July 27, 2011
13. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Denial
"Overview
In order to understand and investigate allegations of what constitutes “acquaintance”
molestation, it is important to have a historical perspective of society’s general
attitudes about the sexual victimization of children. A brief synopsis of these
attitudes in the United States is provided here in order to give a context to this
discussion. That context, hopefully, will help investigators better understand some
of the problems and investigative challenges encountered in these cases.
In the United States, society’s historical attitude about the sexual victimization
of children can generally be summed up in one word: denial. Most people do not
want to hear about it and would prefer to pretend such victimization just does not
occur. Today, however, it is difficult to pretend it does not happen. Media stories
and reports about child sexual abuse and exploitation are daily occurrences. Investigators
working with the sexual victimization of children must still recognize and
learn to address this denial. They must try to overcome it and encourage society
to address, report, and prevent the sexual victimization of children. They must
attempt to do so, however, without misrepresenting or exaggerating the problem.
A complex problem such as the sexual victimization of children can be viewed
from three major perspectives of personal, political, and professional. The personal
perspective encompasses the emotional — how the issues affect individual needs
and wants. The political perspective encompasses the practical — how the issues
affect getting elected, obtaining funding or pay, and attaining status and power.
The professional perspective encompasses the rational and objective — how the
issues affect sexually victimized children and what is in their best interest. Often
these perspectives overlap or are applied in combination. Because most of us use
all three, sometimes which perspective is in control may not be clear.
Unfortunately the personal and political perspectives tend to dominate emotional
issues such as the sexual victimization of children. The personal and political
perspectives are reality and will never go away. In fact many positive things can and
have been achieved through them (e.g., attention, adequate funding, equipment,
human resources, passage of legislation). One of the biggest obstacles to clearly
understanding the sexual exploitation of children by acquaintances is the need of so
many to view it from their political or emotional perspective. In general, however,
sexually victimized children need more people addressing their needs from the
professional perspective and fewer from the personal and political perspectives.
In their zeal to overcome denial or influence opinion, some individuals allow the
personal or political perspectives to dominate by exaggerating or misrepresenting
the problem. Presentations and literature with poorly documented or misleading
claims are inappropriate and still common. The documented facts in the United
States are bad enough and need no embellishment. True professionals, when communicating
about the problem, should clearly define their terms
and then consistently use those definitions unless indicating
otherwise. Professionals should understand and cite reputable
and scientific studies, noting the sources of information. They
should never rely for any significant purposes on the mass media.
Operational definitions for terms (e.g., child, pedophile, predator,
pornography, sexual exploitation) used in cited research should
be clearly expressed and not mixed to distort the findings. Once
someone is caught using distorted or misleading information and
labeled an extremist, people may not listen to what he or she says
no matter how brilliant or profound. When the exaggerations and
distortions are discovered, the credibility of those people and the issue are
diminished. In addition, as will be more fully discussed later, accused and convicted
offenders use their failure and the perceived failure of their alleged victims to meet
these exaggerated expectations as evidence they are not guilty or are less significant
offenders (i.e., not fitting the “profile” or not in the “heartland” of offenders).
(p. 4-5)
--From "Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 27, 2011
I agree with Mr. Lanning; I wish that somebody with more experience than I have and who makes fewer mistakes than I do could put a stop to the horrible things that are happening. I have no idea why anyone at the level of someone such as the President of the United States wants to endorse things such as sexual harassment, rape, murder, bullying people into suicide, and child molestation. I’m more than happy to have someone else take over the job that I’m trying to do.
The sections that are both in bold print and underlined look that way because I highlighted them here.
I don't think I've exaggerated anything about the situation of the endorsement of child molestation. I've made other mistakes, but I'm not wrong about this.
I also wasn't surprised to see how many powerful people are endorsing sexual harassment and some of the other issues on the Internet. I've said "They're inflicting it on society, they're abusing their power" that's what I've said the entire time.
I've also said that if it were really true that more people than not wanted what's being inflicted on society, I'd already be dead by now.
Also, I never exaggerated or distorted anything I said would happen as a result of the sexual harassment that started last year; I've been completely right about what I said would happen.
Copyright L. Kochman July 27, 2011 @ 7:14 p.m./addition @ 7:21 p.m.
13. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Denial
"Overview
In order to understand and investigate allegations of what constitutes “acquaintance”
molestation, it is important to have a historical perspective of society’s general
attitudes about the sexual victimization of children. A brief synopsis of these
attitudes in the United States is provided here in order to give a context to this
discussion. That context, hopefully, will help investigators better understand some
of the problems and investigative challenges encountered in these cases.
In the United States, society’s historical attitude about the sexual victimization
of children can generally be summed up in one word: denial. Most people do not
want to hear about it and would prefer to pretend such victimization just does not
occur. Today, however, it is difficult to pretend it does not happen. Media stories
and reports about child sexual abuse and exploitation are daily occurrences. Investigators
working with the sexual victimization of children must still recognize and
learn to address this denial. They must try to overcome it and encourage society
to address, report, and prevent the sexual victimization of children. They must
attempt to do so, however, without misrepresenting or exaggerating the problem.
A complex problem such as the sexual victimization of children can be viewed
from three major perspectives of personal, political, and professional. The personal
perspective encompasses the emotional — how the issues affect individual needs
and wants. The political perspective encompasses the practical — how the issues
affect getting elected, obtaining funding or pay, and attaining status and power.
The professional perspective encompasses the rational and objective — how the
issues affect sexually victimized children and what is in their best interest. Often
these perspectives overlap or are applied in combination. Because most of us use
all three, sometimes which perspective is in control may not be clear.
Unfortunately the personal and political perspectives tend to dominate emotional
issues such as the sexual victimization of children. The personal and political
perspectives are reality and will never go away. In fact many positive things can and
have been achieved through them (e.g., attention, adequate funding, equipment,
human resources, passage of legislation). One of the biggest obstacles to clearly
understanding the sexual exploitation of children by acquaintances is the need of so
many to view it from their political or emotional perspective. In general, however,
sexually victimized children need more people addressing their needs from the
professional perspective and fewer from the personal and political perspectives.
In their zeal to overcome denial or influence opinion, some individuals allow the
personal or political perspectives to dominate by exaggerating or misrepresenting
the problem. Presentations and literature with poorly documented or misleading
claims are inappropriate and still common. The documented facts in the United
States are bad enough and need no embellishment. True professionals, when communicating
about the problem, should clearly define their terms
and then consistently use those definitions unless indicating
otherwise. Professionals should understand and cite reputable
and scientific studies, noting the sources of information. They
should never rely for any significant purposes on the mass media.
Operational definitions for terms (e.g., child, pedophile, predator,
pornography, sexual exploitation) used in cited research should
be clearly expressed and not mixed to distort the findings. Once
someone is caught using distorted or misleading information and
labeled an extremist, people may not listen to what he or she says
no matter how brilliant or profound. When the exaggerations and
distortions are discovered, the credibility of those people and the issue are
diminished. In addition, as will be more fully discussed later, accused and convicted
offenders use their failure and the perceived failure of their alleged victims to meet
these exaggerated expectations as evidence they are not guilty or are less significant
offenders (i.e., not fitting the “profile” or not in the “heartland” of offenders).
(p. 4-5)
--From "Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 27, 2011
I agree with Mr. Lanning; I wish that somebody with more experience than I have and who makes fewer mistakes than I do could put a stop to the horrible things that are happening. I have no idea why anyone at the level of someone such as the President of the United States wants to endorse things such as sexual harassment, rape, murder, bullying people into suicide, and child molestation. I’m more than happy to have someone else take over the job that I’m trying to do.
The sections that are both in bold print and underlined look that way because I highlighted them here.
I don't think I've exaggerated anything about the situation of the endorsement of child molestation. I've made other mistakes, but I'm not wrong about this.
I also wasn't surprised to see how many powerful people are endorsing sexual harassment and some of the other issues on the Internet. I've said "They're inflicting it on society, they're abusing their power" that's what I've said the entire time.
I've also said that if it were really true that more people than not wanted what's being inflicted on society, I'd already be dead by now.
Also, I never exaggerated or distorted anything I said would happen as a result of the sexual harassment that started last year; I've been completely right about what I said would happen.
Copyright L. Kochman July 27, 2011 @ 7:14 p.m./addition @ 7:21 p.m.