I blame the "adult material industry" machine myself for these perverts. Escalating behavior.
Of course anything is possible; but if so, where are those youngsters' Amber Alerts?
I think "reports of people trying to lure more than one child with candy" is bad enough behavior to warrant calling in the FBI.
I also disagree with the theory that limiting fun and natural social interactions between groups of children learning to navigate group social dynamics on their own by leaving some adult constantly hovering in the background, is the best answer (some of my best and also worst times as a shy child, centered around "playing with the neighborhood children"); but I suppose it's less complicated to control children, than it is trying to inhibit the adult perverts one iota.
How are we suppose to inhibit child predators?
We don't even know who they are, until After they have committed a crime.
I too played outside, all day when I was a small child, with very little supervision. Albeit, I was a few years older than three.
However, 'we are Not in Kansas anymore, Toto'.
Thousands upon thousands of child predators are out there.
It is imperative that we teach our children, even as young as 3, to be wary of certain people and situations.
It is also as imperative that we watch our children closely.
No one is saying that we need to sit on top of our children, but we must as a society protect our children at all costs.
There is no reason that we cannot take a small child to the playground And watch them closely from the 'Mom' benches.
What we need to work on is both teaching and watching the children.
We do not know the situation of the person supervising KM at the time of her abduction.
It is possible that a third child was in the mix and that child was taken in, to quickly change a diaper, leaving KM and her friend outside alone for 60 seconds.
Unfortunately, in this case, someone took advantage of a momentary lapse in supervision.
I am in no way blaming the adults in this situation.
For Years, this family will be second guessing themselves and asking, What If.
They do Not need to hear that from me or anyone else.
This just opens the dialogue as to what everyone of us can do better, to protect the children.
Is there room for improvement? Absolutely.
What we can all take from this case is that it can happen to Anybody and we Must take steps to protect our children at all costs.
If that means Never letting my 3 year old grandchild out of my sight And teaching her about 'bad people', then that is Exactly what I will do.
IMO.
