I wrote last year about the questions that some journalism professors were raising about NBC’s “To Catch A Predator” series. Now, a New York attorney points out that the entire series is probably counter-productive:
In the big picture, not only does TCAP have no discernable effect on child molestation, but similar to many laws passed in haste in response to public outrage, it may even be counter productive. The media love “stranger danger” when it comes to “your kids”–yet the real dangers to children, sexually, are primarily from relatives and family friends.
Such counter productive effects are a common result of our societal obsession with child abuse. (They can be seen also in the War on Terror.) Fox News and Bill O’Reilly in particular have been successfully lobbying states to require a 25 year mandatory sentence for first offense child molestation. Even with the greatest intentions in the world, a far stretch when talking about O’Reilly, such a law will only encourage real child predators to kill their victims/witnesses.
Its clear TCAP/PJ are not helping “the kids”–but rather helping NBC’s bottom line, and PJ’s demented cleansing agenda. Incidentally, it has been a huge money spinner for Hansen and NBC (see CJR). Hansen is getting his ratings and fame, PJ is getting the media coverage it craves, so who cares if dozens of misguided men have their lives ruined and one has his brains blown out? It is all in a day’s ratings for NBC and coverage for a group whose name says more about themselves than their fight - Perverted Justice.
Interestingly enough, NBC News doesn’t seem to be running the show as much as they used to.
H/T: Freedom Democrats
February 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
If a stranger showed up from out of the blue and had sex with his daughter after an online chat, and all Crackpot Anderson could say was that the predator’s actions were “misguided” he would deserve to be disbarred. This Anderson is obviously not playing with a full deck and should be investigated to see if he has ever harmed a child. He seems a little bit too eager to stick up for the human garbage that is our nation’s sex predators.
Can’t you see this Anderson is just a sexual predator? Any time somebody says they are against laws dealing with sex predators, you can bet your bottom dollar they want sex with children. Don’t let the fancy job description fool you, you can not trust this Anderson as far as you can toss him.
Did you see the game he played? When dealing with the rush to enact very stiff prison sentences for first time sex offenders (something which is long overdue), he pulls off the threat game. “Don’t you dare enact those laws, or we will start killing our victims.” This Anderson is mentally deranged. He has no business attacking Chris Hansen, Perverted-Justice or Dateline NBC. He obviously has decided to stick up for the sexual predators of the world, and the only thing us normal people, who would never harm a child and want those would would punished, can do is ignore him and laugh off his pathetic actions.
I do not trust you. Anybody opposed to To Catch a Predator obviously has some lurid secrets. They are either a sex predator or would do anything in the world to become one.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:26 am
“Interestingly enough, NBC News doesn’t seem to be running the show as much as they used to.”
Sexual predators do not live in a bubble. Every one knows about To Catch a Predator at this point.
Some how men are still getting arrested in this country for soliciting minors online, but the days of Dateline setting up a sting operation and 30 to 50 reprobates showing up are over.
The last investigation only 7 dumb predators shamed themselves on it. Great news. It only took 3 long years for the sick men to get the hint that they won’t find underage tail online. I’m sure at least a couple sick predators have turned down real opportunities for underage sex after an internet chat in the past few years, because they incorrectly figured the would wind up on To Catch a Predator.