Perhaps society holds the lowest regard of all for sex predators, those evil men who prey on that which we hold closest to our hearts as people and parents our children.
The recent news about John Mark Karr, the former school teacher who allegedly sexually molested and killed 10-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, has been a jarring experience that has reminded us of their ruthlessness and savage nature. Once again, we find ourselves asking, how do we put an end to all this?
Social scientists say that one of the things that make it difficult to stop sexual predators is the fact that their anti-social behavior is mostly invisible to most, except, sadly, to their victims. They are not the type of criminals that are easy to spot or who act suspiciously and avoid coming into contact with law enforcement officers or agencies. On the contrary, many sexual predators have established themselves and are familiar figures in the community or neighborhood. They make their dark side known only when they strike. Oftentimes, they are people whom their victims trust uncles, neighbors, teachers and the like.
Studies have shown that sex criminals have deep psychological problems as...