Opinion> Lenore Skenazy> Pedophiles Witches And Kids

	24 May 2012 The New Nanny Norm? Our beloved nanny who worked for us for five years — Joan — called to say she's on the job market again.… Read More.
	17 May 2012 Examining Jewish Doctors The middle-aged lady is running frantically down the beach, waving her arms at the lifeguard: "Help, help!… Read More.
	10 May 2012 The Slippery Slope of Parental Advice At the risk of reading a lot — and I mean a LOT — into one cautionary little tale, today we … Read More.

Pedophiles, Witches and Kids

Sometimes, when I try to explain how frenzied we have become about the real but extremely rare crime of childhood abduction, I compare our era to that of 1692 Salem. There was no way — back then, back there — to convince the average person: Don't you see you're being swept up on a wave of mass hysteria? History will judge you as totally mad! (Though eventually, I suppose, that'll be great for tourism.)

Folks in and around Salem were convinced that witches were everywhere casting spells. In the end, 150 people were tried as witches and 19 hanged, all for — we can see with the perspective of time — no reason.

Now, I'm not saying that there are absolutely no evil folks in the world today who wish harm upon children. But to imagine them everywhere, ever poised to snatch children, is to see the world through Salem eyes. Eyes blinded by hysteria. And yet look what is happening in England.

"One quarter of the adult population will require criminal records checks under the new child protection system coming into force next year, according to a report criticising the scheme," wrote The Times, a British newspaper.

That's right: ONE-FOURTH OF ALL ADULTS IN ENGLAND will be forced to undergo background checks to see whether they ever have been convicted of crimes related to pedophilia. The basic assumption being: Anyone who has any contact with children should be considered a pedophile until proven otherwise.

And it's starting to happen here, too. I've heard from parents in a handful of states who say their local public schools are requiring the same thing.

One Texas mom wasn't allowed into her daughter's kindergarten Christmas party because her background check hadn't cleared yet. (Eventually, the teacher relented, but the mom had to stand at the very back of the classroom and could not interact with any child except her own.)

You can imagine that this type of law makes adults less eager to volunteer for schools, Scouts or any activity with kids involved, because they have to undergo (and often pay for) security checks first. But what's worse is that in this suspicious climate, adults grow wary of any involvement with kids. Frank Furedi, author of "Paranoid Parenting," cites the story of a 2-year-old who wandered away from her nursery. A man driving by noticed her on the street, but (as he later testified at an inquest) he didn't stop to help for fear he'd be accused of trying to abduct her.

She ended up at a pond. And drowned.

When we get to the point in society at which basic adult concern for children could well be mistaken for evil — and tried and found guilty — we're back in Salem, 1692. The next "witch" could be you, comforting the kid who fell off her swing or volunteering for the school dance without a background check. Or, of course, letting your children go "free-range" and being accused of depraved indifference to all the black magic swirling around them.

Lenore Skenazy is the author of "Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry." To find out more about Lenore Skenazy (lskenazy@yahoo.com) and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Comments

2 Comments | Post Comment

When I was growing up, parents didn't worry themselves sick imagining a molester lurking on every street corner. An adult could help a child without being accused of evil motives. By the age of eight, I was bicycling all around the neighborhood by myself -- to school, the shopping center, friends' houses -- without adult supervision. And there were no cell phones back then. Why shouldn't kids today have the same freedom I had? Thank God for people like Ms. Skenazy, who are voices of reason and common sense in an age of irrational fear and paranoia.

Comment: #1
Posted by: Scot Penslar
Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:27 AM

Report this post

Thanks, Lenore, for saying it once again. My husband and I were just talking about this exact topic this week. How Americans seem to have a need for a witch hunt. We were recalling the days of Salem, McCarthy, Janet Reno. I grew up in a very sheltered family and never imagined what could happen in some. My husband grew up not having to imagine but living with the abuse. While I am much more wary than I used to be and do look for "signs" of abusive personalities, I rarely find one. We have chosen to raise our seven children in a free range way and I know people look down on that. At the same time however, I am constantly being told how well-behaved and polite my children are and how creative and fun they are. They are well-equipped to handle life in the world ON THEIR OWN, not at mama's side. They are not afraid of people or even of the dark! They are learning the skills that other children dream about, the skill of taking care of themselves. Thank you for being a mouthpiece for the rest of us!

Comment: #2
Posted by: Ruth Robertson
Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:51 PM

Report this post

Already have an account? Log in.