4 Things You Need to Know About Child Molestation
How They Gain Victims' Trust
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The second thing Oprah wants every parent to know is molesters don't choose their victims at random. They seek out vulnerable children, gain their trust and seduce them.
"It's all very calculated, and it's all very deliberate," Oprah says. "Without trust … the sexual abuse is not possible. Trust is the number one factor that they need to succeed."
Robert, a man who has raped four young girls, says he gained the girls' trust by telling them he loved them. He also sought out girls who displayed similar characteristics. "I see anger in her—anger against her parents, retaliation against their parents," he says. "I see trust for them toward me."
Dawn says some molesters don't think they're doing any harm because they don't cause the child physical pain. "I think that's why [the abuse] continues, too, because of that trusting relationship," she says. "They oftentimes don't yell, don't scream, don't tell right away, which reinforces their belief system."
David says he was able to seduce and rape a family member because she was neglected by her parents. "I was the only one there in her world who would listen to her, who would validate her," he says. "That gave me such power over her."
"It's all very calculated, and it's all very deliberate," Oprah says. "Without trust … the sexual abuse is not possible. Trust is the number one factor that they need to succeed."
Robert, a man who has raped four young girls, says he gained the girls' trust by telling them he loved them. He also sought out girls who displayed similar characteristics. "I see anger in her—anger against her parents, retaliation against their parents," he says. "I see trust for them toward me."
Dawn says some molesters don't think they're doing any harm because they don't cause the child physical pain. "I think that's why [the abuse] continues, too, because of that trusting relationship," she says. "They oftentimes don't yell, don't scream, don't tell right away, which reinforces their belief system."
David says he was able to seduce and rape a family member because she was neglected by her parents. "I was the only one there in her world who would listen to her, who would validate her," he says. "That gave me such power over her."
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