Common Sense Tips to Stop Pedophiles

Those who watch Oprah know that she's committed herself to putting pedophiles behind bars. She profiles pedophiles, and asks her viewers to turn in these men who molest children.

The sad fact is, we live in a cultural environment that often feeds this horrific cycle of abuse from pedophiles. Many American households are headed up by women, and often not by their own choice. These are never married women with children, women who are divorced or widowed. Some women are so needy, they bring men into the home overnight, for a weekend, a few months or years. Their own desires and needs are paramount. Of course, this leaves their children open to predators and molestation, pedophiles who prey on needy women as they prey on children.

But many conscientious moms who otherwise guard their children may also put them at risk from pedophiles, especially those who have men sleeping over often before really getting to know one another and see little wrong with "shacking-up" in place of marriage, even when children are part of that package. For others there is a rush to marry. Pedophiles relish all these situations, for all of which leave children open to molestation.

A woman, fed by our culture, waits for Mr. Right (like in all the books and movies) and he comes along, not on a white horse, but with gifts for the kids. Pedophiles may prefer a family picnic to a restaurant dinner for just two. Why, this paragon is even willing to baby-sit. Pedophiles are right there to affirm kids who've have lost their biological dad/parent through death or divorce. Needy kids are ripe for molestation. The predator smiles and is so caring, leaving Mom thinking her situation sounds perfect. Besides, she's already stressed at being a single parent and the predator seems so good she may even hear wedding bells. Why not allow this paragon who seems so taken with her kids to move in? What she may not realize is that she just may have let a fox into the hen house and her children are the hens for the pedophiles' molestation.

Pedophiles thrive in today's permissive society. They prey on unsuspecting women and children, leaving devastation in their wake. Every molester of a child steals a childhood, leaving a child in a dysfunctional status that may well result in drug and alcohol abuse and sexual experimentation, not to mention possibly becoming a predator as well. There is evidence that abusers, pedophiles, were themselves molested and abused and the pattern continues.

Those who take the time to get to know the other person, who do not bring someone into the home without adequate safety measures for their children, who take time to really get to know the person and stay open to the signs of abuse and molestation from both children and the adult, and who make a commitment to make sure marriage comes before "shacking-up" have a much better chance that Mr. Right is the paragon he seems to be and not a pedophile in disguise.

We must never let down our guard. To save our kids we need to be vigilant, think of their needs before our own, focus on them not on our need for satisfaction and to be careful whom we allow in their lives and our homes.

How do we protect our children?
Teach your children about good touch and bad touch.
Teach them not to go with strangers.
Give them permission to tell an adult if they feel they've been violated.
Give your children permission to escape a situation with friend, relative or stranger who makes them uncomfortable-and to tell you about it without recrimination.
Do not bring relative strangers or even friends or relatives into the home, especially if your children show any hesitation about being around that person.
Do not assume because you don't recognize an abusive situation, it isn't happening. (Abuse can happen from other children/teens as well as from adults.)
Don't put your children into a situation of spending a lot of time with someone they aren't comfortable with, or with someone you really don't know well.
Listen carefully when children have concerns, questions or are reporting some sort of abuse. Take their concerns seriously and do not assume they are lying.
Protect children first and figure out what is going on second.
Finally, check Family Watchdog http://www.familywatchdog.us to see if your neighborhood is safe and those you know are who they say they are.

We can go along way to protect our children if we listen, stay alert, and be ready to take action if we even vaguely suspect someone may be harming or alarming our children.