"Stranger offenders (hereafter called offenders) are people who abduct and/or abuse children they don't
know. They do not seek a relationship with the child, as do abusers who know the child. Instead, they see children as objects
for their use. They view children as weak, helpless, defenseless victims who can easily be manipulated to fulfill the offenders'
needs.
These offenders range from the passive exhibitionist to the sadistic murderer. Bribery, flattery, treats
and requests for help are common tricks they use to engage children. While some strangers will actually snatch a child away,
this rarely happens. Most children are lured into a seemingly innocent situation with someone who acts like a "nice" person.
Of particular concern are those pedophiles who "hang out" in places where they have access to children,
fast food restaurants, arcades, malls, movies, mini-markets, etc. These offenders will engage a child, molest them in the
bathroom or other readily available area and then release the child. These perpetrators tend to prefer boys and report molesting
hundreds of children in this manner.
Because there is no way to anticipate who these offenders are or what they will do, the best defense
is to keep unsupervised children away from strangers. This is first and foremost the responsibility of parents and other responsible
adults. But children also need to be educated, to learn rules that will reduce their risk when adult efforts to protect them
fail. " - Dr. Sherryll Kraizer
