quote:

Originally posted by maokaang:

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... child abuse is a world wide phenomenon ...

Yes, it is.

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... just as prevalent and rampant here as in poor SE Asian societies.

Who said that?

Casey's post that other posters were quick to agree with:

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It's more a world wide thing. Kids are easy targets period...don't matter what country they come from. There's just as much abuse going on in the West as there is in Asia I would imagine. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, whether it's behind a front door in your street or a front door in some town in Cambodia. It's been going on since the dawn of time & no doubt always will. It can be a sick, unfair world at times.

I agreed with Casey's statement "It's more a world wide thing." and clarified that in my reply. I did not say I agreed with everything Casey said; I can neither agree nor disagree with that part of his post as I've no idea what the figures are between the two regions.

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but it was pressure from outside the region that was his downfall (coupled with his own stupidity) ultimately.

I recall it was a certain UK Sunday Newspaper getting involved and identifying him to the authorities well done NOTW keep up the good work
colin 244

If you go in to any Crown Court on any given day I'm afraid you are more likely than not to find at least one 'child abuse' case before the courts.

Yep. It is unfortunately far more common than I had ever imagined. If you speak candidly with friends it is shocking - so common that there will certainly be people reading this thread who have been victims in some way, though I hope in as minor way as possible.
For many years it was not really talked about or understood and children suffered in silence. Now more know to speak up, thank god. It is still a more silent disease in other parts of the world. A number of people working in a certain industry in SE Asia have tales to tell about what went on in the family home in small villages where everyone knew everyone. I am not saying that the damage done had anything to do with their entering this profession but I remember reading a study of prostitutes in this country and the frequency of an abused background (don't have the source).
So it seems there are no rules: it happens in more fractured societies like our own and in villages.
As for the wrapping in cotton wool, as a parent I am alert but hope not to fill my child with dread. The best hope is that kids know it is wrong as what seems to cause many of the problems in later life is the self-hatred through often having "gone along" with the abuse, not knowing it was wrong.
An amateur opinion.

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I can neither agree nor disagree with that part of his post as I've no idea what the figures are between the two regions.

"I still refuse to believe that child abuse is as rampant in the West as in SE Asia."

These are not figures I have got from some statatition. My opinion is formed on fact...the fact I lived it as a child! The fact I know plenty of others who lived it too. Child abuse is not a myth, anecdotal or something that happens purely to kids in S.E Asia. Nor is child abuse any more likely to be committed by a family member as opposed to a 'friend' or total stranger ( Henson's bogeyman ). It happens in all walks of life & it happens here in the UK to kids every single day so please...nobody tell me otherwise because unless you've lived it you aint got a clue as to what you are talking about!! Some of the opinions here I find insulting...but I except we are all allowed an opinion. Just understand this...if you think this stuff happens purely in far away lands & to the odd few kids here then you want to wake up! There is nothing rare about child abuse, it is just kept quiet! We ( victims ) didn't ask for this s**t to destroy our childhood & to burden us for the rest of our lives, it just happend because we were unlucky. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I'm sure I speak for many when I say we don't want to hear that 'it don't happen here'...because we know different. We've had to endure it!!!

I don't think that anyone is saying that it dosen't happen here. It does all of the time. However, I think I'm right when I say that in the majority of cases the act is committed by someone who is known to the child/family, as I said before often by someone who is in a position of trust. I firmly beleive that cases of abuse committed by 'bogeymen' are, thankfully, a very small minority.

Keith

I remember that as a child in the 60s I was allowed to roam pretty much at will. But my parents always insisted "Don't talk to strangers and be back before dark."

Child prostitution crisis

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Mark Leigh of Barnardo's runs a project working with rent boys at London Bridge.

He said: "I think that the sexual exploitation of children is actually spiralling out of control as we speak.

"Of course child sex exploitation goes on in the developing world.

"It goes on in Bangkok but it's also happening in Birmingham and Bristol and Brixton.

"It's our problem, it's on our doorstep and we need to do something about it."

If you look at how much money the Catholic church has had to pay out in settlements for the abuse it covered up in America then I think its safe to assume that it is widespread in the West. It also appears that some organisation goes into suppressing the truth - theres a big case going to come to prominance in Portugal soon involving the police, judiciary and other important people.
At least here its talked about more now so hopefully the victims will feel more confidant that they will be heard, and more abusers will be brought to justice.
I cant imagine the hell these kids go through.

Rob

And it is clearly not just "Stranger Danger", child abuse is prevalent in people whi know their abuser. I just cannot understand how someone can think it is being blow out of proportion or hyped up, the sad fact is that child abuse is happening all the time, in the West and in South East Asia and you can bet in most countries in the world. Again to reiterate points already made by others, I doubt the victims would agree with comments that it is ancedotal

This will be my last contribution to this thread as there is no point in continuing a discussion where attitudes are so entrenched.

