Trying to Protect our Children

One of the things that worry me about having a daughter is the number of sexual crimes that are reported in the news. You just have to turn on the local TV channel to get at least 1 report of rape. Newsboys would sell tabloids screaming lurid headlines of such crimes. Being a mom, I would not want my children to be exposed to such, but I'm aware that I can't protect them forever. I wish there were a way to Track Sex Offenders here in the Philippines, so that we can at least know who are the known culprits and at least try to avoid them. It's not a foolproof way, but at least it's a start.

Meanwhile, this situation does beg the question: Are crimes more rampant nowadays? Or are we just more aware of them because they're now reported? Unlike before when such crimes were considered "shameful" on the part of the victim and people don't report for fear that their reputation will be forever sullied and they won't be available to marry well afterwards. It's a sad fact that a lot of men like to play the field when they are single but expect their brides to be untouched during their wedding night. Although "rape" is not the victim's fault, with the consequences the victim faces, it might as well be, in the eyes of society then. Thankfully, men nowadays are a little more open minded about these things and realize that (1) virginity is not really an issue anymore and (2) a rape victim is a victim and not a criminal.