Community Roll Call

I recently had the opportunity to meet with a State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registration Specialist and the Executive Director of 10-34, www.ten34-org, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families navigate through life with proactive measures. During that conversation the subject of facts vs. myths as it relates to sexual offenders was brought up. The people with 10-34 provided me with a great fact sheet. Throughout the next few weeks I will share that fact sheet with you in stages because of its length. At the end of each posting all the references will be listed so that not only is the proper credit given, but so that you may do some further research. We all hope that you find this particular series of blogs helpful.

Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders – Part I

There are many misconceptions about sexual offenses, sexual offense victims, and sex offenders in our society. Much has been learned about these behaviors and populations in the past decade and this information is being used to develop more effective criminal justice interventions throughout the country. This document serves to inform citizens, policy makers, and practitioners about sex offenders and their victims, addressing the facts that underlie common assumptions both true and false in this rapidly evolving field.

Myth:
"Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers."

Fact:
Most sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim or the victim's family, regardless of whether the victim is a child or an adult.

Adult Victims:

Statistics indicate that the majority of women who have been raped know their assailant. A 1998 National Violence Against Women Survey revealed that among those women who reported being raped, 76% were victimized by a current or former husband, live-in partner, or date (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). Also, a Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that nearly 9 out of 10 rape or sexual assault victimizations involved a single offender with whom the victim had a prior relationship as a family member, intimate, or acquaintance (Greenfeld, 1997).

Child Victims:

Approximately 60% of boys and 80% of girls who are sexually victimized are abused by someone known to the child or the child's family (Lieb, Quinsey, and Berliner, 1998). Relatives, friends, baby-sitters, persons in positions of authority over the child, or persons who supervise children are more likely than strangers to commit a sexual assault.


Myth:
"The majority of sexual offenders are caught, convicted, and in prison."

Fact:
Only a fraction of those who commit sexual assault are apprehended and convicted for their crimes. Most convicted sex offenders eventually are released to the community under probation or parole supervision.

Many women who are sexually assaulted by intimates, friends, or acquaintances do not report these crimes to police. Instead, victims are most likely to report being sexually assaulted when the assailant is a stranger, the victim is physically injured during the assault, or a weapon is involved in the commission of the crime.

A 1992 study estimated that only 12% of rapes were reported (Kilpatrick, Edmunds, and Seymour, 1992). The National Crime Victimization Surveys conducted in 1994, 1995, and 1998 indicate that only 32% of sexual assaults against persons 12 or older were reported to law enforcement. (No current studies indicate the rate of reporting for child sexual assault, although it generally is assumed that these assaults are equally under-reported.) The low rate of reporting leads to the conclusion that the approximate 265,000 convicted sex offenders under the authority of corrections agencies in the United States (Greenfeld, 1997) represent less than 10% of all sex offenders living in communities nationwide.

While sex offenders constitute a large and increasing population of prison inmates, most are eventually released to the community. Some 60% of those 265,000 convicted sex offenders noted above were supervised in the community, whether directly following sentencing or after a term of incarceration in jail or prison. Short of incarceration, supervision allows the criminal justice system the best means to maintain control over offenders, monitor their residence, and require them to work and participate in treatment. As a result, there is a growing interest in providing community supervision for this population as an effective means of reducing the threat of future victimization.

Part II to follow.

Acknowledgments

The Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) would like to thank Rob Freeman-Longo for principal authorship of this brief. We would also like to thank Donna Reback for her contributions to this document. Kristin Littel and Scott Matson edited the document.

Internet: www.csom.org

References

Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, "Reducing Sexual Abuse through Treatment and Intervention

Recently there have been some entries to and theft from motor vehicles in the City. Most of them are taking place during the overnight hours, in residential areas, with valuables left in plain sight and with the motor vehicle unlocked. How can you prevent becoming the victim of this type of crime?

1. Never leave anything of value in your motor vehicle, not even that loose change that accumulates after a quick stop at the convenience store or restaurant.

2. Lock your motor vehicle at all times, no matter what time of the day it is or where it is parked. Locking it will deter most thieves.

3. If you leave your motor vehicle in the driveway over night, make sure that all exterior and landscape lighting is left on during all hours of darkness.

4. If you park in a garage, lock the garage door(s) and window(s). If needed upgrade all the door and window locks to the most secure you can find.

Taking these precautions will not guarantee you will not be a victim but it does lessen your chances. You can never take away a thief’s or burglar’s desire or ability, but you can certainly take away the opportunity for them to commit a crime.

It seems like it took forever for this area to get some solid, consistent weather that is ideal for bike riding. Bike riding is good for the heart and soul. It brings friends and families together and helps to keep the kids occupied during the summer months.

I would like to remind everyone that safety comes first and provide you with some bicycle safety tips. Many of these are just a review, but important nonetheless.

• Always wear a helmet when riding
• If you are wearing long pants, secure the cuff so it does not get caught in the chain
• Wear highly visible clothing
• Wear a good shoe that covers the foot and toes completely; no sandals or flip flops
• No headphones should be worn while riding, being able to hear is important
• Always tell others of your intended route and planned time of return
• Keep a water bottle with water or a sports drink to help prevent dehydration
• Remember and use the appropriate hand signals for slowing, stopping and turning
• Make sure you have a red reflector on the rear of your bike, and a white one on the front.
• Consider having amber or white reflectors mounted to the spokes of both wheels
• When riding at night, have a bright white light mounted on the front of your bike
• A warning device such as a bell or horn, used as a warning when approaching and passing others
• If you don’t have a warning device, announce that you are passing and on what side
• Be aware of your surroundings when riding, especially when on trails or off road
• Always lock your bike and secure any valuables whenever you are not actually riding

Many people don’t realize this but it is a Wauwatosa ordinance to have your bicycle registered if you live in the City. This can be accomplished free of charge at Johnson’s Cycle and Fitness, 6916 W. North Ave, any of the Fire Stations and the Wauwatosa Police Department.

Another fact that many bike riders are unaware of is that when on the roadway, a bike rider is subject to all the same rules and laws that a motor vehicle is subject to. This includes speed limits, traffic signs, traffic signals and yielding the appropriate right of ways. Violators can be issued a traffic citation even if they do not hold a drivers license. Also, bikes have to remain single file on a roadway to allow motor vehicles clearance to pass. If bikes are not single file, those riders not closest to the curb can be cited for impeding traffic.

On the same topic, motorists need to remember that bike riders have equal rights to the road. As long as motorists and bike riders heed all the rules of the road, everyone can get around without incident or injury.

The warm weather has arrived; along with it comes the opportunity, or in some cases the need to do some work outdoors. As such, many Wauwatosa residents will be running between their homes, garages and garden sheds. Please be aware of the fact that it doesn’t take someone long to remove items from any of these places. Think about the physical location of each of these structures, and then think about all the blind spots that are created when you may be moving about or occupied with a specific task. Is it possible that someone may be able to enter your garage undetected while you are mowing your front lawn? If you are inside your shed or garage are you able to observe all the entry points to your home? These are only two of many questions to consider but I think the point is made.

Too often people have been the victims of theft or burglary while busy maintaining their property. The safe way to conduct business is to keep doors to these structures locked while you are away from them. It may seem like extra work to secure windows and doors if we are out of the line of sight, but if we take away the criminal’s opportunities then we prevent a crime.

This same concept should be applied when moving items to and from your vehicle. There have been past incidents of theft of groceries or other items while they were in the process of being loaded or unloaded from a vehicle.

As always, we ask that you continue to be alert to suspicious or abnormal activities in your neighborhood. If anything suspicious is observed, it should be reported to the police department immediately.