By Stephane Babcock
For over two years now, I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing a gentleman by the name of Dr. Duane Dobbert, a 40-year veteran of the criminal justice professional serving in clinical, corrections, administrative, training and consulting capacities. He has written three books, is a professor of both Florida Gulf Coast University and Capella University, and has spoken on the subject of sexual predators all around the country. My first conversation with Duane, as he often asks to be referred to as, was 45 minutes that changed how I saw the world around me. Now, I have never been naive, but the conversation left me with a sickening feeling in my stomach and a new knowledge that there are monsters all around us and we must be alert and ready to do what we can to protect our children from them.
I am a father of four wonderful children, which I must, of course, thank my wife for (Thanks Baby!). My wife and I have always told our children to stay together, watch out for strangers and to scream at the top of their lungs if anyone ever touched them. But, when we went to one of the many parks in our city, I would only keep an eye on my kids. I have learned, through Duane, to take a step back and watch who's watching my kids.
Look around the next time you are at a park, a children's sporting event or the food court of your local mall on a rainy day. Look for men that seem out of place, who are not a parent or grandparent, but are watching a group of children, or one specific child, intently. Now, I am not saying that every person that watches children in public is a pedophile that is preying on children, but there are definitely those out there that take advantage of large, ominous crowds to watch children and fantasize about what Duane describes as their "fantasy love child." I know, it sounds disgusting and vile, but this is how these predators think. There are specific age ranges that they are looking for when searching for their next victim, although they believe these children will love them and want to stay with them forever.
This blog is here to inform you. It is here to help you pull our nation's head out of the sand concerning sexual predators. As a father, this is something that I am passionate about. My children mean everything to me and I will do whatever I can to protect them. This blog will give the necessary tools to whoever has the same mission, whether it be a parent, a police officer, a social worker, a teacher, an attorney, a superintendent or a school bus driver. We are all soldiers in the same battle and we need to be armed with the knowledge and understanding to fight against these monsters.
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Aloha! From Hawaii!
ReplyDeleteHi Stephane! Thank you for your blog. I, like you and many other parents, will do whatever I can to protect my children (and school children as well). Now, my child is in Middle School, and although does not ride the school bus, does ride the city transit bus. This started in early August, and I still am in "Transition" with the idea of my child riding the city transit bus. For some reason, school bus contractors do not provide service in our particular area. My child actually enjoys riding the city transit bus, and that actually worries me. Not only do I worry about predators at bus stops, but I also worry about predators riding in the city transit buses along with school children. I always tell my child, "Okay, you're riding the city bus now! Call me before you board the bus! Please watch out for the crazy people, and always ride with your group of friends! Don't ride alone, and call me as soon as you leave the bus, and when you get home!" As you can see, I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to (Middle School) children riding on the city transit bus. I guess one of the best things we can do to help keep our kids safe is to "educate" our kids about "stranger danger" and the like. I often leave work early just so I can pick up my child from school, and so I can be there curbside as soon as that school bell rings. At least I know that by doing this, I "Reduce the "Risk", if not "eliminating" it. I find myself leaving work early a lot these days!
Thank you for your post. I understand all your worries and share them on a daily basis. One important aspect in educating our children is to remind them that a "stranger" is not always the guy in the bushes that looks creepy; they are the gentlemen in nice cars who look like their grandfathers and uncles. They won't try to get kids with promises of candy and sweets, but ask for their help after almost running over a stray puppy.
ReplyDeleteNow we also have to be vigilant of where are children are going on the Internet. Thanks to shows like "To Catch a Predator," people are understanding the possible dangers of chat rooms and social networking sites.
Thanks again for posting a comment and be sure to check in often and spread the word.