Most youth who exhibit problematic sexual behavior don’t need punishment. They need help
Adult sex offenders are criminals who need to be brought to justice to maintain public safety. But we need to be careful about extending that same principle to children who hurt other kids. Most youth who exhibit problematic sexual behavior don’t need punishment. They need help.
It’s time for the public and our legal system to catch up with the growing literature on the causes of such behavior and how to stop it, rather than throwing the book at these kids and writing them off for good. In doing so, we can break cycles of trauma, reduce homelessness and incarceration and prevent the sexual abuse of children.
At first, parents may not know how to distinguish truly problematic sexual behavior in children and teens from behavior that is normal and developmentally appropriate.
“When we fail to recognize that most of these youth can go on to live lives both fulfilling and safe for others, we increase the chances that our criminal justice system will stigmatize them for good. Over 200,000 Americans are on sex offense registries for an offense they committed as a child — some as young as eight years old.”
20% of the total registered persons (at nearly 1M large)…political gain at the expense of the future. No one is expendable, especially those minors who can learn and grow for their adult years.
Youth Offenders are the key to reversing Smith vs Doe’ once people start to see Youth Offenders and how the registry is affecting their lives, It’s gonna be kinda hard not to prove it’s not punishment.
Every time you hear story about people being placed on the registry it’s always some old creepy looking guy or just a older guy in general, they never show the teenager being placed on the registry, So parents don’t know that they’re child is just 1 click on a keyboard or 1 stupid mistakes away from completely ruining their lives.
17 years, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds old – Needs help
…1 second later…
18 years, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds old – Hopeless degenerate that needs prison
Absolutely boneheaded, thoughtless, vengeance based policy devoid of any justice or balance. We shouldn’t be putting kids on the registry. We shouldn’t be putting adults on the registry.
Hmmm… aren’t those pretty much the same statistics for adult recidivism as well? Interesting how the article starts with wanting to cast-out adults in the same situation.
Oh, yes! Put your faith in the cult of therapy, the “trained professionals” who determine what is “appropriate” or not and how to “treat” those children so engaged (almost always, boys).
Also: they’re not evil like those “adults” who need to be punished (and probably can’t be cured)!
That “writer” at Salon just doesn’t get it.
You don’t get to pick and chose who is redeemable and who is “written off.”
If minors can be redeemable then what’s the logic that anyone over 18 can’t change. Tired of laws being passed by a bunch of sex and human relationship “experts” when all they do is cause more damage and create more unintended harm.
“…. we need to be careful about extending that same principle to children who hurt other kids.”
You know what? I’m growing so sick and freaking tired of all these people lacking the capacity to accept that kids will be sexual do have curiosities and WILL do things on their own! I can’t stress it enough! Stop labeling every single sexual encounter as a grave trauma that “hurts” another kid! I’m so sick of this crap I could puke! I’m wagering that most sexual encounters are of a nature that the clown “adults” in organizations like RAINN should have absolutely no say so in anything prosecution wise, let alone an overzealous DA and their henchmen all hell bent on more prosecutions all in the guise of protecting one child. Instead these clowns operate on trauma and fear. They can’t leave things alone, any sexual event these kids or teens experience has to have the components to indicate there being a victim and if not then the idiot clowns will drag said kids into court and by golly by the time they get done with shaming them on the stand they WILL be traumatized! I’m so sick of it all, these kids are having life experiences and no they aren’t all horrible or traumatizing! Rather the reaction of parents and adults unable or unwilling to accept their kids are individuals is the underlying problem. Why this isn’t addressed is beyond me.
Give me a break, I’m tired of hearing how the minor made an mistake and should be able to go on with their life without a life of harassment and being treated like a boogeyman. How can they, other than using irrational hatred, force people to be on said registry up to the rest of their lives for one mistake, more than likely committed decades ago!? Most of what is said about a minor, especially one of teen age, is no different than an adult. I’ve always said people on the registry are the only people who truly can get an idea how Jim Crow and other injustices were. People were being mistreated and complaining about it, but mainstream society were pretty much shrugging their shoulders and going on business as usual……..