The label “sex offenders” is such a broad term.  Everyone must keep an open mind and realize that not all sex offenders are the same.  I’m not trying to play the devil’s advocate nor am I excusing their behaviors, they have done mistakes in the past but not all sex offenders are black hearted demons.  First, let’s examine what actions a person take to deserve the label “sex offender”.

When a person is considered a sex offender, he or she must undergo a mandatory registration.  Normally, people think that a sex offender is someone that has forced sexual contact to another individual.  Yes, that counts as a sex offense but there are instances that don’t involve any sexual contact at all and still the person will be labeled as sex offender.  For example, if an adult has been caught downloading naked pictures of minor, he or she is already considered a sex offender.  Possession of child pornography is an offense and is wrong, but that doesn’t mean the person who owns the paraphernalia has come in sexual contact with a child.

Kidnapping, while non-sexual, is also considered a sex offense and the perpetrator must register once convicted.  When a person registers, his or her name will be included in the registry usually for 10 years, depending on the level of the crime.  Once the name is included in the list, the public will have access to the document and will be able to distinguish if a person has been convicted of a sexually offensive crime.

This presents a problem at times because of the stigma society has placed on sex offenders.  Admit it, I’m sure when a sex offenders are introduced to you, you can’t help but feel awkward in their presence even though they’ve never sexually wronged a person before.  Although extreme caution must be taken, we should make sure that we don’t step on the human rights of these sex offenders, especially if they haven’t been involved in violent sex crimes.

As for prevention, well you can never really predict the future. Your best bet is to be prepared.  Everybody can be a victim, be it the people you know, the people you love and you yourself.