Both men and women are listed on the sex offender’s registry. Although, when one thinks about a child predator, or a registered sex offender, typically a male figure initially comes to mind. Yes, this is a stereotypical jump to conclusion and unfair to men. Unfortunately, many females are required to register as sex offenders. Increasingly the media is reporting stories involving adult women who illicit or engage in sexual activities with underage males. It seems like it is becoming more common for female teachers to send inappropriate emails, text messages, pictures, or to be caught engaging in sexual behavior with their underage students.

The old cliché states it takes two to tango. However, in a situation involving an adult male or female engaging in any kind of sexual behavior with a minor, this writer believes it is the adult who should be held responsible, both legally and morally. I am not at this time referring to cases of consensual sex between an older male teen and what appears to be a similar in age female teen. In some situations the older male teen has been mislead about the females age by several years and thusly charged with statutory rape. Whether or not the male should be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life is a question I defer for another article.

Today I am focusing on the school situations. Does your school have a policy requiring a mandatory background checks on adults who volunteer in classrooms or accompany students on outings? How does your school district handle situations where a child’s mother or fathers are registered sex offenders? According to Missouri state Law, registered sex offenders are not allowed to reside within 1,000 feet of a school or childcare center, nor may sex offenders be present within five hundred feet of a school. However, exceptions are often made based on the situation.

Many schools mandate all volunteers, including parents, and all employees have to submit to a background check prior to any contact with students. However, just as many schools do not require this back ground check. How schools and even churches deal with parents who are registered sex offenders varies greatly. Who is watching your child in the church nursery or teaching your child Sunday school? For safety sake many churches now mandate background checks of any person who will have contact with children.

So now I ask how your school or church monitors the adults who work with your children. If you have never asked you may be in for some surprising answers. Please feel free to write in the Missing & Exploited Children Forum about any situations you have encountered. Until next time, may the angels keep you safe.