UNITED STATES
Parenting
By Joelle Casteix
Nobody loves a stereotype better than a child sex predator. Whether the stereotype is about the “creepy guy in the trench coat,” the “hot for teacher” fallacy, our collective denial of incest, or our emphasis on “stranger danger,” predators know that the more parents rely on stereotypes, the easier it is for those predators to gain easy access to vulnerable children.
Stereotype No. 1: Most abuse happens as a result of stranger abduction or by use of force.
This stereotype is one of the most widely believed and the most damaging. It has kept victims silent and children at risk for decades.
And it all boils down to our over-reliance on “stranger danger.”
Even now, when it comes to educating and empower our children about abuse, parents and educators continue to focus on abduction. The media is quick to follow along, continually covering stories about child kidnappings and attacks. And that’s exactly what the vast majority of child predators want us to focus on.
According to the California Attorney General’s office, approximately 90 percent of children who are sexually abused in the United States know their abuser.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.