The Lovely Bones: How Sexual Predators Endanger The Safety of Your Child
How well do you know your neighbors?
My wife and I went on a movie date last night (thanks mom & dad for watching the kids). We watched a preview for a movie called, The Lovely Bones. I haven’t seen the movie yet but it caused me to reflect about the importance of keeping kids safe from the many dangers that exist in this world. My heart and prayers always goes out to parents whose children have been the victims of kidnapping, rape and murder. It’s a pain that no parent should experience and yet we accept it as a part of living in a very fallen world. The Lovely Bones is a good reminder for all parents on how sexual predators can endanger the safety of our children.
Let me tell you about Susie Salmon and the thousands of children her story represents.
On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon (“like the fish”) is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer–the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey. Amazon.com
December 6, 1973, the day Susie Salmon was murdered.
In my popular blog post, TEN SEXUAL PREDATOR WARNING SIGNS, I talk about the importance for parents to remember that while there are some common characteristics among sexual predators, pedophilia does not discriminate by race, gender, age, class or religious affiliation.
In fact, the information on this post and other entries that have been a part of this series caused me to create a two-hour workshop on PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL PREDATORS.
Over the years, I’ve been asking myself some of these questions…
- How can parents, concerned with their children’s safety, avoid early sexualization by these explicitly graphic pornographic websites?
- What can parents do to safeguard their children from the free and readily available cybersex smut?
- How can parents/caregivers protect their children from sexual predators?
The result of asking those questions gave birth to this workshop. If you, your church or school group are interested in bringing me to speak to your group, then be sure to contact me either via this blog or by completing a BOOKING REQUEST FORM.
Sex offenders watch lists that you may want to visit.
Family Watch Dog
Free national US search for registered sex offenders. Map registered sex offenders to see who lives in your area.Map Sex Offenders
Map Sex Offenders in your local area and neighborhood. Search for and find registered sexual predators in this free national registry.Criminal Check
CriminalCheck.com is the only FREE National Sex Offender database site on the web that searches all states (and the District of Columbia) with one-click.Sexual Offenders Registry
Search state or county sex offender databases. This site also offers news and articles.United States Department of Justice
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice, is a cooperative effort between Jurisdictions hosting public sex offender registries (“Jurisdictions”) and the federal government.
- How do you teach your children about stranger danger?
- In what ways are you teaching your kids about how to talk to strangers or the level of trust they give someone they know and trust?
Copyright © 2009 Cesar G. Gamez, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cesar G. Gamez holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling and is a doctoral student at Arizona State University. He is the founder and director of Family Insights™ and is a sought-after speaker and workshop trainer. He is also a therapist at an inpatient treatment center for anxiety and eating disorders. You can follow Cesar on Twitter.








