What Do School Bullies and Sexual Predators Have in Common?
By Roman Richardson
The world is a scary place and children are increasingly becoming targets of sexual predators. As parents it is our responsibility to arm our children with the safety tools they need. We cannot leave this task to school teachers, law enforcement officials, our government or anyone else. They are our children and they depend on us for more than food, shelter, and clothing. Think about this for a moment...why do some school kids get picked on and pushed around by school bullies? Why is it that a sexual predator will roam around a park or playground and pick out one particular child to victimized. What is the common thread between the bully and the predator when picking their victim?
The common thread is WEAKNESS. The school bully sees a child who is sad and dejected, drooping shoulders, head hung low who seem to say "I don't have a friend in the world." The school bully picks up on the child's weakness, vulnerability and lack of confidence. Sexual predators look for exactly the same things in their victims. This scenario mixed with opportunity is a win-win situation for a child sexual predator.
What can you do?
You as a parent can start by building confidence and self-esteem in your child. Praise the child for the things he does well. In fact, give him projects that you know he does well and build from there. Enroll the child in fun activities where he can associate with other children his age. Have small parties where he can invite a few kids from school; if the party is a hit, the word will get around and he will move from "zero" to "hero" among his peers.
Another word of caution: Do not put your child down or say things such as, "you cannot do anything right" or "you are always messing up." These words are very hurtful and harmful to young minds; we grown-ups do not take a fancy to such words being bellowed at us, how much more damaging to a child.
The idea is to make your child feel good about himself. Tell him how much you love him and that he is a great kid and how proud you are of him. A happy child walks taller, appears confident and will always have friends. More importantly a happy child is less of a target for sexual predators and molesters and yes school bullies. Sexual predators are aware of the heightened scrutiny in the United States. Therefore, these cunning individuals are brushing up their techniques, continuously finding ways of luring your children away from you...do not help them. Protect your family by knowing where they reside. Chances are there is a dangerous individual living near you? You can easily find out if a sexual predator is in your midst.
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