within normal intelligence ranges; 59% gain sexual access to their victims through, seduction or enticement; Source: Burgess & Groth
- Females commit approximately twenty percent (20%) of sex offenses against children; ATSA, 1996.
- Forty-two percent (42%) of adult sex offenders diagnosed with pedophilia begin abusing children before the age of twelve (12) years old; Texas Department of Health.
- Research has shown the majority of individuals who abuse sexually will not end up in the criminal justice system; Texas Department of Health.
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