| User | Comment |
|---|
romkey  | | posted 25-Feb-2008 8:31am |
I would be concerned if it happened, but I'm not concerned about it happening. |
icurok  | | posted 25-Feb-2008 8:54am |
Why, *am* I being called a paedophile? |
Iseult  | | posted 25-Feb-2008 9:58am |
I don't know why anybody would call me a pedophile, but if they did, it would hurt me. |
cloudhugger   | | posted 25-Feb-2008 10:24am |
This concerns me quite a bit.
Other'
I am not a pedophile, nor have I ever been accused of being one, nor is there any history of it in my family.
BUT all it takes is one little emotionally fudgeed up kid looking for attention, an over emotionally charged parent with anger issues looking for someone to blame for all their troubles in the world and an over zealous police force needing bonus points with either the community or the mayor. Now the odds of that scenario are far too common, far too real, and have damaging affects that will stay with you the rest of your life. There have been many accusations and some of the people go to prison after trial, some are found not guilty, some go to prison and are than found not guilty...you hear these stories all the time and I don't think anyone ever really knows the truth, it's ugly no matter what.
A good friend of mine years ago was caught up in this. He was visiting his sister in another city, and a child holding a police officers hand walking down the street pointed at my friend and said "That's him! He's the one!" Off to the police station he went. After several hours of interogation my friend was let go because of lack of whatever, but the damage was already done. It's on his record he was accused, but the worst part was how traumatized he was. He was crying when he told me the story, his innocent walk down the street to see his sister within moments turned into a personal nightmare. It had to have been the most horrible experience in his life,eerily similar to the affect a child would have had had it been a real molestation. I know my friend would not do anything to compromise a child's innocence, yet a child compromised his. It makes me think about how many in prison or the communities have been falsely accused, their lives shattered because of this horrific crime. Did the child make the whole thing up? Or did the real creep get away with it? I don't know anything more about the story, but I have heard of kids lying for attention. Kids know what they are doin, some are very clever with manipulations. I have seen my little nieghbor kids set each other up, and I wouldn't doubt they set up their mom to see dad get pissed and take it out on mom....I have seen some wicked wicked little children. |
| kcthedog | | posted 25-Feb-2008 10:25am |
 I'm not especially concerned, but I am careful how I act around children.
No not really, I stay clear of any situation that could be misconstrued as pedophilic activity. This is a topic that I am sensitive to, I love children and I am aware of the current social concerns for their kids when you read on a increasingly more frequently occurrence of young children being molested or even worse abducted. When I am at the market for example, I am very hesitant to approach children unless I approach the parent first and introduce myself and ask permission to greet their children. It is a little awkward sometimes and at times the reaction I receive discourages me so I just keep on walking. It is a sad state of our social development when everybody is considered a stranger to be weary of. Some primitive cultures are more intuitive to the need of interaction of adults on a personal level to help in the social development of the children. In my opinion in an ideal social environment no child should be in fear, and should feel free to seek comfort and protection where ever and when ever they feel threatened or need help from the local community. Community (common unity) is sharing, participation, and fellowship. |
| JessicaWoman99 | | posted 25-Feb-2008 11:13am |
Like what ?? No this does not even concern me at all |
| dilfreak | | posted 25-Feb-2008 11:26am |
this doesn't concern me at all because I come no where close to fitting the description of what a pedophile is. |
Galomorro   | | posted 25-Feb-2008 11:26am |
I'm not one and I'm not often around kids. But all adults need to be concerned/careful because of the usual overreaction by some people so that an innocent action could get construed as sinister. For example, a little kid may need hugs or cuddling and to sit on an adult's lap, but if that adult is not their parent or relative, this could get them in trouble even though it's perfectly innocent. Like a teacher who works with kids can't comfort a child in this way anymore--people aren't able to tell the difference between ordinary comforting and something sexual so they try to ban all touching. |
LindaH  | | posted 25-Feb-2008 12:11pm |
No.
I'm more concerned that people are so fearful, that innocent people have to be concerned about being accused. That comes to anything, not just pedophilia.
Criminals are creating a lack of trust among the innocent. That's not good for freedom. |
| LindaH | | (reply to kcthedog) posted 25-Feb-2008 12:12pm |
> It is
> a sad state of our social development when everybody
> is considered a stranger to be weary of.
 |
| Biggles | | posted 25-Feb-2008 12:57pm |
Not really - it's something that I need to be aware of in my choice of career, but I don't think it's something I actually need to worry about. My older brother is a primary school teacher (although currently teaching older autistic kids) and it's a lot more difficult to work with children if you are male. |
| bill | | posted 25-Feb-2008 1:04pm |
I'm not sure I really worded this survey in a way that gets at how this topic weighs on my mind. Wow, that was a convoluted sentence.
Anyway, I've seen how pedophiles are treated these days. There seems to be some hysteria over it. The whole thing about sex offender registries worries me. It feels like a witch hunt. People seem so ready to take away other people's rights. I don't want to lessen the horrible nature of a sex-offender's crime, especially when children are the victims, but our reaction to it seems excessive. There are other crimes, many are worse. The common sentiment seems to be that someone who has been convicted of a sex crime should be given less rights, for the rest of their life. We now expect such people to be tracked by the government, indefinitely. That makes me feel uncomfortable. What group is next to be given such scrutiny?
