Is it me or does there seem to be more

[Michael Perata]

It simply numbs you to the issue and we have other thing to worry about in these days and times now....

You are kidding - I hope.

[Ian Barley]

Everything except the evening news says that children are safer today than 20 years ago. The risk of "stranger" harm to a child is tiny. Most who are harmed are harmed by somebody that they know, often a family member.

The first step to dealing with the nonsensical media presentation is to know it for what it is. A child is much more likely to be damaged if they are not given the chance to experience risk and make decisions.

[Scott Coffelt]

I have no problems with the media reporting it, heck I guess I have no problems with the extended coverage.... in hopes that some innocent child will be saved... I do think the sick fools who do this also crave media attention therefore leads to more in order to get attention.... Yes, SEX, Violence, etc. sells, people do love dirty laundry. I'm tired of the children paying for it.

I long for the day where it was safe to be outside as a kid, my poor son just wants to play and at times, I feel I have to find other things for him to do cause I really need to get something done... in the end, it's a choice but he just needs to be a kid...

I try to explain to him, but that's just not fair for a 5 YO to have to understand and deal with.... make the punishment tough enough, it will stop... or at least there won't be repeat offenders. But anyways, sorry to stir things up, just been thinking a lot lately about kids. Things are easier in many ways but then again, not for this generation.

And yes, being a parnet hightens your senses to the these things.

[Frank Pellow]

Times have changed....
...
It simply numbs you to the issue and we have other thing to worry about in these days and times now
....

I fail to see how anyone could be numbed to the issue of child abuse.

[Frank Pellow]

Everything except the evening news says that children are safer today than 20 years ago. The risk of "stranger" harm to a child is tiny. Most who are harmed are harmed by somebody that they know, often a family member.

The first step to dealing with the nonsensical media presentation is to know it for what it is. A child is much more likely to be damaged if they are not given the chance to experience risk and make decisions.

I do agree with you Ian. I grew up in a very rough lumber mill town in the hinterlands and was "street proofed" at any early age by my parents. Our children grew up in a big city and they too were made aware of situations to avoid and things to do should the situations arise. Once equiped to deal with it, I was given a lot of freedom and we did the same thing with our children.

[Cecil Arnold]

I think you've got it Frank. The term that comes to mind is situational awareness. I really think we tend to overprotect our children and fail to make them aware of the potential dangers "on the street" while not giving them the chance to exercise and develop judgement. But then I thought the other fellow won the election back in 2000.

[Scott Coffelt]

I don't think one could call someone under 10 old enough to really understand and protect themselves. I totally agree that children need to be made aware of the dangers and how to deal with them, but in the latest case it really appears that the parent(s) may be the murderer, I can hardly say the kids should have seen it coming. To have a ex-boyfriend of the mother's show up and kidnap, rape and kill, again hard for a child to predict; have someone sneak into a house in the night, kidnap, rape and kill.... street smarts is one thing and never having a chance is another.

One thing I know is as a father, I'll never become numb to the problem.

[Roy Wall]

I don't think one could call someone under 10 old enough to really understand and protect themselves. I totally agree that children need to be made aware of the dangers and how to deal with them, but in the latest case it really appears that the parent(s) may be the murderer, I can hardly say the kids should have seen it coming. To have a ex-boyfriend of the mother's show up and kidnap, rape and kill, again hard for a child to predict; have someone sneak into a house in the night, kidnap, rape and kill.... street smarts is one thing and never having a chance is another.

One thing I know is as a father, I'll never become numb to the problem.

I don't let my kid play outside unless I'm out there too - or another adult. You can do a zip code check on sex offenders in your area and it will sicken you.

I heard on Bill Oreilly the other day about a web site that teaches people "how to lure kids, etcc" - this kind of nonsense has got to stop.

[Jerry Clark]

I think about the terror and the things these innocent little people go through before they can no longer breathe. Then they are always talking about the criminal's right to a fair trial-- after what they have done?? That is the system!It would hard to NOT take the matters into your own hands.