Checking Sex-Offender Registries

What do you know about the people who play a role in the lives of your children? There may be many adults who are in contact with your children on a daily basis over short or very long periods of time. Often times, as parents or guardians, we don't know these people very well, but we place a certain amount of trust in them. "Sixty percent of all sexual assault offenders were classified by law enforcement as acquaintances of the victim."¹

In 2004, a registered sex offender was accused of molesting his new girlfriend's 8-year-old son shortly after being released from jail for his previous offenses. The boy's mother did not know he was a sex offender and didn't worry when the man bought her son a new bike and offered to babysit while she was working.²

In 2005, a 10-year-old child was abducted and murdered by a 37-year-old registered sex offender. The child's mother had dated the offender's brother and was unaware that she was putting her child at risk by trusting this person to be around her family.³

In 2006, a man was charged with the sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy who waited while a member of his family was learning piano lessons from the man's wife. This man was previously convicted of a sex offense involving a 14-year-old boy in 1987 and another sex offense in 1981.⁴

What can you do?

Go to the National Sex-Offender Registry at http://www.nsopr.gov/. If you click "yes" to agree to the conditions of use, it will direct you to a page where you can search by name or location. You can search your zip code for the sex offenders living in your neighborhood, or you can choose to search regionally or nationally by using the last name and first initial of a specific person.

You can also search online for your state's sex-offender registry by typing in the two letter state abbreviation and "sex offender." You can also search state sites by visiting:

• http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm
• http://www.ice.gov/graphics/predator/sexoffenders.htm

It is important for parents and guardians to realize that people who would harm children are not monsters hiding in your child's closet. These people can be someone you trust, and even a member of your own family. As a parent or guardian, you can sense when something is wrong with your child. Remember to trust your instincts.

Important tips

• Listen to your children. Pay attention if they tell you they don't want to be with someone or go somewhere. This may be an indication of more than a personality conflict or lack of interest in the activity or event.
• Notice when someone shows one or all of your children a great deal of attention or begins giving them gifts. Take the time to talk to your children about the person and find out why the person is acting in this way.
• Be sure to screen babysitters and caregivers. Check out references with other families who have used the caregiver or babysitter. Once you have chosen the caregiver, drop in unexpectedly to see how your children are doing. Ask your children how the experience with the caregiver was, and listen carefully to the responses.
• Teach your children they have the right to say NO to any unwelcome, uncomfortable, or confusing touches or actions by others and to get out of those situations as quickly as possible. If avoidance is not an option, children should be taught to kick, scream, and resist. Reassure them you're there to help, and it is okay to tell you anything.
• Be sensitive to any changes in your children's behavior or attitude. Encourage open communication and learn how to be an active listener. Look and listen to small cues and clues that something may be troubling them, because children are not always comfortable disclosing disturbing events or feelings.
• Practice basic safety skills with your children. Make an outing to a mall or park a "teachable" experience in which your children can practice checking with you, going to the restroom with a friend, and locating the adults who can help if they need assistance.
• Remember there is no substitute for your attention and supervision. Being available and taking time to really know and listen to your children helps build feelings of safety and security.

Adapted from "Know the Rules - General Tips for Parents and Guardians to Help Keep Their Children Safer." Copyright �; 2000 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.