On the personal side, I find that the hysteria has caused me to be concerned over how I interact with other people's children. I mean, I don't want to be too friendly, as that may seem like a sign that I'm a predator. I don't interact with kids much, though, so it's really not an issue for me. But, when I do, it does come to mind. I think that's kind of sad. |
| Biggles | | (reply to bill) posted 25-Feb-2008 1:13pm |
There was a lot of hysteria here a few years ago, especially centred around a particular housing estate where (it later turned out) a lot of paedophiles had been rehomed after being released from prison. The most ludicrous point was probably when a people daubed "paedophile" all over a woman's house...she was a paediatrician. We seem to get bouts of it each time a high-profile child-abduction/death occurs, usually backed by certain tabloid newspapers which attempt tp whip the public into a frenzy of hatred, whilst completely ignoring the fact that most children who are murdered die at the hands of a close relative (usually a parent) and not a predatory stranger. There's a little girl missing at the moment, so I imagine there will be a similar outcry once she is found  |
| bill | | (reply to Biggles) posted 25-Feb-2008 1:48pm |
Yeah, we get stuff like that here too. One of the issues we have is that "sex offender" is a fairly general term. In some cases, it's a minor "crime" (like teenagers having oral sex, one is 17 one 18, and the 18 year old gets in trouble for it [technically, statutory rape or something like that]). The 18 year old is then forced to register and you can see where they live on pubic websites and such. Or, a nude streaker may be be considered a sex offender, or someone caught masturbating in a public restroom... But, yeah, I guess there are some truly dangerous people who slip through the system and commit new crimes. I think that always seems like we screwed up, in hindsight. But, I don't think it should justify restricting the rights of people who have "done their time". I wonder what the stats are on all these things. I'm guessing most people don't even consider the statistics, since it's such an emotional ("We must protect your children!") thing. |
| Biggles | | (reply to bill) posted 25-Feb-2008 1:53pm |
There seems to be a sense that the modern world is somehow more dangerous for children than it was 50 years ago, but I'm not convinced that's true at all. To some extent, I think it has a lot to do with children being raised to speak up about things that were perhaps just accepted or pushed under the carpet in the past. |
| bill | | (reply to Biggles) posted 25-Feb-2008 2:42pm |
Yeah, I suspect the same thing. I think something similar happened with domestic abuse and divorce. Women were expected to live with abuse or just bad marriages 50+ years ago, but that changed. Now, we see a lot of incidence of domestic abuse, also a higher divorce rate. But, I think it's just getting reported more and women are more empowered to just leave because society finally decided to stop ignoring the problem. |
| llamamama | | posted 25-Feb-2008 4:54pm |
A pedophile of what? 12 year olds? |
| Enheduanna | | posted 25-Feb-2008 9:23pm |
No, since I'm not a pedophile. |
| Melf | | posted 26-Feb-2008 6:04am |
I don't think 'no' quite covers it. |
| Biggles | | (reply to bill) posted 26-Feb-2008 6:28am |
Thank goodness. |
| justjulie | | posted 26-Feb-2008 7:24am |
no |
| jettles | | (reply to bill) posted 26-Feb-2008 8:51am |
> Anyway, I've seen how pedophiles are treated these days. There seems
> to be some hysteria over it. The whole thing about sex offender registries
> worries me. It feels like a witch hunt. People seem so ready to
> take away other people's rights. I don't want to lessen the horrible
> nature of a sex-offender's crime, especially when children are the
> victims, but our reaction to it seems excessive.
i've had issue with this for years....... the laws in the US like megan's law and the others around the country that cause the tracking of pedophiles, online registries etc ARE very alarming. i have always said since megan's law was passed..... we are saying that these criminals have paid their debt to society by letting them out of prison but then we force them to live a life in which they cannot possibly function in society as anyone else would or could. we post them everywhere, they are harassed and beaten and not employable in many cases. if we don't believe they have paid their debt then change the laws to rehabilitate them or leave them in prison forever but don't expect them not to reoffend in the current situation!! CHANGE THE LAWS!!!
and then there are the situations that are called "sex offenders" like you say, that really aren't people who are dangerous to society, the naked runners, people accused in a bad situation, etc.., who are labeled for life! it is almost better to be labeled a murderer who gets out and is considered to have paid his or her debt!!!!! |
| bill | | (reply to jettles) posted 26-Feb-2008 9:33am |
I agree, murderers have it easy compared to sex offenders. |
| moviesnob | | posted 26-Feb-2008 10:54am |
Not at all. |
| RGirl | | posted 26-Feb-2008 4:34pm |
Don't think I need to be concerned considering I don't find young children sexually attractive but I can see how some people would be paranoid even though they weren't a pedophile, such as a teacher or little league coach or a priest. |
| jettles | | (reply to bill) posted 26-Feb-2008 4:58pm |
frightening |
| Crayons | | posted 26-Feb-2008 5:51pm |
I have never really been in a situation in which I have been.. oh wait, I'm only 14, so that would just be silly. Well, anyway, I am just not the type you'd look at and think pedophile, there are kindergarteners who can lift me. BUT the time I drew my imaginary friend naked I wondered if he was too young. Then again, i considered it artistic nudity and everything. ANd he's a few months older than me anyway. SO just no. I don't have a reason to worry |
| verouge | | posted 27-Feb-2008 5:33am |
Yes it concerns me bec I AM NOT!!!!
 |
| cerealkiller | | posted 28-Feb-2008 3:10pm |
Been called that already. |
| thecomic22 |
No i'm not concerned about it. |
| LJD | | posted 29-Mar-2008 4:31pm |
Odd question. |
