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What can be done to better protect children from child predators?

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In Japan, outlaw/ban soft porn magazines like Moecco (http://goo.gl/J8ZEZT) that feature scantily-clad girls as young as elementary school age in suggestive poses. Some years ago, I even saw this magazine on convenience store shelves — and living in Japan with a 'haafu' daughter myself, this has become a major pet peeve of mine.

These types of Lorita complex ("rorikon") magazines, videos and live meet-and-greet and on-stage events send a clear social message that it is acceptable for adults to fetishize children.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Teach them about "stranger danger" and realize pedophilia has been and will be around forever?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The key to your child's success in a dangerous situation is education and practice. Practice having your child yell. The stronger and more assertive your child, the less chance they will be a victim. Teach your child to avoid possible dangers and what to do if he or she finds herself in potentially threatening situation. This will empower your child to know what to do in the event you are not there to protect him or her. It is vital that you create a relationship with your child that inspires sharing. Let them know you are their advocate and protector. This alone can make all the difference in the world.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

In my view, a community has to keep watch on all of its children. Of course, it's the primary job of parents, but it might well be impossible for a parent -- a single-parent especially -- to be with their child at all times. Among modern, industrial countries, Japan may do this better than most. Regarding the recent tragedy in Kobe, I was impressed at how a number of people were able to spot the victim's whereabouts at certain times.

But the other thing the tragedy appears to reveal is how the mother appears not to have been with her daughter until late in the day. Leaving young kids alone like that for so long is just offering temptation to the predators in society. (The town where I grew up had a youth center where kids could go to hang out safely. It was quite a large building that housed a roller skating rink, all kinds of game rooms (pool, ping pong, etc.), television rooms, etc. it was staffed by modestly-paid, carefully-screened, senior high-schoolers as well as adults. Every young person in our town had an ID card which allowed them free access to the center, and there was transportation to the center from each school.)

Yes, and a society has to learn how to better identify those with a predatory nature among them. That is, if the society is really serious about trying to prevent the terrible damage caused by these predators.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I feel like we spend a lot of time educating children about the danger of strangers (which we absolutely must do), but children are much more likely to be victims of sexual abuse from someone they already know. I think we need to clearly educate children, in the most age-appropriate ways, what constitutes abuse and how they should communicate it. Parents should also be made more aware of the common characteristics of predators, and the devastating effects of abuse.

society has to learn how to better identify those with a predatory nature among them

Easier said than done I fear. Predators are often, by their very nature, masterful manipulators.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Easier said than done I fear. Predators are often, by their very nature, masterful manipulators.

I mentioned this in another thread, and I'll mention it again here. You are right, in that many are masterful manipulators. But there is another category of people who can see right through the manipulations. I spent 15 years growing up with a pathological liar, and when you get right down to it, there is something in how they are wired that has helped me to spot others of the same ilk.

But more than that, through studies of psychopathic individuals and highly altruistic ones, science has recently discovered areas of the brain that relate to the trait we call "empathy." It is something that can't be manipulated. The odds are next to zero that a person whose brain is wired to be highly empathic could never commit a crime of this type. These are the kind of people who would anonymously donate one of their kidneys to a complete stranger. The psychopaths to a person register little or no activity in that area.

As such, it can be a very highly predictive tool, especially if administered to children early in their development. Those with little empathy are the ones most likely to commit acts like torturing animals -- one of the best predictors of psychopathic behavior. There may be a way to provide interventions while the brain is still developing to help it make the connections that most normal brains make.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There may be a way to provide interventions while the brain is still developing to help it make the connections that most normal brains make.

@yabits I doubt it. Neuroscience has been like a child poking a log for all the good it's done. What's more likely is that societies would use any sort of predictive technology to imprison those it fears for life or worse.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Neuroscience has been like a child poking a log for all the good it's done.

From personal experience, I profoundly disagree.

What's more likely is that societies would use any sort of predictive technology to imprison those it fears for life or worse.

Again, disagree.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Put kids on buddy system outdoors. Increase sentence lengths and capital sentences and impose mandatory sentencing and two strike law. Segregate released criminals.

Sensational cases make big news but doesn't seem like a big problem, relative to population.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In Japan, outlaw/ban soft porn magazines like Moecco (http://goo.gl/J8ZEZT) that feature scantily-clad girls as young as elementary school age in suggestive poses. Some years ago, I even saw this magazine on convenience store shelves — and living in Japan with a 'haafu' daughter myself, this has become a major pet peeve of mine.

These types of Lorita complex ("rorikon") magazines, videos and live meet-and-greet and on-stage events send a clear social message that it is acceptable for adults to fetishize children.

I don't think that would solve this mess, even the government were to pass tougher laws or even revive the old Tokko (Tokubetsu Koutou Keisatsu "Special Higher Police" - the feared secret police force of the old Japanese Empire)! Lolita Complex has been around forever and itll be around forever.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the little girls grandmother lives opposite them and she took some care of her.

Clearly not ENOUGH care, though. If people watched their children properly, and were there for them, instead of leaving it to chance, then the predators would not have the opportunity to pounce on the vulnerable.

Chemical neutering doesnt prevent muders, and they dont need their genitals to assault children. The ones that are caught should never, ever get out into society again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Stop promoting child sex as someting desirable and exciting, which is exactly what a lot of manga does.

It would also help if schoolgirls wore trousers instead of the uniforms they currently wear as so many perverts seem fascinated by school uniforms.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Offer free state-funded funding for those who want help controlling their attraction to children, because:

a. It stops the crime BEFORE it happens and BEFORE a child is scarred for life (trials in Germany and Canada have shown this)

b. It costs a lot less than prison time, which results in a net decrease on the burden on society

c. It sends a message that the person isn't evil, but the act is evil (i.e. they're pedophiles ... not so great, but rather than telling them they're automatically evil and therefore entitled to act in an evil way let's focus on treating them like people with a problem and help them to control the problem)

d. When a child does go missing the police can get a list of likely suspects in a rush and do a quick check on those people first. I'm not talking about victimising these people, but they would have to accept this as a condition of the counseling and know that if a kid went missing they and everyone in their counseling group would be questioned. This would actually help them to watch each other.

Start requiring "proof of age" (i.e. proof of identity like a driver's license) for sales of child-oriented manga in Japan - and give the list to the local police to keep and check in case of a missing child.

Stop teaching little girls that being cute and shy are good things. They have a pair of lungs and they should use them if anyone bothers them. Scream first, worry about crying wolf later. Same goes for boys, stop trying to be "tough" and don't be afraid the scream their lungs out. Worst case scenario the grumpy Ojiichan will come outside to tell them to shut up and will scare off the pedophile.
2 ( +2 / -0 )

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