Is Britain really awash with paedophiles, or does the media 'play it up'?

[sp1814]

Another day, another paedophile story:

http://www.thisislond...-hotel-faces-court.do

Is it any wonder that parents don't allow their kids out on the streets for fear of the next sexual predator?

Are we really living in a country with more than it's fair share of paedophiles, or is it just 'good copy' for the print media?

[boxtops]

There have always been paedophiles, I was warned off by my mum 50-odd years ago about "funny men" who might do wrong to me, I think it's partly due to the fact that they get such high publicity these days that it seems to be more prevalent. I work with a legal guy who says the actual incidence per head of population is really quite small, but it's put fear into many people about the safety of their children.

[sandyRoe]

There are probably no more about now than there ever were. It the past it went unreported, but not now.

[Coobeastie]

We've always had them it just the news is more widespread now and in the past it probably would have been dealt with locally.

[R1Geezer]

I don't really know if it's more common but it certainly seems like it. I think perhaps years ago it did not reach public promenance so much. I do remember the old, "Don't take sweets from strangers" type warnings as a child. My instinct is that it's no more common but there are more reports and prosecutions and thus more witch hunts. It's also sad that, especially as a bloke, you can't get anywhere near children without accusations flying. Also the press seem to go through cycles of digging up particular stories, remember the "devil dogs" phase? Every day someone was getting bitten badly. Did dogs stop biting people?

[birdie1971]

The likelihood of a child being abducted and abused by a complete stranger is incredibly small. Just like rape, you're far more likely to be abused by someone you know and trust.

The press like to paint the picture of 'stranger-danger' and 'a paedophile on every street corner' because it sells newspapers in an age where the printed press is in steady decline.

Good news doesn't sell. Bad news and scare stories sell like hot cakes.

[ludwig]

I don't think it's more common than it was, and I don't think it's worse in Britain than anywhere else, and yes, the media love a good paedo story which does help to fuel the paranoia.

[Quizmonster]

Parents keep their children indoors, because of the perceived danger from a multitude of predatory, even murderous, pædophiles. There is, of course, no such 'multitude' and - as Birdie suggests - the children are at far more risk from "Uncle John", real or so-called, within the house they are being forced to stay inside. Madness!

[ttfn]

I have a strong memory from my childhood of regular sightings of the beat policeman. His visits to my street were as regular so one could set a timepiece by his very prescence. I suspect that such a visual policing and a greater parental presence throughout the day may have had something to do with fewer opportunities to take children from the streets

[ummmm]

I read a book on the history of Northampton. The only crime that has increased is burglary. We have the same amount of paedophiles as we did hundreds of years ago.

Parents need to calm down or stop reading red tops.

[mightyWBA]

I remember when I used to take my Daughter to swimming lessons at a local school, as a male single parent ,the looks I got off some people meant I eventually had to wait outside instead of watching.
At the time I was quite oblivious to why,it only clicked when I had a letter off the school which said cameras were banned from sports day.
Very sad when the overwhelming majority are affected by the sick few.
The press certainly do scaremonger,as they do in many things. We should have all been blown up by Muslims or be dead from swine flu if you believed everything they print!

[ummmm]

Schools seem to be relaxing the rules now.

[anotheoldgit]

Yes it must have took place years ago, because there are now cases of adults pointing the finger at some who acted wrongly towards them say 30 years ago.

I really do think there is more coverage of it, that is why everyone is more aware of it, but years ago people did not discuss such things.

Why was it that years ago when homosexuality was unlawful, homosexuals (who we called in them days 'queers') forever pestered young men?

They would mostly target young men especially if one was in uniform and were sitting alone waiting for a train or bus.They would sit beside you and start trying to chat you up, we knew what they were, so we would just get up and move off, they were a complete nuisance.

Does this still happen today or is it different now it has become legal, and why is this?

[youngmafbog]

AOG Homosexuallity to those under 16 is still illegal. The b*ggery act only made it legal above that age. If a homsexual had tendancies to young boys then I doubt that would change.

Paedophiles are not all homosexual by far and certainly not all homosexuals are paedophiles. I suspect same percentage across both hetro and homo.

I strongly suspect too that the media hysteria is to blame. This has then had the unfortunate knock on that parents become obsessed.

There is a definite need for a law to name them, they should not be near schools or kids. This is not a disease and cannot be cured.

[Coobeastie]

Being lecherous is nothing to do with being gay.

[merciasounds]

I don't think it's more prevelant these days, it's just that it's 'all out in the open' these days, not something that's hushed up and only spoken about in private. Kids are taught about 'stranger danger', as i was when i was a kid, but nowadays, kids are encouraged to speak out' about anything they're not happy about, they have school councellors, Childline, etc that they can go to - there was nothing like that when i was a kid (not that i needed it i hasten to add!)

[Answerprancer]

I couldn't agree more with Birdie.
There is a hysteria - it's a huge witch hunt, the tabloids love it, the local (wannabe tabloid) rags love it and there are great little buzzwords for the wannabe 'experts' to bandy around (eg. "grooming", "stranger danger" etc. it's almost like some sick sort of 'fashion'.
The innocent are made to suffer: there has been a massive drain on male teachers because of hysteria and 'child-protection' lunacy. My Dad was walking past a local primary school recently and had a few brief friendly words with a couple of kids the other side of a massive chicken-wire fence, a teacher strolled over, grabbed their hands and silently ushered them away - he was deeply upset by this.
Thankfully there are a good number of sensible people that keep a sense of proportion.

[Answerprancer]

...I think this says it all really :-)

[Answerprancer]

whoops, not sure what happened there (try again)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jVnrfoZD8

Paedogeddon

[ummmm]

Is buggery still illegal between male and female?

[McMouse]

In the Lebanon it is legal for a man to b*gger a dog provided it's a female dog. Explains quite a lot about the Middle East.