Each day thousands of kids are surfing the Internet's chat rooms, newsgroups, game areas and other sites. Unfortunately, there are also hundreds of thousands of sex offenders, pedophiles and child molesters looking for the right young person who will undoubtedly become the latest victim of child sexual abuse. In 2003, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conducted a survey and concluded that an estimated 2 in 3 kids is contacted and solicited for sex while on-line. These kids are under 15 and are coerced into some type of sexual activity while on-line. It works the same way on the Internet as in the local community. The child molester's main goal is to find a void in the child's life, fill that void and have full control over the young person. This emptiness experienced by the young person may be a physical need, a financial hardship, loneliness or the need for acceptance. Regardless of what the need, want or desire is, the average child molester is highly trained to find it quickly.
Many people in our society have what seems like a natural urge to go to great lengths to protect the sex offender and blame the victim. Recently a high profile celebrity was charged with sexually abusing young boys. Family members of the accused claimed he was innocent and incapable of harming a child. Perhaps this statement was made because they didn't want to believe that anyone could do the things this man was charged with doing to a vulnerable human being.
Sexual abuse in any form does great harm to the well being of all children who suffer through it. There is hope but healing is a lifelong process that is never complete. The scars from the wounds of abuse will always be with the young person throughout his or her life and can come to the surface at any time depending on various circumstances in that person's life.
I urge everyone to report child sexual abuse to their local law enforcement agency. By keeping it to yourself, you are enabling the predator to continue to ruin the lives of our young people.
Did you know...
2 in 3 children is contacted for sex while on-line.
25% of the kids contacted on-line actually go meet an adult they first met on the Internet.
70% of the convicted sex offenders in the US are not in jail but live among us.
About 90% of the convicted sex offenders use the Internet.
Over 90% of the child sexual abuse incidents are committed by someone known and trusted by the child or his/her family.
Here is a link for the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children: http://www.missingkids.com/
Here is the Cybertipline: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=169 where you can report the sexual exploitation of children.
You can also go directly to the US Dept. of Justice: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/report.htm
