My paper

So, I did a voluntary debate paper for my english class, it was extra credit. It had to be on a subject that I felt very strongly about. I chose to write about rapists and child molestors and the fact that punishment is not as strong as it should be. My baby girl was molested back in May and my family, as well as myself, have had alot of pain because of this and other circumstances. I wanted to share my paper with you, alot of you are moms and dads, aunts and uncles. The information I found was really scary.



Eng 102
12/4/2007

Rapists and child molesters, getting off too easy



“The serial killer has the same personality characteristics as the sex offender against children"-Dr. Mace Knapp, Nevada State Prison Psychologist.


Only 3% of child molestations that occur are committed by a stranger. That is

terrifying; our children are being raped and molested by people they know. They are

being hurt and abused by people that are supposed to love and protect them. In the case of

adult rape 38% are committed by a friend/acquaintance, 28% by an intimate partner, 7%

by a family member and 26% were committed by a stranger. Along with that 6 out of 10

rapes occur in the victim’s place of residence. Out of those rapes only 1 out of 16 rapists

will actually face jail time or even be convicted. I believe that the punishment for these

crimes should be much greater than they are now.

If we can provide harsh enough consequences it could cut down drastically on the

person doing it again as well as keep women, very few men and our children safe from

these disgusting crimes. If we can provide punishment the first time and get children help

when they have been molested I believe that it would cut rapes and molestation down

drastically. According to the United nations 2/3 of all prisoners convicted of rape or

sexual assault had committed their crime against a child and out of those 85% reported

being sexually assaulted some point in their lives. If we could do something to cut the

cycle, imagine what a difference it would have on thousands upon thousands of people.

About 10% of violent offenders with child victims received life or death sentences

and the average prison term was 11 years, somewhat shorter average sentences than

received by those with adult victims. That is for VIOLENT offenders, nonviolent

offenders can receive as little as 2 years. More than 1/2 of all convicted sex offenders are

sent back to prison within a year. Within 2 years, 77.9% are back. Recidivism rates range

from 18-45%, the more violent the crime the more likelihood of repeating it. Knowing

this the government still let violent offenders out on parole well before their release date.

Most criminals, serving non life sentences, are released up to two years before their

scheduled date of release. That is just wrong.

If these criminals had really served their time and were truly fearful of going back

to where they were, they would not be so quick to do it again. If they were afraid to go

back to prison, they would not even think about doing it again. 11 years is nothing in

comparison to what the victims have to face. The assaulter spends that time being taken

care of at the expense of tax payers when the person that they sexually assaulted will

never be the same. The victims will always have what was done to them in the back of

their heads. Some, with intense counseling, can put it far from their thoughts, but it never

leaves them. Trust of the opposite gender, sometimes the same, is never the same.

Children have developmental delays and emotional delays as well. 68% of homosexual

men were reportedly molested by men as children or teenagers. Their first sexual

experience was with a man and it changes their lives. Children that are victims tend to

grow up leading very promiscuous lives, being very sexual at a very early age. Victims of

sexual assault are left to deal with a huge fear of intimacy and as stated before some go

on to molest and rape as well. It is a horrible cycle that needs to be broken and I think our

government needs to step it up.

In my opinion, I think that first time sex offenders, depending on the severity of

the crime, should serve no less than 15-20 years in prison with some intense therapy. I

believe that they should also have to be responsible for ongoing therapy for themselves

after they are released. If they repeat the offense after release I think that the death

penalty would be appropriate. We, as society, gave them a chance to heal and deal with

whatever was causing them to be that way and if they take advantage of that I do not see

why they should continue to be a burden to society.

There is an issue with women, especially, making false rape alligations; it is a

small number ranging from 2-8% of rapes per year that are falsely reported. That is still

an innocent person being accused of a heinous crime. If our police and investigations

system is what is cracked up to be, it should not be hard to prove a false rape. I do think

that there needs to be adequate proof of rape and molestation for punishment. These few

people that are sick in the head enough to accuse someone of something so horrible and

basically mock all of those that have been victims of sexual assault, should receive

punishment as well. They are the reason that women, some men and children have to go

through intense investigation and humiliating tests to prove that something did happen.

This is one of the reasons that only 68% of rapes are actually reported. Why report

something when no one will believe you? The current numbers of people actually being

incarcerated is ridiculous.

In conclusion, I believe that current punishment in our society for sexual

offenders does not at all fit the crime. These people are drastically altering innocent

human lives. They destroy sweet and innocent children and humiliate and devastate adult

women and men. It is a life altering decision that they make when they decide to rape.

They are not only destroying their lives, but also the life/lives of the victim that they

abused. I believe that with adequate jail time as well as intense counseling in and out of

jail, these people could change. If not all together at least resist the urge to act out. We

live in very perverted times and this is one area that the government could have more

control over. If something doesn’t change the cycle will continue on and on.