The Myth of the Boogeyman
The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently published a study about child abuse based on 716,303 cases from the year 2009. One of the most interesting findings is that nearly 90% of all child abuse is happening within the family, in 80% of all cases the perpetrator is even the kid’s mother or father.
This is nothing new. Among others a similar study from Canada (see page 49) came to the same conclusion. But it’s still worth pointing out that the common notion that “you can’t let your kids play outside anymore nowadays” is rubbish. Not only because crime rate are dropping dramatically since 30 years but also because, as these studies show, most child abuse is happening within the family anyway.
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about 1 year ago
“United States Department of Health and Human Services recently published a study about child abuse based on 716,303 cases from the year 2009”
First, I have a very difficult time getting my head around that number for only 1 year (unless it’s all of them up through that year) as being factual/truthful.
Second, while that number could be “accurate,” I feel that it would be mostly reported and not actual cases [crimes]. It’s well known that many “crimes” are reported, but never actually happened. Many reported crimes are just that — and cover-ups for something else and the fear of the person reporting (for whatever reason).
about 1 year ago
These are only cases from 2009. The total number is so high because of the victim duplicate count. That means every single time a kid is abused its counted as one case. If one kid is abused 20 times these abuses account for 20 cases of the total number of 716,303 cases.
about 1 year ago
Abuse in the U.S. (physical), as based on the standard of an injury that leaves a mark 24 hours after ine incident. Or abandonment, lack of providing critical care, etc.
We tend to think of abuse as sexual, and it is not statistically the largest component.
this is why the statistics shown above show the mother as the highest percentage of perpetrators…
about 1 year ago
Thank you. You brought up an excellent point and one I didn’t consider in my above post. I just assumed all the abuse in the reported numbers as being sexual — that’s why I didn’t believe those numbers. Your point is very well taken about mothers and physical “abuse.” Again, thanks for the reminder of the difference types of “abuse.”
But, if you include all abuses, i.e., physical which can include slapping and “spanking,” and even include psychological abuse, then I can believe those numbers.
And if you do consider psychological abuse, then those numbers could even be even higher — particularly when you add in the factor of forcing young children — even up to their pre-teen and young teen years — to attend some church/mosque services and subject them to the brainwashing of religious ideas. I seriously feel we need to consider an additional category of abuse: religious. But, of course, who is going to actually report psychological abuse or religious abuse when it should be reported?
about 1 year ago
Here I have a question:
In Germany, a young person can dicide his religious affiliation from the age of 14 years. From the age of 12 years he can no longer be forced to change his religion.
Are there similar laws in the U.S. or elsewhere?
about 1 year ago
“From the age of 12 years he can no longer be forced to change his religion.”
What do you mean by that statement? Just before, you stated 14 yo …. it’s confusing what you’re trying to say.
In the USA, there are no laws (because there can’t be — it’s unconstitutional) to “force” religion upon anyone. But the churches and many of their congregation continue to force their young children to go to some church or prayer worship or bible classes/study.
I don’t know the laws of other countries, but it’s obvious that most of the islam countries force their young children to go to their mosques and force them to pray & in certain positions and force them to read & memorize large portions of the koran — particularly the passages about the “infidels” and they “must incite violence” unto them [us].
about 1 year ago
The situation in Austria is very similar to the German one (from a US point of view, you can probably disregard any differences)…
In Austria, the state traditionally keeps track of the religious affiliation of all residents. It’s right there in the official files next to first name, last name, gender, maiden name, date and place of birth, and current address.
It’s mostly used for statistics and to make it easier for churches to go to court to collect their membership fees.
The major churches and religious organisations offer religious education classes *within* the regular state-sponsored school system. A child’s official religious affiliation determines which they are sent to. Parents may withdraw their children from that, as may children over 14 years of age.
Parents get to choose the religious affiliation of their children until they are 12 (?). Once they turn twelve, they officially “must be heard”. I think that means that if you suddenly decide that your twelve-year old will be a Jehovah’s Witness starting tomorrow, he’s allowed to say no. You can’t enroll them anymore without his consent. You can still prevent them from *officially* turning Muslim on you (seeing as you seem to be slightly prejudiced against the Koran ;-) ).
Once the child turns fourteen, however, they are officially considered old enough to decide which religious community, if any, they want to be part of.
