Child molestation

Child molestation is the physical or psychological act of harming a minor child by sexual means. The chief characteristic of such abuse is the position of the adult over the child; the dominance of the adult allows that individual to coerce and/or force a child into sexual activity. Studies by law enforcement and psychologists indicate that most individuals engaged in child sexual abuse continue to do so regardless of punishment; the effects on the children involved indicate a lifetime scarring.

Symptoms on the child

What a child can suffer as a victim of a molester can range from mild to severe, but in general the following are characteristics of a victim:

• Depression, fear (or fear of the opposite sex), or anxiety.
• Sudden clinging to parents or a loved adult.
• Sleep disorders, or a return to regressive behaviors like bed wetting and thumb sucking.
• Behavior or performance problems at school, and non-participation in social activities.

The strongest indication of sexual abuse of a child is sexual knowledge, interest, or acting out by the child. Such displays are simply not normal child behavior, and the best way to deal with it is to reassure the child as to his or her self esteem, and give positive family support.

Laws and punishments

The current trend towards punishment of offenders has been longer prison sentences, and upon release mandatory registration as a sex offender. Legislation signed into law by President George Bush on July 27, 2006 mandates the requirement for offenders to update their whereabouts with law enforcement many times a year; it also provides for permanent incarceration of offenders deemed a continual threat to society. This law was named for Adam Walsh, the murdered son of America's Most Wanted host John Walsh.

In Florida, individuals convicted of a sexual crime against a child under the age of 11 receive a minimum 25 years in prison, followed by electronic monitoring for the remainder of their lives when released.

Punishments often continue to be administered in prison, as child molesters are "marked" by other inmates for beatings or death.

The state of Vermont has come under fire recently for being a "safe haven" for child molesters who wish for lenient or no punishment for their actions. In one recent case, Judge Edward Cashman sentenced one such individual to 60 days in jail; the man involved, Mark Hulett, had molested a girl for four years, beginning from the age of 6.

Scandals

The Roman Catholic Church has had problems with child abusers among its clergy. The proportion of offenders within the clergy is impossible to determine, but the Vatican has publicly registered its concern.

Precautions against molestation

The United States' Stop It Now! Foundation recommends 'the four R's' to limit children's vulnerability in at-risk situations. These include:

Rules: discussing with your child the importance of rules for behaviour around others. (Note that this is not merely limited to 'stranger danger', but can be taught as 'circles of closeness'. An effective way to introduce this concept can be drawing your own diagram to show this (Mummy/Daddy, family, friends, strangers) and encourage them to create their own.

Respect: explaining why the rules are necessary - your child has a right to feel safe, but so does everyone else.

Responsibility: the hard part - teaching your child to follow these rules through reminders and encouragement.

Reading: encouraging your child's awareness of their social environment. Prevention is most effective when children learn to read the situation. If rules and a sense of self-respect are in place, your child is far more likely to let you know when they're troubled by someone's behaviour.

Organizations which promote child molesting

The North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is an organization which promotes homosexual pedophilia relations on young boys, and actively seeks the overturn of statutory rape laws. Specifically, they seek to change age of consent laws which require that a child be of a certain age (which varies by state) before they can agree to sexual intercourse. NAMBLA also engages in activities against law enforcement of pedophilia, and has stymied efforts of officers to effect arrests of wanted individuals world-wide; one famous case was Eric Franklin Rosser, a one-time keyboard player for rockstar John Cougar Mellencamp. Rosser was added to the FBI's most wanted list, as well as profiled on the television show America's Most Wanted, and was continually warned by NAMBLA members as to police efforts in locating him while on the run in Europe. He was finally captured in Bangkok, Thailand on August 21, 2001.

NAMBLA was defended by the ACLU in a $200 million civil lawsuit brought by the parents of a 10 year old murder victim; the parents claimed the killers were motivated by material accessible on the NAMBLA website.

Links

If anyone suspects someone engaged in child molesting, contact your local law enforcement agency, county sheriff, state or provincial police, or one of the following links:

• America's Most Wanted
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FBI Field Offices page
• United States Marshals Service
• INTERPOL
• Metropolitan Police Service, London (New Scotland Yard)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Australian Federal Police

Other links

• Database of sexual predators by state
• California Megan's Law
• Article by Dr. Madeleine Cosman on sexual predators illegally in the U.S.
• Charges against Eric Franklin Rosser, once a keyboardist for John Cougar Mellencamp
• Understanding Child Sexual Abuse
• Jessica Lunsford Foundation
• National Council of Youth Sports
• Child Welfare Information Gateway
• National Foundation to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse