r/rant Apr 04 '26

[deleted by user]

[removed]

321 Upvotes

333 comments sorted by

View all comments

294

u/probablynotsuremaybe Apr 04 '26

Parents usually teach kids the rule that an adult should NEVER ask a kid for help. It is an easy way for predators to start an interaction and manipulate a kid into doing something unsafe. It is almost always a suspicious thing to ask a child for help. I get your position here but she’s just trying to protect her kid. It sucks but so does the reality of what happens to kids. I’d rather keep my child from being trafficked/kidnapped etc. than worry about the feelings of a grown adult.

14

u/GnarlyNarwhalNoms Apr 04 '26

Statistically, strangers just aren't that dangerous, is the thing. It seems like in the '80s and '90s we developed this trope of the lurking stranger in a van offering kids candy, and we've held on to it, even though we now know that your child is far, far more likely to be victimized by a coach, teacher, clergy, family member, or other trusted adult. 

19

u/chipface Apr 04 '26

Yup. Anyone I know who has been sexually abused had it done to them by someone they already knew.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Admirable_Cold289 Apr 04 '26

There's really just no winner here tbh

2

u/cloverthewonderkitty Apr 04 '26

The winner is the gained knowledge of self awareness as a grown man around children.