Lynne415

Hi All....Picking this topic for my first foray into these boards, might not be smart... With that being said, I do have a few comments (ok, I have a great deal to say) having read through the previous posts. Registries are something that I have worked with in the states. I have worked with both victims and pedophiles. In addition, I was also a child victim of sexual abuse. Not an expert by any means, only someone who cares. I believe that sex offender registries are not in place to protect children or potential victims as much as it's the first line of defense for the courts, law enforcement, etc. to keep track of these individuals and keep them accountable. Sexual predators have an extremely high potential to re-offend. With that being said, I do believe there are individuals who are now included on the registries that should not be as they are not high risk offenders. However, something had to be done to address the growing problem of sexual predators within our society. It's not a perfect system, but it does allow society to at least be made aware of these high-risk offenders. The US has finally passed legislation that will make registries uniform across all the states and allow the judicial branch of the federal government to assist in monitoring these individuals. Hopefully, Bush will sign this bill. No one should ever believe that having a registry will ever make our children less vulnerable to sexual predators. In my childhood experience of abuse, no registry would have prevented my abuse from both a stranger or from a close family friend. In the cases where it’s not a stranger, the sexual predator “grooms" his/her victim and seeks out children whom they know they can manipulate. What might have made the difference? Having my parents teach me to "trust my instincts" about adults/people. In both situations I had a feeling that something was not "right” before these men ever laid a hand on me. Had my parents told me to trust my gut instincts, to get out or scream or run away, or whatever I needed to do to keep myself safe. Merely telling children to stay away from "strangers" or the "creepy guy down the street" is not the answer since it might well be a stranger that saves a child’s life down the road. Also, teaching children about what are appropriate interactions from adults....such as adults don't ask children for directions or to find a lost puppy. Parents don't send strangers to pick them up for birthday parties or to take them to the hospital if the parent has been injured etc. With all their imperfections, I do believe that registries do have a place in our society. In my professional experience it is extremely rare for a pedophile or sexual predator to be totally "rehabilitated.” Most that these individuals can do to prevent re-offending is to keep themselves away from situations which can drive their impulses such as schools, playgrounds, and most certainly the internet. I believe that the internet has "fueled the fire" for many and that is why we are seeing more and more cases in the news. Registries should never be allowed to provoke "witch-hunts" or "running these people out of neighborhoods.” Rather it should be used only as a tool for making sure these individuals are accounted for and limiting as much as possible their access to potential victims.