I am a man, and I was molested when I was three and again when I was twelve. The first time, it was a daycare worker. The second time, it was my mother. Both times, it was from someone I and my family trusted. 90% of the time child sex abuse happens, it is at the hands of someone known to the child, and the rest of the time it is a stranger. Sex offenders were not responsible for my abuse. 

Child sex abuse, worldwide, affects more than 12% of all children. It is a very serious problem, particularly because it is difficult to know who is at risk for abusing a child beforehand, and who is not. Currently in America, the only way abuse comes to light is by a victim saying something or the abuse being seen, which is estimated to happen only 10% of the time. Child sex abuse is a severely under-reported violation of human rights. 

As Americans, we are told that sex offender registries addresses the issue of child sex abuse and sex crimes- under the myths that sex offenders have a high rate of recidivism, are a threat to society, and cannot be treated. Following well-publicized cases in the media, the United States has passed several bills into law to require sex offenders to register. Different states and counties have different requirements.

Despite the claims and common belief that sex offenders will inevitably repeat their crimes, a meta-analysis found, with a 95% confidence interval, across 31,000+ offenders an average sexual offense recidivism rate of... 13.7%. There are other serious questions about the effectiveness of sex offender registries, as most on the registries have crimes that do not make them a threat to children. Major studies done on the relationship between registration and recidivism have indicated that registration does not have much effect on recidivism. Similar studies done to study treatment have found that treatment can significantly reduce recidivism. Even victim advocates and criminal justice researchers are questioning registration and community notification. It is time to put an end to fear-based legislation. 

In other words, not only are abusers rarely strangers, sex offenders do not typically repeat their crimes. Most remain law-abiding. The focus on sex offenders as threats to children distracts from the real threats: Those in our communities with attractions to children. There are no programs in the United States that encourage people to get help with such issues. The United States does not have a comprehensive sexual education standard that could provide resources to children who are concerned about their sexual thoughts. Currently, the only popular legislation attempting to address child sex abuse is Erin's Law, which is aimed at educating children on how to say no to an abuser.

Children cannot say no to abuse. They are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of knowing what abuse is, and when they are being abused. It falls on adults to identify people who are at-risk for abusing children. If every adult knew the answers to frequently asked questions about abuse, it would have a dramatic effect at protecting our children. 

I did not have to be abused twice. My abusers could have gotten help before they hurt me and made me believe things that were not true. But no one knew they were at risk, and no one knew how they could be helped. And if I made their names public, they would be harassed and shamed. This is not justice, and it does not prevent child sex abuse from happening in the first place. 

As a nation, we focus on punishing sex offenders, and rightly so. But no other crime, even violent crime, has registries to monitor where people live and punish them for failing to register. To focus on these things in order to protect children is wrong, because the sex offender registration system has not been shown to be effective in protecting children. The registry puts our focus on strangers and sex offenders rather than the harsh realities of child sex abuse.

If we want to protect America's children, we must give them resources, knowledge, and help when they need it- on every topic, including sex. Sexual values are for the family to give, but sexual health is something every individual should have. If we want to stop potential abusers, before they abuse, we must have programs in place to get them the help that they need. The sex offender registry should be abolished, and the money used for fact-based interventions and resources. 

President Obama, please consult with these expert organizations (ATSA, CMRPI, RSOL) and make the recommended changes and repeals to the sex offender registry laws so that our children can be protected by fact-based legislation rather than the fear and moral panic of stranger danger.