Who Are These People?

If you’re going to protect your chipmunk from “predators,” it’s important to know who they are. Some people like to comfort themselves by believing that predators are complete monsters who lurk in the shadows, but in reality, they look like ordinary people and come from all walks of life. They’re shared ride drivers, they’re teachers, they’re religious figures, they’re high school jocks, they’re grandmas, they’re ballerinas and firemen and even our partners.

Let’s look at what we know about predators:

• Up to 95 percent of child sexual abusers are male, virtually all of whom are heterosexual.
• The younger the victim, the more likely the abuser is a family member.
• On average, sex offenders begin molesting others by age 15 and will go on to molest an average of 117 children.
• The abuser may be in an adult sexual relationship and still have a predilection for children.
• Predators often have a strong sense of entitlement, believing life owes them something and that people exist for them to use and abuse.
• They may have difficulty forming intimate relationships with adults and choose to create relationships with children because the can control them and feel powerful.
• They often lack empathy and don’t care how their actions make their victims feel.
• They may abuse drugs or alcohol, which disinhibits their behavior and numbs them to what they’re doing when they abuse their victims.
• They may have experienced a troubled childhood and/or sexual abuse themselves (which does NOT excuse their behavior in any way!).

It’s so important to understand that the vast majority—over 90 percent—of sexual predators are someone the child victims know. Be vigilant and use your intuition to determine who’s safe and who bears watching—and teach your child to do the same.

Be the parent your child deserves!

Love,

the Badass Grandma (CJ Scarlet)

About Badass Parenting

In Badass Parenting: An Irreverant Guide to Raising Safe, Savvy, Confident Kids, danger expert CJ Scarlet helps parents teach their children how to avoid and handle themselves in scary situations ranging from bullying and digital dangers to sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and kidnapping.

After reading this book, you’ll feel more knowledgeable and confident in your ability to talk candidly with your child at her age and maturity level without scaring her to death. It’s time to ditch the worry and get some sleep!

Edgy, funny, and irreverent, this unputdownable book (with TONS of downloadable bonus content!) is the new bible for parents looking to raise safe, savvy, confident kids.

“Finally, a book about parenting that doesn’t scare the crap out of you!!!! We live in one of the safest times to be alive, and yet, most of us are terrified. Parents – especially so. It is refreshing to have a book that realistically looks at the real dangers our kids face and help us – (a) not freak out, (b) figure out how to help our kids deal with the risks without traumatizing them, and (c) does so while making us laugh!  A trifecta. I honestly wish CJ Scarlet’s book existed when my son was younger. I would have handed it out to every freaked-out parent I met at every mommy and me playdate I went to. Parenting is hard enough; we don’t need to generate extra unnecessary hysteria. This book will help you realistically face the dangers of parenting (real or imagined) with love and humor. Thank you, CJ!”

Jennifer Hancock, author of The Bully Vaccine