With the campaign 'stranger danger!' children in the USA were cautioned against strangers. A bit weird really, because it's an established fact children suffer the most at the hands of their most trusted adults: coaches, neighbours, aunts and uncles, youth pastors, priests and (adoptive) parents.
Quoting: Portrayals in the news media have tended to reinforce public fears of strangers as potential pedophiles, despite sexual abuse of children being more likely to occur in families
Why doesn't some government campaign focus on real dangers?
Of course one could mention the obvious: school shootings. Not that they don't have them in other countries but the US is the undisputed 'world champion' of school shootings.
Children in the US also often fall prey to not only family members and others in their vicinity but also to other people they should trust unconditionally: church leaders. Yet, child sex abuse is alarmingly often done by youth pastors and even by community leaders like megachurch founder Robert Morris.
Disturbingly, being a hypocrite and a child abuser makes one extra qualified for a position in the Trump administration. And I quote: President Donald Trump named Morris his spiritual adviser and a member of his envangelical advisory committee in 2016.
Of course children also get hurt at the hands of people they don't know but more often than not, the perpetrator is someone they trust.
Do you think children should be taught to express themselves and learn about boundaries or just groomed into believing only strangers should never be trusted?
Something to think about with Christmas when putting your child on some stranger's lap, having the child believe that stranger is Santa.
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