I think that there is an anti-sexual hysteria in this country again, that is promoted by the most evil people on the planet, and that the fear that a child will be sexually touched has nothing to do with concern for the child's safety and everything to do with the desire of those evil people to keep us all as children so that they can exploit us. Does that cover it or do you want more "elaboration"?
Personally, I think the fear of sexual predators who prey on children has always existed and will continue to exist so long as adults view children as sexual objects. It has everything to do with the concern one has for one's children. It has nothing to do with keeping "us all as children", but everything to do with ensuring the safety of children in society.
How do you assume that you are being exploited by laws which prevent people from sexually abusing children? More importantly, why do you assume you are being exploited?
I truly do not believe that we have any way to know whether a child was harmed by the alleged sexual predator or by the reaction of his parents and other caretakers to the fact that he was touched.
In the majority of cases, parents and caretakers find out that the child has been sexually abused because of the changes in the child. The child becomes overly sexually aware of itself and others. The child's behavior changes detrimentally. The child can also become deeply depressed and can sometimes attempt to harm him/herself. You may not view these things as being 'harm' to the child, but it can and does. In most cases, the child has already been irreparably harmed by the time the parents find out.
The parent's reaction can cause further harm to the child, especially if the reaction is a violent one, for example, the parent(s) seeking out the abuser and beating them to a pulp or if the abusers is a family member or other parent, the child can feel some guilt about the harm or removal from the family the sexual predator is often made to suffer. In most instances, the child blames itself for the abuse and for any harm or punishment the offender is made to suffer. That is what sexual predators do, they make sure the child blames itself.
Now whether you view the above as being detrimental to the child is really up to you. There is a plethora of information and studies which document the detrimental affects on a child after it has been the victim of sexual abuse. It is not mass hysteria. It is documented fact that children are severely damaged by sexual abuse. That you attempt to blame others for it is, beyond me.
I have never believed that a pubescent person was harmed by the act itself.
Why not? You don't think a teenager can be harmed by being raped by a parent, for example? Or being masturbated by a trusted person or parent against it's will or consent? You don't think sexual abuse of a "pubescent person" can lead that individual to have an altered view about him/herself and sex in general? You don't view that as being harm?
Even then it is still better not to.
Not to what? Sexually abuse the "pubescent person"? No, really? Who'd have
thunk it...
Even if it were good for the child or teenager to be touched that way, and it could be argued that it is, the hysterical reaction when the parents find out will destroy any such benefit and those parents and other caretakers will destroy the child.
What?
Do you think it can be good for a child or teenager to be sexually abused? Pray tell, how? You honestly think a child can be benefited by being raped or sexually molested? What benefit can the child get from something like that Meta?
Are you aware that sexual predators often comment that their acts benefited the child? Why do you think that is, Meta?
Not that there isn't more than half a chance that they were busy doing that anyway.
Right..
OK, I may have killed the thread. What was my point?
Killed the thread? Oh no, I think you are taking this thread to a whole new level.
My point is that abuse is bad whatever you call the particular abuse and wherever it comes from.
You are contradicting yourself. You argued above that sexual abuse can benefit a child.
People refuse to understand the fact that they are making sexual abuse of children a lot worse.
And what you fail to understand is that sexual abusing a child can and does cause severe damage to the child, be it physically and psychologically. That damage then goes on to affect them for the rest of their lives. Child abuse is often repeated. It can be cyclical. Abused children often grow up to become abusers themselves.
The reason people treat child abuse as being terrible is because it
is terrible.
The easiest way to keep from understanding this is to make it the ultimate bad end that a child can come to.
It is but one "ultimate bad end" a child can suffer. There is illness such as cancer, accidents, death, and a plethora of horrible things that can be considered an "ultimate bad end". I think you would find that most parents would view child abuse as being up there in the 'bad things that can happen to my child' list.
The hysteria is very profitable and fuels a vast industry, also. This industry includes the sale of rape detection kits, DNA tests, the prison industry, and all those grants that police departments get and don't really know what to do with. That's billions of tappable dollars.
So you don't think the community and the State should be working to stop children from becoming victims of sexual abuse? Do you think a person who rapes or molests a child should go to jail or be placed in a mental institution?
I'll put it another way, would you feel your child were safe if you were living next door to a child molester? Would you allow that individual in your home or allow your child to visit this individual? And if your child were sexually abused and you found out about it, would you tell your child that it is nothing wrong or would you call the police? Would you give in to the "hysteria"? Or would you just tell your child to consider it to be a good thing they were 'loved' by that individual? In short, just how would you handle it if you found out a family member, friend or neighbour sexually molested and/or raped your child?
