After reading mels blog on criminal execution i can't help but think about all the sex offenders just in our area. According to the United States Department of Justice there are at least 147 registered sex offenders that share my zip code. These are just the ones that have been caught, and have complied with there court ordered registration. I am sure there are plenty of offenders that have yet to be caught and there are some that have escaped the registry. honestly , i believe that the first place you have to really be looking for someone that might harm your child is in you own surroundings. You must screen anyone you associate with. Especially if you are singel and are searching for someone to help you raise your children. Too many times you see that a boyfriend or an acquaintance of the mother is the one responsible for a poor child having something so bad happen to them. Sometimes i can't help think that the mother may have been suspicious but put herself before her children. It may sound harsh especially since it is such a delicate subject but i can't help thinking that a lot of the innocence stolen from children may have been prevented. First of all since i was a child i was told in most cases the child is abused by a relative. So mothers and fathers always keep an eye peeled. Don't put anything past anyone, not when it comes to the safety of your children. Secondly, always ask your children how they feel around certain people like teachers and such. Also don't let them do things alone even if it's a "safe neighborhood." Take all the extra precautions. There is no way of escaping the world we live in, so we must do what little we can and try our best to protect our children.