P.S.: Don’t believe what they tell you about islamic countries. It’s usually not worse than the US Bible Belt with a different holy book.
about 1 year ago
@aawo (and anyone else who wishes to defend islam):
“Don’t believe what they tell you about islamic countries. It’s usually not worse than the US Bible Belt with a different holy book.”
Sorry, but that’s bullshit. And I’m referring to islamic countries here. Even though catholics/very similar have their own “custom/ritual” of sitting, kneeling and standing throughout their masses, I at least give them credit for doing nothing to anyone who would refuse to either kneel or stand “at the appropriate time” during their masses. If someone (anyone) were to just only sit through the mass, nothing would be done to them (at least by the church). Those in that church might give someone a “nasty look” for doing so, but nothing else. If a child were to do that, maybe a set of bizarre parents might/would say something to them afterward (or worse), but that would only be within that family in private — nothing more.
Now, what (in reality) would happen if a child — particularly an older [male] child — were to not sit/kneel in their specific “prayer” ways and to not put their foreheads/hands to the floor [rug]?
What would happen if an adult [male] wouldn’t “pray” in their prescribed manor?
What would happen if if a child — particularly an older [male]child — were to vocally refuse/not attend their religious/prayer meetings?
What would happen if if an adult [male] were to not attend their religious/prayer meetings?
What would happen if a [male] child were to not “pray” their mandatory 5 times per day? What would happen if an adult [male] were to not pray their mandatory 5 times per day?
Please, don’t try to minimize the situation by saying what you did about islam. As much as I detest all religions, at least christianity (and catholics in particular) don’t do what the islamists would do if anyone didn’t attend their masses in their prescribed manor or pray in their prescribed manor (other than nasty looks and maybe a polite request to do so). And they [churches] wouldn’t do anything if children of any age or adults refused to attend any of their services. Parents might have a word with their children of their preferences, but it would never leave the privacy of their family/house because it is illegal for any of them them to insist on any of those ideas in America.
about 1 year ago
penboy, you really need to start making more sense in your posts, half the time i have like no idea what the hell you’re trying to say :/
about 1 year ago
Then learn how to read and comprehend English.
Unlike MOST posters in here, you could actually LEARN English from my posts. That’s no bullshit.
about 9 months ago
Jeez Pen, but you are great at shooting yourself in the foot!
You had the audacity to abuse Cornflake for telling you that your rants are incoherent, convoluted twaddle but in the process you used such convoluted language that your message became incoherent twaddle.
You wrote “Unlike most posters in here, you…”
What that actually says (as opposed to what I believe you THOUGHT you were saying) is that Cornflake, unlike most other posters here, could learn from your wondrous English.
You THOUGHT you were saying that your English is perfect, whereas other posters’ English is not, and that CF could, therefore, learn from you.
But your sloppy use of pronouns and your inversion of the sentence structure left you proving precisely the point that Cornflake was making. You talk and write gobbledegook.
There may well be a handful of people here who have the ability (if not the right) to tell CF how to improve his superb English. Sadly, dear deluded Pen, you are not one of them.
Score one to the man whose Second language is English. Score nil to Pen.
about 1 year ago
“Now, what (in reality) would happen if a child — particularly an older [male] child — were to not sit/kneel in their specific “prayer” ways and to not put their foreheads/hands to the floor [rug]?”
Depending on what islamic country you are thinking about, I’d say the range goes from nasty looks to a thorough beating by the child’s own father. Pretty much the same range as I’d expect in the more conservative Christian communities in the US.
“What would happen if an adult [male] wouldn’t “pray” in their prescribed manor?”
That will depend on what he does instead… if he’s just being sloppy, it’s nasty looks or maybe a talking-to by the imam, if he’s actively disrupting religious services (say, by standing up during communal prayer and singing the US National Anthem at the top of his voice), all bets are off. But then, you can get a fine or up to 6 months in prison for “disrupting religious services” in Austria.
I don’t know about the situation in Saudi Arabia, and I will freely admit that the situation in Taliban-ruled areas of Afghanistan is terrible. But for the vast majority of Muslims (NOT islamists), what you are saying is unjust.
It is probably true that Islam is on average more conservative than Christianity, but *average* Islam is definitely no worse than conservative Christianity. I’ve met a sufficient number of Muslims and Christians to be convinced of that. If you lump in the moderates with the extremists, you’re being fooled by the warmongering rethoric of extremist Christians.
