Do not talk to strangers - one of the lessons that we teach our children to keep them from harm's way. But what if the stranger is somebody whom the child trusts? Sexual offenders use manipulation, deception and emotional blackmail to lure their victims and force them to concede to their will. Most sexual abuse cases occur between persons who are in a relationship, but in which one of them use their power for their own sexual gratification. For instance, a professor who promises his student good grades if she gives in to his sexual advances.
Sexual offenders commit their crime in premeditation - that is, they plan, choose and groom their victims before the sexual crime or abuse is committed. As a result, victims often feel powerless, betrayed and afraid, making them incapable to report the crime, often lasting for years and years of abuse.
Now, they have been using chatrooms, social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, and even mobile phones to seek and choose their victims. Some would pose as children inside the chatroom and befriend their victims. Others use Facebook or MySpace to post their photos. Another form is texting or among teenagers, 'sexting' - in which they use mobile phones to send messages or pictures with sexual overtones. Whatever the medium, it has become easier for such offenders to seek victims, especially with the virtual anonymity which mobile devices and the Internet websites and chatrooms gives them.
To avoid this, a new federal law in the state of Illinois has been passed to ban registered and known sexual offenders from social networking sites. This is the first law of its kind which takes a proactive approach in preventing sexual crimes from happening. But the issue here is the unfairness of the justice system against convicted sexual offenders. In the United States, after those convicted of such offense have served time, they are required to register in the government database of sexual offenders' profile. This is to allow the public to identify such people in their locale or geographic area and to protect themselves and their children. However, the problem with this is the discrimination and prejudice that arise from individuals labeled as such. Unlike murderers who can get parole after serving time and can move on with their lives, sexual offenders have more difficulty doing so precisely because people still treat them as criminals. This creates a problem for them when finding jobs, getting married or mingling with the community.
Thus, is banning sexual offenders from websites a sign of discrimination or a matter of crime prevention? For more information about this issue, the Lexington law has a database of Lexington law information about the justice system and the legal issues regarding sexual crimes and sexual offenders.
Irene Miller is a teacher. She loves words and plays with them.
