Information About Sexual Predators
A sexual predator is defined as a person who is attempting to obtain or is obtaining contact with a person with another individual in a predatory manner. Sexual predators are believed to "hunt" for their sexual partners. The term sex offender doesn't always define a person who commits a sex crime, but it relates to a person's moral beliefs. Sex offenders can be described as those who reveal themselves in public or those who commit more heinous sex crimes such as rape.
Other People Are Reading
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Stereotypes
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Stereotypically, men are viewed as sex offenders. However, women can be sex offenders too. In society, people tend to view men as more capable of committing sex crimes, especially more violent sex crimes. The media also tends to highlight violent sex crimes that were committed by men more often. In society we see more women committing sex crimes in the form of teacher/student relationships. The media does portray these as sex crimes, but they tend to minimize their negative effects on the victim and society as a whole.
Internet
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The Internet has become increasingly popular for sex offenders. Sex offenders tend to prey on potential victims on social networks, in chat rooms and on public forums. Many people believe that online sex offenders are older men targeting teenage girls, however statistics prove something else. According to a study by the University of New Hampshire, the typical online sex offender is a young adult targeting teenagers. They often take the time to develop a relationship with their victim and once trust is developed they solicit their victim to meet them outside of the Internet.
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Vulnerability
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Those who fall victim to a sexual predator tend to have a certain set of risk factors that make them more vulnerable to becoming victims to sexual predators. Such risk factors include past physical or sexual abuse, problems with their home life and a tendency to take risks. Such risks may include drug use and promiscuity.
Avoiding Danger
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Avoiding sexual predators is the first step in not becoming a victim. The best thing a person can do is avoid giving out personal information on the Internet. Also, parents should monitor what their child does on the Internet to try and prevent them from becoming victims. Arming yourself with knowledge can also prevent you from becoming a victim. The majority of sexual assaults are committed by a person that the victim knows personally so one must be very careful when trusting someone they just met. According to the Denver Police Department, up to 90 percent of sexual assault victims know their attacker. Always be observant of your surroundings and try to always go out in groups.
Sex Offender Characteristics
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The majority of sex offenders possess a certain set of characteristics. They often commit several sex crimes against a variety of different victims who they know. They often have no criminal history or a police record for sexual offenses. No sex offender is typical, but they all tend to be deceptive, manipulative and secretive. They come from all different socioeconomic levels, ages, professions and backgrounds. They often begin to prey sexually as adolescents. They tend to carefully plan out their crimes and rarely act on impulse. According to the Denver Police Department, the majority of all sexual predators are male with only about 20 percent of sexual predators being female.
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