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Do we need to rethink our laws regarding sex offenders? Well, a shocking number of people on the Right feel we should. Since babies due to real rape get shut down, then there aren't really any rapists then right?
I understand about doing time and paying for your crime, but the recidivism rate among sex offenders is so high, it makes me question if we should rethink our laws surrounding these types of crimes. What do you think?
I worked with pedophiles for three years...counseling, assisted in mental health testing, wrote reports...name it I was involved...
You have absolutely NO idea how many pedophiles there are..and the system is broken. Time and time again the bleeding hearts would think "johnny" was cured only to have Johnny in the office again with another victim under his belt...and sadly some victims did not make it through the ordeals.
Containment is the best course of action..they must be monitored for the rest of his/her life..end of story.
I don't think it's really about "sex" to them. I think it's more about having ultimate power. For that reason, I don't know if castration would work.
At the very least, I don't think these slimeballs should ever be let out. I'm all for giving them an extra bar of soap, putting them away for life and letting the other prisoners take care of them.
I'm thinking you may be underestimating the drive for sexual release. I believe, if I were to rape anyone (and I have not), the control would be required in order to attain the sexual release. If the sexual release were not so desirable, the control would not be needed either... At least in most cases. Then, there are exceptions to every rule.
It doesn't mean the crime is any less serious, however, castration would only prevent pregnancy, but may not prevent orgasm and therefore, may not reduce the possibility of repeated rape by the perp. There are quite a number of men that have been made sterile, then enjoy a normal relationship with their wives without the chance of pregnancy. I don't know that more laws would be an answer, but current laws made more effective would certainly help.
Sex offender laws have become applied broadly enough to have their meaning severely diluted. Unfortunately, to be rich in common sense in this case is very easily construed to mean soft on crime. I think something should be done about actual pedophiles, but I disagree with releasing them to the public as second-class citizens. It succeeds in punishing the perpetrator, but I don't believe it's the best way to protect future victims, which I think is far more important than the former. I think our society is more interested in eye-for-an-eye justice than preventing crime in the first place.
I understand about doing time and paying for your crime, but the recidivism rate among sex offenders is so high, it makes me question if we should rethink our laws surrounding these types of crimes. What do you think?
The recidivism rate for sex offenders is not especially high, and there is no evidence that either registration or residency laws are any use in reducing either offense or reoffense rates.
Sex offender laws have become applied broadly enough to have their meaning severely diluted. Unfortunately, to be rich in common sense in this case is very easily construed to mean soft on crime. I think something should be done about actual pedophiles, but I disagree with releasing them to the public as second-class citizens. It succeeds in punishing the perpetrator, but I don't believe it's the best way to protect future victims, which I think is far more important than the former. I think our society is more interested in eye-for-an-eye justice than preventing crime in the first place.
I think that penalties for those who are clearly victimizing children should be increased, but there needs to be greater distinction and leniency for acts that happen within the 'gray area' ages.
I have two friends who are both registered sex offenders. The first, at the age of 19 unknowingly hooked up with a 15 year old girl at a college party. Sexual acts happened, but no actual intercourse, but my friend was convicted and spent 6 months in jail, had a hard time finding work and eventually divorced and had difficulty getting any custody of his children.
The second was someone I met after his release from jail. He was 18 and had sex with a 15 year old, which is basically a senior dating a freshman in high school. He spent two years in jail for this act.
These laws simply need to be less Draconian so that young people who both consented to these acts aren't punished because one of them is two years older than the other, or so that a young person's life isn't forever tainted because of poor judgement or an honest mistake.
This.
Tougher where actual victims are concerned, less draconian where there are no victims.
One shouldn't be branded a sex offender on the same level as a child molester simply because they did helicopters in public whilst intoxicated.
I think that penalties for those who are clearly victimizing children should be increased, but there needs to be greater distinction and leniency for acts that happen within the 'gray area' ages.
I have two friends who are both registered sex offenders. The first, at the age of 19 unknowingly hooked up with a 15 year old girl at a college party. Sexual acts happened, but no actual intercourse, but my friend was convicted and spent 6 months in jail, had a hard time finding work and eventually divorced and had difficulty getting any custody of his children.
The second was someone I met after his release from jail. He was 18 and had sex with a 15 year old, which is basically a senior dating a freshman in high school. He spent two years in jail for this act.
These laws simply need to be less Draconian so that young people who both consented to these acts aren't punished because one of them is two years older than the other, or so that a young person's life isn't forever tainted because of poor judgement or an honest mistake.
I know this is an old thread, but I agree with you in that it's absolute BS.
There's NO WAY that 19 year old and 18 year old kid should be labeled sex offenders under those scenarios. Too many girls/women look WAY older than they actually are. Unless you outright ask for ID (and even then, it may be a fake one), how are you supposed to know she's under 18?
Sex is going to happen, it's in our nature.
Also, what annoys me is that the women in those kinds of scenarios get away with it. No punishment is giving out for not revealing their real age, or for lying about it.
I think that penalties for those who are clearly victimizing children should be increased, but there needs to be greater distinction and leniency for acts that happen within the 'gray area' ages.
I have two friends who are both registered sex offenders. The first, at the age of 19 unknowingly hooked up with a 15 year old girl at a college party. Sexual acts happened, but no actual intercourse, but my friend was convicted and spent 6 months in jail, had a hard time finding work and eventually divorced and had difficulty getting any custody of his children.
The second was someone I met after his release from jail. He was 18 and had sex with a 15 year old, which is basically a senior dating a freshman in high school. He spent two years in jail for this act.
These laws simply need to be less Draconian so that young people who both consented to these acts aren't punished because one of them is two years older than the other, or so that a young person's life isn't forever tainted because of poor judgement or an honest mistake.
With regard to your 2nd friend, I, too, dated a freshman when I was a senior. I knew better than to touch her. It was more of a dating in name only. I gave her flowers, we wrote letters back and forth, etc. Her parents even let me drive us to places because they trusted me not to do anything stupid. Hell, they let me take her to dances and the prom. We stayed out pretty late.
Sorry, I don't feel sorry for your friend.
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