I did not mean to cause offense but nonetheless do not regret any of the things I have said. I believe that current notions of "stranger danger" are out of proportion - and I felt like stating it when so often you see that people just accept the notion that "stranger danger" is a top priority threat in current society.

I see no point in coming up with one link after another trying to "prove" that society's obsesssion with this is fully justified. It is impossible to reach a consensus on whether the obsession with/attention to this issue is excessive or whether it isn't.

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Originally posted by Henson:
This will be my last contribution to this thread

Ahh, but mate, you've made more last posts than Quo have done farewell tours

The news that started this thread has finally filtered through to the English language newspapers in Thailand:

Bangkok Post: Old Briton held for child sex abuse

Nation: British man, 74, arrested for sexual abuse of boy, 14

the peado arrested has been spotted sun bathing on the diana estate acording to another web site he is out on bail on a lesser charge /aidan

I remember when I was a child more than 50 years ago, my parents always told me never to talk to strangers as there where Dirty old men out there, so it was going on even then, but never mind all the facts and figures, you can go on about them all day long, even one child anywhere in the world is one to many.

While child sexcual abuse by strangers is a rarity, its commercialisation in some parts of SE Asia needs to be fought hard.

A far far bigger problem, though, is the exploitation of child workers across the world- exploitation which helps us all to buy ever cheaper clothes and other goods in UK high streets. Naturally, newspapers are less keen to focus on this kind of child abuse, perhaps as it is less stimulating for their readers.

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While child sexcual abuse by strangers is a rarity, its commercialisation in some parts of SE Asia needs to be fought hard.

A far far bigger problem, though, is the exploitation of child workers across the world- exploitation which helps us all to buy ever cheaper clothes and other goods in UK high streets. Naturally, newspapers are less keen to focus on this kind of child abuse, perhaps as it is less stimulating for their readers.

I thought you had gone

I said I would pop in from time to time, and despite your best efforts over the years, I think I still have the right to offer an opinion.

Not least, I'm hoping to spend most of next summer in the LOS, hopefully with my (filipino!) girlfriend, so I'll be back to check out the latest deals and make sure Thailand is still in one piece!

Ian

quote:

Originally posted by IanB:
While child sexcual abuse by strangers is a rarity, its commercialisation in some parts of SE Asia needs to be fought hard.

A far far bigger problem, though, is the exploitation of child workers across the world- exploitation which helps us all to buy ever cheaper clothes and other goods in UK high streets. Naturally, newspapers are less keen to focus on this kind of child abuse, perhaps as it is less stimulating for their readers.

Why? Is it really exploitation or is it just a case of the West trying to impose it's own version of morals onto other countries?

I agree with others that this is a world wide problem.
If truth were to been know I would say this happens more regularly than we would like to believe and its NOT all media hype.
The headline on a local news station yesterday was, Paedophile cannot be jailed.
The court was told he was a sexual predator who raped one girl and sexually abused another.But due to him recently developing a psychiatric illness he can not be sent to jail and is not ill enough to be sent to a mental hospital.
The judge has ordered he be remanded untill she sees further information about him and the precations that can be imposed to protect the community before he is released back into the community.
Now what the hell is happening in our legal system and what message is it sending out to allow a know paedophile, who was also convicted in 1980 for sexsual abuse to walk free.
Where is the justice for those two girls? personally I think our legal system is a joke and there is to much human rights towards the crimminals and nowhere near enough towards the victims.
Its about time ours and other legal systems came down hard on these monsters because at the moment the punishment does not merit the crime.
These two girls were not just raped by a sex predator they were raped by our own legal system and it STINKS.

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Originally posted by maokaang:

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Lose the myopic vision Cliff.

IT's a SE Asia thing, not just Thailand.

I agree with CJ:

Lose the myopic vision Thad. It's a worldwide thing, not just SE Asia.

I also don't think Cliff is implying 'it's a Thai thing', just that it's a shame recent news events have come from Thailand.

it is indeed a worldwide problem of probably more or less equal magnitude in most countries (i once read that london had one of the world's highest concentrations of child prostitutes) but, judging by the frequency that thailand crops up in these cases rather than other countries, it seems that thailand does attract an influx of paedophiles and other undesirables who are on the run.

do u think the resulting negative perception of thailand as an exotic "costa del crime" is one of the reasons that thailand is enforcing its visa rules, which are among the world's most liberal, more strictly now?

ian.

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Originally posted by ian canton:
... do u think the resulting negative perception of thailand as an exotic "costa del crime" is one of the reasons that thailand is enforcing its visa rules ..

I wouldn't have thought so, but it may do in the future according to fish's link:

"... The Neil [Canadian Suspect] and Jones cases are expected to prompt a tightening of immigration regulations on foreign teachers in Thailand.

"We will be asking the Immigration Department for more information on foreign teachers in Thailand," said [Thai Interpol officer Colonel] Apichart ..."