Pervs are not new. My rant is people have been so sheltered to believe these evil people didn't exist until recently!! I keep hearing about how our children can't be children now etc. It really wasn't a safer world before...we were just living in a world where it was not reported frequently, people preferred to not address the issues, and LE didn't believe the children over the adults involved. There was no media to report on the many cases which did make to LE and the very few that did hit the news were the most horrific.
Decades ago, a friend of mine was approached on her way to school (a block away) by a perv who was in a vehicle, naked from the waist down, and tried to grab her off the street. His attempt thankfully failed, but she was quite shaken up by the incident. It was something I never forgot (I saw the sheer terror on her face when she got to school that morning) and I began to pay attention to those type of reports by others. There were many and none were caught. Adults preferred to ignore it and LE didn't take the reports seriously if they were made by children.
What has changed isn't much, but we are headed in the right direction today. It has taken millions of children suffering at the hands of cruel and evil people, but at least we know to protect our children from them in any way we can because they do exist. Children can still be children, but as adults...we need to be diligent in our efforts to prevent them from becoming tomorrow's victims and perps.
SS, I think you are so right. For me, as a mom, Adam Walsh changed everything. Adam died in 1981. My son was born in 1983, and parents became much more cautious. As a child in the early 60,s, I was allowed to wander in a store while my mom shopped, as long as I didn't go out the door. When my own child accompanied me, he had to stay on the same aisle, in my line of sight.
But sadly, as with Sandra, monsters aren't always strangers. When I was little (4-6), I told my mom I didn't like my pediatrician. He always did an exam that included laying down on the table, and feeling the abdomen with my clothes and underwear pulled down a bit. But what creeped me out was where his eyes were focused.
My mom was a nurse, and really didn't think he was doing anything but a check of the bowels, BUT she respected ME, and took me to another doctor.
As it turned out, in the late 70's, when I was in college, a male friend told me (in detail) that this same man molested him for years.
Then the rumors started. Finally, it turned out after my hometown newspaper ran an article about this man, over 30 victims were able to support each other.
Sadly, because of the "good old boy" system, he was still practicing as a pediatrician in my hometown (by the way SS, I live in the same state you do).
I'm just so thankful my mom listened to me. All I can tell you is that I didn't like the intensity with which he looked at me while doing his "exam" (he always had his back to my mom). He had a history of befriending single mothers. It was also rumored when my son was small that he was into child *advertiser censored* by then.
Moms, Dads, listen to your kids. It could be their doctor (yes, the one you then write a check to), Sunday School teacher, scout leader, teacher, neighbor, babysitter, great uncle....
Just listen to your kids, ok?