I’m a rather extreme atheist myself, so I’ll add the following: Everything that can be said against Christianity in general can also be said against Islam. I’d rather both belief systems just went away, but I’m perfectly happy to share my planet with moderate believers, especially if it helps keep the extremists in check.
about 1 year ago
Skipping over the issue of how exactly the numbers are determined for the moment, what this really points out is that most if not all the hysteria is politically motivated. BEWARE OF THE BOOGEYMAN is a useful tool. It keeps the lobotomized public’s attention elsewhere which is useful to those in power. The boogeyman can be that fellow who lives alone down the street or it can be someone in the middle east or elsewhere that won’t kowtow to the lords in Washington DC. Take the example of where I live (Canada) … the crime rate is at a 20-30 year low … so what is the response? Build more prisons and increase sentences.
Logic has no seat at the discussion table.
about 1 year ago
It’s not only politically but also economically motivated, at least in the U.S.
about 1 year ago
It’s also interesting to note, that it’s the mother that’s the abuser more often then the father, since generally people associate child abuse with a male perpetrator.
about 1 year ago
That’s because a) in families mothers often spend more time with the kid/s and b) when parents get divorced/split up it’s mostly the mother who gets the custody. So, since more kids are living only with or spending more time with their mother it’s a logical consequence that the cases of abuse where the mother is involved is higher.
about 1 year ago
Thanks for this (truly shocking) post.
Can we/someone clarify that this ‘abuse’ list incorporates ‘sexual abuse’?
I knew of course that this was the case, but had NO idea that what would constitute ‘sexual abuse’ by a third party (friend, not family) seems to amount to hardly any % at all: in the regions of 1.25%?!!
Considering the media rampage, the deep hysteria, and the fact that the entire western civilisation has just redefined negatively all adult relationship with children (ruining of volunteer work, shame of sex, fear by parents of their child’s nakedness, teachers fear of showing any form of attention/affection, abandonment of gay men in helping gay youngsters with their ‘affliction’, etc.), based exclusively on the external ‘pedo boogey man’, this is…
well, I guess I cant say enough, simply shocking.
about 1 year ago
It does include sexual abuse but of the ~700,000 cases “only” about ~50,000 are sexual abuse.
about 1 year ago
…Which brings up another seriously disturbing indication that not only totally non-family persons are overwhelmingly less likely to ‘abuse’ a kid in any way, but that of all significant and lasting abuse against kids, …only 6% is sexual in nature.
Wow…that really explains the sexual hysteria that so deeply gripped western society in the last 15 years!
And yet total deafening silence from the intelligentsia…
What a truly unhealthy, unbalanced and (child) sexually obsessed group of nuts.
about 1 year ago
Great posts! I totally agree.
about 1 year ago
I agree with PenboyX this has been a great exchange. I especially ejoyed Ivan’s comments.
about 1 year ago
I’d just add a personal recent anecdote:
I ran a kids casting recently for a few roles, and one mother, after speaking to me for 30mins, said she ‘felt relieved’.
I asked her why.
She said ‘well, you know, all the children that are victims of kidnap and rape by false castings’.
?!
I asked her to give an example of this.
‘but there are so many it’s hard to count’.
So I gave her the facts: ones similar to those above.
I ended by telling her. ‘if you really want to protect your child, I suggest you avoid taking him home to your house which is where he is far most likely to be raped’.
She left flustered and furious.
I guess because people don’t like the truth.
She failed the casting.
about 1 year ago
Ivan, consider this…
if so little sexual abuse is a in reality happening, and when it does there is a significantly high chance thqt the abuse came from a family member, then what purpose does a sex offender registry do, especially when it involves restrictions on where an offendor can live or work?
Supposedly such restrictions are put in place to protect children.
there is so much hysteria over sexual abuse and the purpetrators, the facts have clearly been left out of the discussion.
about 1 year ago
Of course it doesn’t accomplish anything (or precious little). That is not it’s point … it’s a useful tool for distraction. That is it’s sole purpose – to demonize, to distract, and move the votes of clueless people this way or that.
And as for pointing out the stupidity of it, and most of the rest of the overboard reactions, everyone (likely including everyone here – and I’ll be honest and include myself) wouldn’t be keen to have the loonies screaming PERV and pointing at us if we try to protest or stop this or that of their “solutions”. So the ones that know better just stay quiet.
