Are the number of pedophiles in the male population sufficient to view men generally as risky?
Neo, I'm always cautious about expressing an opinion on such things because I never had any children. When I was a kid, no one worried about pedophiles. I was taught to rely on all adults. I am a naturally trusting person. I would not want to be otherwise. Whether I would change my attitude if my children were at stake rather than me, I don't know for sure.
I know that I wouldn't want my kids to grow up scared of their shadows. My parents were overprotective with me and I don't consider that a good thing. I wouldn't want my daughters to grow up thinking that men are predatory. I would want them to think that men can be good friends, colleagues, and partners.
So, just as I don't worry about my acquaintances being murders, I would not likely worry about them being pedophiles. I want to be able to mentor the kids in my neighborhood without anyone thinking that I might be up to no good. I don't agree with Bill, for example, than only parents are suitable as scout leaders. But then, I don't have children. So I express my opinion on this quietly.
As for your question, if these numbers are even close, there are a lot of pedophiles out there.
<<Of those that participated, 27% of the women and 16% of the men claimed to have had at least one sexual encounter with an older person before the age of 18. The median age for the women at the time of the encounter was 9.6 years, for men it was 9.9. 23% of the women and 22% of the men reported first encounters before the age of 8.
olbers.kent.edu
Karen |
