The Myth Buster
Debunking Media Sensationalism"Some of us in the media...have gotten caught up in the size of our audience, the profits to be made, catering to short attention spans, and seeking the sensational. Consequently, we seem to have forgotten something basic -- that we are here to serve the public, to bring them informed judgments about their community, the nation, and the planet."
- Judy Woodruff
"When in doubt, tell the truth." - Mark Twain
Popular myth : Sex offenders have a high re-offense rate.
WRONG!
According to the Department Of Justice, Department Of Corrections, and major university studies, sex offenders have a very low re-offense rate.Read this statement from the DOJ website (Bureau Of Statistics) under the "sex offenders" category.Also, here is a report by the Indiana Department Of Corrections showing an even lower sex offender recidivism rate (PDF format).Another myth : All sex offenders are molesters or rapists.
WRONG!
Many people are listed on registries for non-violent crimes such as urinating in public and voyeurism. There are also teenagers on the registry who had consensual sex with other teenagers (www.rickyslife.com) [Video] and who have exchanged nude photos of themselves using their cellphones (aka "sexting") [Video]. Some Congress members even want to make staring at a minor for too long a sexual offense! These petty criminals often face decades of ostracizing on a public registry, subjecting these individuals and their families to unemployment, homelessness, and vigilante violence. This is clearly over punishment! Political corruption is a major reason why registries are so broad (see the movie "Witch Hunt", a documentary narrated by Sean Penn). There are even young children listed on some registries!
Media personalities like Oprah Winfrey and Jane Velez Mitchell are often the culprits who spread around such profit-driven hype and are another contributing factor to America's overburdened registries (approximately 700,000 people on them to date). Because registries are overburdened, they are very costly to maintain. Sex offender laws definitely need reform so that only real predators will be listed on registries. But also, since the DOJ also reports that most sexual abuse is committed by people the victim already knows (i.e. a parent) and not by strangers, lawmakers need to re-examine where the majority of rape/molestation crimes are actually coming from. Education is the key to prevention.
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