The Real Monsters

A twenty-nine year old goes into a club for people ages twenty-one and up. He meets a girl, goes to a motel, and has consensual sexual intercourse. The following day a swarm of police comes to the young man's home and arrests him for statutory rape. The man then finds out the female from the night before was only seventeen years old. The girl had illegally entered the bar with fake identification. He is then sentenced to time in jail and ten years of probation. Also, he has to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. What is a sex offender? A sex offender is any person that is convicted of a sexually based crime. Child molesters, rapists, and child pornography viewers are sex offenders. These are the crimes mostly associated with the term sex offender. Most people don't realize that many registered sex offender's crimes are nothing like that. A sex offender can be someone who urinated on the side of the road, exposed himself as a prank, or someone who posted nude pictures of themselves on the computer. Also, most people assume most sex offenders are men. That's not always the case. In fact, sex offenders are men, women, and children. Many people only look at the most hideous crimes and base their opinions on those. They don't look at the fact that all sex offenders are different and so are their crimes. The laws governing sex offenders are composed in that same fashion. They are set for the most serious offenders. The current laws are basically "one size fits all". While some laws aimed toward registered sex offenders offer a little help keeping people safe, most do not and should be revised.

Some people, less educated on the issue, might argue that keeping sex offenders under such extreme laws will keep them from reoffending. True, there are serial sex offenders; however, this is usually not the case. In "Sex Offender Laws May Do More Harm than Good" Patty Wetterling states, "A Department of Justice study suggested ex-offenders have a recidivism rate of 3 percent to 5 percent within the first three years after release. Another study found that, after 15 years, three out of four do not re-offend." Once locked away for the crime, the offender realizes the harm done and never repeats his or her actions. Stacey Burling, who wrote "Multi-Part Treatment Helps Child Molesters", states, "While many people think of child molesters as unredeemable criminals who are a constant threat, experts say that is far from true." Burling also says, "...they do consider the behavior controllable, in much the way that alcoholism is controllable. Once they're caught, child molesters don't commit further sex crimes as often as many believe." For example, the man in the previous story, after years of therapy, has become very cautious so that he doesn't offend again. Also, some may say that after the time it took to get the current laws into place, the laws shouldn't be altered. Yes, it does take time and effort to get laws in order, but the extra time wouldn't hurt if it meant having laws that are more productive. The current laws are strict and are what every sex offender deserves might be another argument from these same individuals. Does a truck driver who stops and relieves his bladder on the side of the road at night really deserve to be forced to live like a prisoner forever? No, he shouldn't have to. Maybe he should be punished with a hefty fine. Or, should a silly juvenile prank, like streaking, really interfere with the rest of someone's life? No, that juvenile should be punished and then be allowed to live a normal life. Not every sex offender committed heinous crimes, and the time they served in prison should be sufficient punishment. While the concerns of the people who disagree with this thesis are valid and understandable, they are also uneducated and biased.

The laws governing where registered sex offenders can reside need to be revised. "As of 2005, fourteen states had passed residency laws prohibiting sex offenders from living within close proximity (typically within 1,000 to 2,000 feet) of a school, park, day care center, or school bus stop." according to "Reentry and Reintegration: Challenges Faced by the Families of Convicted Sex Offenders" (Farkas and Miller 88). These laws can be effective for serial sex offenders whose offenses are against children; although, that is only a small fraction of the sex offender population.

Although it is easier to think of a sexual predator as a stranger who appears out of nowhere, the reality is that most sex crimes are committed by someone the victim knows. According to a 1997 report by the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 90 percent of the cases of rape of a child under twelve years old, the predator was known to the child. (Greenhaven Press 12)

For instance, when I was fifteen I went on a fun filled vacation to Disney World; that vacation turned into a nightmare on the way back home. We stopped at a motel in Pensacola, Florida for the night. After falling asleep, I was awakened by my cousin's husband doing sexual things to me. Since most sex offenders go after victims they know, keeping the offenders away from places where strange children are doesn't provide any real benefits. Also, many previously registered sex offenders have an extremely difficult time finding housing that is suitable and allowed. "In some towns, the ordinances are so restrictive that remote cornfields are the only places a sex offender can legally live" (Warren A1). It is already hard enough for the offenders to find housing because of their felonies. These hardships cause many offenders to violate their parole or probation so they can go back to prison and have a roof over their head. Some offenders, that don't violate, often end up on the streets. This creates a larger homeless population. When more problems are created than prevented, it is the time to take a second look at the laws and change them.

Another law that needs a second look and revision is