Current Affair Forums

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 5:37pm | IP Logged

New laws are being trialled in 3 areas ok the UK telling residents if they have convicted peadophiles in the area. No names or address will be given out, but in these areas, and maybe soon everywhere, you will be able to find out if there are any registered sex offenders.

I heard this news on the radio earlier today, and it follows the idea to allow single parents to be able to check if potential future partners are registered sex offenders.

I am really against both these ideas and I have made my feelings known on the radio 1 website. Im 1 of a minority who think these are really bad ideas, and I wondered what you guys thought?

It really upsets me to hear so many parents deny their children the simple things like bike rides and playing on the park in fear of peadophiles. We can not and should not put our children in a bubble in fear of what might happen, maybe one day. A child might get hit by a bus when crossing the road but we teach them road safety. The way to allow children to live without worry of peadophiles is to educate them.

America use a method teaching called good touch bad touch. It teaches children from a young age about appropriate touch, and as the child grows up and becomes more understanding then the levles of teaches should improve with the childs ability to absorb the information.

As for vetting potential partners well I think this completely destroys trust in a relationship before it has even started. I would never ever use this if it came into force. I love my child and of cause i want to protect him but this is just not right between the new couple. If I was a guy I'd leave if I found out my new gf had been checking such information. Doesnt mean they have anything to hide, but that is really no trust what so ever.

Would you ring and find out if you had peadophiles in your area? Or ring to see if a furure partner is a registered sex offender?

Just because they are on the list does not mean they will offend again. And as they are on the list this shows that they have served the sentence for their crime!This also doesnt protect the children from the offenders that havent been caught, or havent offended yet! There is no substitution in my eyes, children should be educated of the dangers and let to live as children! 

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 5:47pm | IP Logged

Yes i would check.

I would never ever beable to fogive myself if i bought a person like that into my family and would never fogive myself if he did something to my daughter when i knew i had the power to check him out first.

I agree we shouldnt wrap our kids in cotton wool and make them fear the world but we should also not put our kids at risk or danger if we can do a quick risk assessment first.

Love Trudi.  xx

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 6:39pm | IP Logged

but what if the person had never offended before so wasnt a registered peadophile.

 i agree with christine i would rather teach my children safety measures on how to keep safe, i would not check.

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 7:16pm | IP Logged

I find this very difficult to decide. At the end of the day I think there is no substitute for teaching children saftey. As has been said many times today, this law could actually force many peadophiles into hiding making them more difficult to keep an eye on.

What would happen if you found out there was one living near you? Would you then be scared of every man you meet? Never let your children out to play?

I will not be calling because I dont know how I'd use the information if I had it.

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 7:28pm | IP Logged

    No , I don't think I would want to know either. What would I do if I knew I had a paedophile living close to me except keep my kids indoors and deny them their right to a normal childhood.

    Kids should be taught safety measures. I think it is so sad that things have come to this and we are being made to feel that we can't trust any man that comes near our kids when it is only a small minority who need watching.

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 7:40pm | IP Logged

Well if you did know what can you do about it? At the end of the day teach your kids well and let them know what is what! My real dad sexually abused my half brother i don't even know. I'm not afraid of talking about this as i was very young and i had to go through loads of things to find out if i had been touched. As far as we are concerned i wasn't but i still had to go through hell and back. I would like to know if they are in the area thats it. As for checking on a partner, they don't have to have been found out to make them what they are. My mum didn't know its just one of those things. You have to let your kids be kids. There are so many things now that we are more aware of than we was in our day. You just learn to adjust you have to.

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 8:27pm | IP Logged

As long as you are open and honest with your kids in general, and they can talk to you about ANYTHING, then I dont think there is a problem.  All we can do is educate our kids to a level of understanding that they can deal with..and then hope that they come to you about anything, be it abuse, or theyve done something really stupid or anything in general that happens in their lives.  We cant wrap them up in cotton wool, we cant protect them from the big bad world, all we can do is be there for them.

I wouldnt do a police check on a new partner...doesnt really bode well for a relationship does it, but thats just my view. 

As for paedos in the area, tasjas school has informed the parents that there has been a paedo move into the area, no name, no address, just somewhere in the area, which considering the size of the catchment area for the school...well it doesnt narrow it down.  Its only a matter of time before a paedo is discovered, pasts have a thing for catching up with people.

Posted: 10 April 2007 at 8:56pm | IP Logged

Ita def a difficult one - like everyone says what would ya do if ya knew neways what could ya do?  My mums next door neighbours son who lives with them may i add - was sent to prison for 9 months i think it was cuz the police found indecent images of children on his computer - i mean hundreds! - thats no accident eh? his conviction name and street were all in the newspaper when he was convicted - the family have never mentioned it - his gf was pregnant at the time now his daughter is about 3 i think and he sees her all the time - they were def together when he came outta prison i still think they r together they just dont live together....what would you do in the gf's/parents position?  

 As for when i goto see my parents when hes outside whatever it does make me feel a little uncomfortable to be honest - but hes nowhere near my baby so its not such a problem for me!

A few months ago i heard him through his bedroom window laughing and messin about with his daughter and it made me feel really uncomfortable if you know what i mean - i think as long as u educate and protect your children and not jsut send them off with anyone if u know what i mean i think sometimes its best not to know as then ud feel like u had to be on some kind of mission - its really hard to know what to say is the best thing to do - sorry for the rant :)