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Carelessly Exposing Your Child to a Sex Offender

Posted by challengeus • 6/18/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: child abuse, sex offender

I know friends this topic is extremely disgusting but nevertheless it's a reality. My new blog post informs the readers how mothers are consciously or carelessly exposing their kids to sex offenders. Can a mother be fully held responsible if her friend or acquaintance turns out to be a sex offender and harms her child? Please give your opinion.

www.crimesandlaw.wordpress.com

User Comments

6/18/09

Onlineguru

Mothers need to be very careful while selecting their friends. I read your blog...good one

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1. 6/18/09
  
  challengeus
  
  thanks...yeah I agree with you.
6/18/09

lotusb

Trust me, it is impossible to know who would and would not molest or rape your child. Most young women are sexually abused by family members, and ones that are least expected. I think that parents, not just mothers should always teach their children what innapropriate touching is and make sure children are never left alone with adults they do not know very well, period. However if that tradgedy does occur, there are many situations where nothing could have been done to prevent it.

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1. 6/18/09
  
  challengeus
  
  In both the cases (my blog articles) mothers were the custodians of their daughters. They were single parents. When a mother is spending most of the time with her child, don't you think she needs to be VERY careful about the male friends she selects?
  
  Yeah, domestic violence or child abuse within a house should definitely be reported. Being friendly with a sex offender is like giving an open invitation to a predictable danger. Why should a child suffer because of that?
6/18/09

Floormodel

it's not just mothers who might do that.

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6/18/09

jafabrit

I think that could be dodgy because what if it is an uncle, a father, a brother, a husband, a relative who has promised the family they would never do it again, least of all to a family member. In retrospect it is easy to see they would or could, but sometimes people want to believe or can't imagine their spouse or relative would molest their child.
As far as I know my father never touched another female relative, but I don't know that for a fact. I am not sure either if he was ever left alone with his brothers children or grandchildren.

So I think it has to be on a case by case basis. I certainly think it is a serious error in judgment to knowingly leave your child alone with a relative or anyone for that matter who is a known sex offender. I don't know what you imply with holding a parent fully responsible, but such a serious error in judgment does constitute child endangerment and warrants social services involvement and a courts oversight,monitoring somehow.

I don't think it would be fair to sit in judgment of any parent who wasn't aware of the predatory nature/convictions of family, significant others, or friends though.

Just my humble opinion though

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6/18/09

faithsju243

This is a touchy subject especially since many child molesters are related or close family friends. In some instances the perp could be the parent so to hold anyone besides the actual criminal responsible seems a little harsh if not inappropriate if the parent didn't knowingly put the child in harm.

Now if the parent or guardian knowingly put his/her child in harms way by allowing a known pedophile unmonitored interaction with the child, I believe some type of punishment is necessary.

[reply]
1. 6/18/09
  
  challengeus
  
  Yes, it's a tragedy if a family member molested a child. Sometimes criminal is not outside but inside a home.
6/18/09

Alcomum

I am wondering about the motivation to put yet MORE responsibility onto mothers. We give birth to guilt when we give birth to children. We are already carrying enough thank you very much without now being potentially responsible for the deplorable and unimaginable actions of others. Especially when, as has been rightly pointed out, statistically most sexual abuse is carried out by males and within a trusted family environment. And no - I don't think mothers should be made responsible for that. The perpetrators should be made responsible. That does not happen enough, and changing THAT - ie making it safe to report abuse and appropriately dealing with those who carry it out - is what should be focussed on, not shovelling yet more onto the shoulders of mothers.

Rant over.

[reply]
1. 6/18/09
  
  jafabrit
  
  I agree which is one of the reasons I avoided using the word mother in my response, and preferred to state parent.
2. 6/18/09
  
  Alcomum
  
  Cheers jafabrit - and I noticed that
3. 6/18/09
  
  Floormodel
  
  that was the reason I only briefly answered. I too get tired of the implication toward mothers and not parents in general.
4. 6/18/09
  
  Alcomum
  
  agreed
  
  grrrrrrrr........
6/18/09

LolitaV

any parent who knowingly allows a pedophile around their child deserves to lose custody.
Any parent who knowingly allows a pedophile around their child and the child ends up molested/raped should be prosecuted and jailed!!

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6/18/09

HollytheHousewife

I think if the mother had no clue,she doesn't deserve to be punished. I also think she will punish herself way more than anyone else could.
Moms do need to be on the lookout tho. I know I don't ever let my girls out of my site if we're out @ the park.

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6/18/09

selfstudy

extra careful and don`t trust anyone especially if you dont know that person well,

that is unfair to the mother to be punished of what happen, I think no parents of any part of the world wants that to happen to their children,

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