Monsters and Child Predators Walk Among Us
I’m sad today. I should be working in my office or doing my taxes, catching up on Twitter or working on my next book; anything other than what I’m doing, but I can’t concentrate. All I can think of is the Amber Alert I received on my cell phone last night for ten year old Hailey Owens and ultimately, the alert being cancelled after the child’s body was found inside the home of her alleged kidnapper, Craig Michael Wood.
I have a ten year old son. How am I supposed to teach him to be social–or even friendly and polite–to others when monsters are everywhere? No longer do they lurk in the shadows. Craig Michael Wood was a school employee–a teacher’s aide; a COACH! He had been employed by the school district since 1998. Craig Michael Wood was the kind of person we tell our children to run to if they feel threatened.
A predator who preys on the trust of the victim is the worst kind of predator; he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How do we protect our children from the people they are supposed to be able to trust; from the people they are supposed to respect? How do we explain to them that they cannot trust their pastors, their teachers, their coaches, their friend’s parents and sometimes even their relatives without making them paranoid?
We as parents need to recognize that the world is a dangerous place, and we must never elevate an adult’s feelings above the safety of a child. Sometimes, against our instincts, we might be friendly to a person whom our instincts have warned us to avoid. When our children’s instincts cause them to be wary of someone, we sometimes force our child to speak so as not to embarrass the adult or ourselves. As parents, we need to be supportive of our children instead of forcing them to speak to anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable. Most adults will understand and not force the issue. An adult who doesn’t understand is probably an adult the child should not be around.
Note: From the time Hailey Owens was abducted, three new Amber Alerts have gone out.
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