Holy Crap!

I can't believe it!  My neighborhood is a sexual offender magnet!!  I receive notifications from a free service that notifies individuals when sex offenders move in and out of their neighborhood.  I just received a notice indicating that 17 registered sex offenders just moved within a four mile radius of my home!  I should be somewhat relieved that three moved out I guess.  NOT! 

In looking at the map, I see that there are at least seven within a three mile radius of my home that have committed offenses against children.  I should note that there are at least three elementary schools that I can think of within a five mile radius of my home.  I am disgusted.

Having worked with sex offenders in prison, I know that the chances that they will not re-offend are slim to none.  At the time I worked there, the statistics indicated that less than 10% of all incarcerated individuals would not re-offend when they were released.  Now granted, that number was for ALL offenders.  The statistics at that time indicated that less than 1% of sex offenders would not re-offend.  Scary stuff isn't it?

I must say that I am one of those mom's who is hypervigilent about the safety of my kids.  Having worked with offenders both in prison and as a CPS worker, I know how they operate and their tactics to entice kids get slicker and slicker.  I am not trying to scare any of you, but rather want to reinforce the need to be mindful of the dangers out there and do what you can to be proactive:

• Remember that most victims of sexual abuse know their abuser. 
• Keep the lines of communication with your kids open.
• It is never to soon to talk about body safety.  Even very young kids can understand good touches (hugs and kisses from mom and dad, etc.) and bad touches.
• Check in with your kids regularly.  Ask them if they have any worries or concerns about anything.  (When interviewing kids as a CPS worker, we would sometimes encounter kids who had been interviewed before due to allegations of sexual abuse but didn't disclose on previous interviews.  When asked why, they said the interviewer never asked the right questions.)  Open ended questions work best.
• Know where your kids are and who they are with at all times.  Teach your kids early on that they need to let you know where they are and who they are with so it becomes a habit.
• I strongly suggest subscribing to an offender notification site such as www.familywatchdog.com to stay informed of any potential dangers in your area.

We don't want to scare our kids (for something scary, check out this vintage Creepy Mr. Yuk child safety campaign at one of my favorite dad blogs).  Given this, it is important that we discuss safety with them.  Contact your local police station or social services organization for more information on how to discuss child safety or go to www.thesafeside.com for downloadable discussion questions for parents and kids. 

If you have any questions or would like any more information on child safety, please contact me.

Comments

[Mom101]

Ew, scary creepy subject! Want to put my fingers in my ears and go LALALALALALA...

I have looked at a similar online registry, and I take comfort in the fact that these are not all pedophiles nor are they all threats. Still, bad news. Blech. Thanks for the PSA. (And thanks for the very kind comment on my blog and for pointing the way back here. Nice place you've got here, mama!)

[Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom]

Thanks for stopping by! I hate to discuss such scary topics, but unfortunately we must to keep our kids safe. Freaks and weirdos are everywhere!! I promise future posts will be more uplifting :)

[Audrey Cassel]

I really enjoyed the part about Mom's being too verbose....... I think we're all guilty of that, funny how kids tune out everything but their name at times, wasn't there a cartoon where "Fido" did the same thing when his master shouted commands? All poor Fido heard was: FIDO...... BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....... poor dog. By the way, the posting about sex offenders is very, very disturbing, who's watching THEM???

[audrey cassel]

we have same name!!!
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would like to know more about you