Molestation Issues of Deaf Youth According to the American Annals of the Deaf, “From 1988 to 1990, the child molester population in prisons have increased to almost 50 %”(31). This is a problem we are seeing happen way too often in our present society. Especially in one particular part of our community. The Deaf. Another fact from the American Annals for the Deaf says, “ Approximately 25% of the deaf clinical population at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, that is, those seeking psychological services, reports having been sexually abused before”(31). Molestation is occurring even in the most well known and respected intuitions working with children in the United States. Schools for children who are deaf are no exception. One reported who is trying to make a stand against the act is Ruth Teichroeb. She has been reporting on recent sexually abuses occurring in eight different schools. Her and others are trying to help these children of abuse cope and helping trying to prevent this horrific act from happening to others. The aspect of sexual abuse I am discussing in my paper is committed by pedophiles and hebephiles. What are some characteristics of pedophiles? Some characteristics include that the average nonincarcerated pedophilia molests 117 youngsters,
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“Sixty percent to 80% of incarcerated pedophilias started acting on their pedophilia as juveniles” (American Annals of the Deaf, v.147 No. 5, 2002, p30); the average duration of sexual abuse of a child is 2 years. These are just a few characteristics out of many. The main reasons that experts thinks there is such a high rate in pedophilia is that it is incurable. Many people believe that this illness can be treated-that is, that some pedophiles can, with the help of psychotherapy or chemical inhibition of their sex drive, learn not to act out their sexual desire for children. The facts that I have jus given make it clear that when pedophile snare discovered, it is important that the person should be reported to authorities to make sure that person can not do it again. But how does sexual abuse get into our deaf schools? There are several ways that sexual abuse can get into out deaf institutes. One way is to accidentally hiring a pedophiles as residential staff our as teachers. When pedophiles get these types of positions they have access to the most vulnerable groups of children that exist, those who are deaf. According to the American Annals for the Deaf, “ Most youth who are deaf get little or no sex education from their parents and many don’t get it at school because their family’s and school just don’t know how to sign back to them”(30). So if a deaf child had no education on sex, they probably really won’t know what is appropriate and what is inappropriate when an adult is mishandling them or trying to initiate a sexual environment. The child does not know any better. The child sees a person who has authority over them so that child thinks that whatever this person is doing to
Orlando 3 me must be somewhat “ok” or tolerable. And then when finally a child might want to talk about what has happened to them, they cannot communicate with most people because they are not fluent in American Sign Language. Basically anytime that a sex offender gain access to school, maybe through work, eventually his/hers victims tend to start offending other students and that type of behavior just keeps spreading. Most pedophiles are very crafty. They tend to pick out the children who are needier than others or the weaker of the children. A pedophile will most likely get along very well with children. They will try to be their friends and maybe ask to take them off campus to get some type of a treat. Some pedophiles like to buy their so called, “prey” gifts and make the children feel bad if they don’t let that pervert do certain things to them. Another way that pedophilia can enter into a school environment is from the home setting. Because children
