Halloween and Sex Offenders
With Halloween just over a week away, it’s time to talk about not jack-o-lanterns, costumes, or setting up spooky decorations, but rather sex offenders.
And just why are we doing this and killing the fun Halloween mood?
Because some police jurisdictions (and the news media) say so.
This morning on the local news there was a story about how Sheriff Gary Long in Butts County, Georgia, wants to put special “no trick-or-treat” signs outside the homes of convicted sex offenders, in a move to prevent children from having contact with those people. These aren’t just outside the homes of child molesters or pedophiles, but ALL of the registered sex offenders in the county.
And it’s ridiculous.
Before I go any further, I’m not excusing the sex crimes that any of those people committed, especially the violent ones. Toss ’em in jail and throw away the key. But when they are eventually released, and they do follow the laws and restrictions, then they have the right to be treated as human beings. Why should they go through further humiliation and shaming after they’ve “paid their debt to society,” as so many people love to say when their favorite celebrities (i.e. Michael Vick) go to prison?
I understand it that most people look at sex offenders in a different type of light than other felonies, even theft and murder. Many people see it as more of a psychological disorder as their crimes tend to be spawned by an impulse or obsession that is able to be suppressed by the majority of people. It’s dark, it’s disturbing, and it can easily traumatize its victims many years after the crime occurs.
I get it. I really do. These types of crimes are more widespread than what the reports show as way too many of them are never reported, for a variety of reasons. There are many predators out there wandering the streets, flying under the radar, and blending in with the rest of society. Look at how long former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was molesting boys before he was finally caught and sent to prison.
So why do some police departments keep shining the light where it isn’t needed?
The felons who are released from prison and now follow the laws are not major threats. Studies have shown that should a sex offender get arrested again after being released from jail (usually within 20 months of being released), it’s normally for a non-sexual crime, like a technicality or probation violation. It’s apparent that the justice system puts extra pressure to monitor and help ensure that they do not commit another sex crime. That’s also why they put so many limitations on these people, such as making them register and keep updating their mugshot on the national sex offender registry, and keeping them away from children and places where kids commonly gather, such as schools, playgrounds and Chuck E. Cheese.
So why the extra shaming?
Why doesn’t the sheriff just take a hot branding iron and stamp a dick on these people’s foreheads? Think that’ll help the kids understand that they should stay away from that particular person?
Better yet, why not just line up the sex offenders against a wall and shoot them? How about using the gallows? The rope can be used again and again, making it an environmentally-friendly form of execution.
Hey, you never know if any of them are going to try to entice or sexually attack another person. We should just save everybody the time and trouble and just execute them all, right? Think of how much safer it’ll be for the children!
Anything is allowed as long as it’ll help protect the children, right? Right? RIGHT?!?!?!?!?!?
Just like those signs for gun-free zones in schools, right? Oh, that’s right. Mass shooters (i.e. criminals) tend to avoid signs like that, don’t they?
These “no trick-or-treating” signs are more about shaming the felons rather than actually protecting any children. It’s just one big media stunt designed to make the sheriff look tough on crime, even if the crime occurred in a different county or state.
A happened last year in Grovetown, Georgia, when the mayor wanted to round up the registered sex offenders and keep them captive in the town’s city hall for a few hours while kids went trick-or-treating. Talk about going to extreme lengths to allegedly protect “the children.”
TEACH THE CHILDREN ABOUT DANGERS, NOT ABOUT “SAFE ZONES”
That’s really the bottom line here. Parents need to actually be parents and teach their kids about how to recognize signs of dangers, and how to act upon them appropriately. Not every stranger is a danger.
You cannot build one giant “safe zone” and expect that it’ll work. Spoiler alert — it won’t. The real world does not abide by those rules. There will always be the threat of dangers inside and outside of your home. The key points are being aware of them and knowing how to stay safe, and how to call for help if it’s needed.
Your kids have a far greater chance of getting hit by a car, or having their candy stolen by an older kid than they do being assaulted by a convicted felon. The odds are so low that it’s almost pointless even talking about it. Those kids of crimes, especially to that degree, just do not happen on a regular basis, especially while kids are out trick-or-treating with their parents and/or friends. That doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent or can be ignored, just that there are other threats that are bigger dangers.
That’s really the point about teaching your kids about safety. Take the smartphone out of their hands and make them pay attention to their surroundings for a change. Avoid the knee-jerk reactions to perceived threats versus the real ones. And remember, it’s okay to walk the streets on Halloween and escort your kids as they run from house to house begging for candy.
CHECK THE DATABASES
If you really care about knowing more about your neighbors, check the National Sex Offender Public Website. The map will help give you a good idea if there are any former sex offenders living in your area. Also check and see if your state (or even local police department) has a separate database. In my case, Georgia has a nicely detailed database (Georgia Bureau of Investigation – sex offender registry) that gives additional information about the sex offenders and their crimes.
It’s free and easy to check both of those websites, and it only takes a few moments. If you actually care about your kids and where they go trick-or-treating (or any other outdoor activity), then you’ll see if any sex offenders live in the area. But again, just because a registered offender lives there does not mean that that particular person is actually a threat.
Also take note that this only shows where the *registered* sex offenders are currently living. Those who do not register could literally be anywhere. That’s again why it’s so important to teach kids about interacting with strangers, always being aware of their surroundings, and how to act when it’s appropriate.
Do your job as a responsible parent.
Don’t give in to knee-jerk reactions that are publicity stunts disguised as “protecting children.” That’s YOUR job as parent.
The world is a big, gray area when it comes to right and wrong, heroes and villains. Sometimes the biggest threats are hiding in plain sight right under your nose. When it comes to child molesters, most of them are somebody already connected to the kids, a person that they know and the parents likely trust, just like Jerry Sandusky. Or a relative.
Stay vigilant. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to investigate if something doesn’t seem right. YOU are the parent. The buck stops with YOU.
Just don’t think that putting a “no trick-or-treat” sign in front of a neighbor’s house is going to save your kids from any potential dangers. That’s asinine.
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