Speaking the truth tends to result in being burnt at the stake, if not literally, then metaphorically. We are not living in an age of logic and reason anymore. This is a different world more akin to the middle ages in some respects.
Can you remember when in the news 40-50 years ago at Christmas time a news reader might say something like “According to tradition this is the day that …” whereas now it’s reported as fact “This is the day that …”. Fantasy has become reality and those that dare to say otherwise put themselves in danger.
about 1 year ago
“everyone … wouldn’t be keen to have the loonies screaming PERV and pointing at us if we try to protest or stop this or that of their “solutions”. So the ones that know better just stay quiet. … Speaking the truth tends to result in being burnt at the stake, if not literally, then metaphorically. We are not living in an age of logic and reason anymore. This is a different world more akin to the middle ages in some respects.”
Very well said. I couldn’t have said it better and that emphasized portion speaks perfectly of how most societies just pass over the truth and facts about all religions.
about 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this Josh. It is information that I have tried to inform people about for some time, but have discovered that even bringing these statistics to light has caused people to think I am the criminal.
In more than one branch of my family, there is a history of sexual and non-sexual abuse, passing along from generation to generation. The majority of the active abusers have been men, but also a few women. They have abused sons/daughters, nieces/nephews, granddaughters/grandsons. It has all been in the family, but has not left out adopted and foster children.
Our response has been to be quite vocal and open about the truth that this has happened. The biggest aid to this abuse has been silence. With our children, my wife and I have let them know who has abused children, who is actively doing it now, and telling them to be very aware. We are also the ones in the family who let our children play outside, ride bikes to school, be naked at home if they like, etc.
As a result I think my kids have a healthy sense of themselves, are good at picking up the intentions of another person, and building good relationships.
Abuse is about power — whether sexual or not — and it is about forcing power over another person. It is no surprise that it happens within families where power dynamics are usually played out. It is sad that fear of abuse is used by the state as part of a larger structure of power over the population.
No more silence about the truth!
about 1 year ago
Might be a stupid question…
Where does brother or sister go in the above? Is it relative male/female? or?
Im wondering more about brother/sister than parent. I think ive had enough of research into adults… :)
about 1 year ago
This has been common knowledge for anyone working with minors-related to any sort of social services or youth groups. And even in the case of sexual abuse perpetrated by strangers it’s not about sex, but about power & domination. Stranger ‘danger’ sexual abuse is still very rare in the US per capita….yet the hysteria continues and the adults/mentor pool that could work with minors one-on-one shrinks..
about 1 year ago
I’m 21 when i was younger like 11 till 18 I’ve been raped like more than 20 times and i never reported!
I dont wanna get in another trouble for just A fucking CHART!
about 1 year ago
Mmm. hang on, you were ‘raped’ for 7 years, right up to your 18th birthday.
A personal question: did you enjoy these ‘rapes’?
about 1 year ago
Of course i didnt like it,where i live its common!people get rape alot(i live in iran not nl i use VPN to connect blocked websites)
about 1 year ago
mmm.. i also heard that in iran, like in many arab countries (where I have lived), …it rather willingly that boys get involved.
I don’t know man…I really have a very hard time believing you let yourself mounted like a horse and forcibly raped at 15 years old, at 16 years old, at 17 years old, at 18 years old…
But whatever, I may be wrong.
I could almost believe this from a girl (who have little rights there) but an almost fully grown man that you were at 18?
Tell us more how this is possible.
about 1 year ago
Are you sure it wasn’t just someone sticking his thumb or finger in the dike to prevent the flood?
about 1 year ago
Very funny haha!
about 1 year ago
come on, come on dude.
you sure that in the heart of your bottom, you didnt enjoy just that little bit?
about 1 year ago
Beware:
These statistics appear not to have been normalised!
Without this it is Soooo easy to draw the wrong conclusions. More abuse happens by parents simply because there are more children living with parents. Only a few children are abused by foster parents simply because only a few children are placed with foster parents.
about 1 year ago
Sexual, emotional abuse, beating, humilation, …
it`s happening in families, because parents are not equal before the law.
Every child should have the right to assign an adult person who is acting as the childs advocat. It`s the childs joice. It could be a teacher, the neighbour, a big brother… who is acting as whistleblower. Who takes responsibility. And even parents had to go to jail!
jeroen
about 10 months ago
I note like in the UK, the female is more likely to abuse the child than the male. Queue the justifications………