By Jayne Flores
Recently, the Office of the Attorney General bragged about its decision to reward two men, each convicted of raping minors on Guam, with a one-way ticket to the Philippines. This action misses the point entirely. As former Sen. Tom Fisher wrote recently, are we supposed to be satisfied that these two pedophiles get one-way tickets to the Philippines–possibly (but hopefully not) to assault children there? Are we supposed to celebrate allowing pedophiles to evade justice here by unleashing them as free men in other vulnerable communities?
Where is the deterrence for this heinous crime? Let’s face it: We have a major problem. For the last five years, according to statistics compiled by the Guam Police Department’s Domestic Assault Response Team, 71% of the criminal sexual conduct complaints filed with GPD have been for actions perpetrated against minors.
What is it that causes a grown man to look at a child and think to force that child into a sexual act? (More often, it is a female minor, but sometimes boys are victims too.)
Some claim substance abuse - being drunk or high - which according to the law is not an excuse for any type of assault.
Or–and we are told this may be a possibility with younger perpetrators–the act of sexually assaulting another person is a learned behavior. Because it was done to them.
Another possibility is the seemingly ubiquitous availability of pornography on the internet, featuring adults who look like teenagers. At a sex trafficking conference I attended in Washington D.C. several years ago, one of the presenters noted that the average age for boys to start watching porn on the internet was 11 and a half. Other reports say age 13. Both are disturbing because pornography is not real and not the means through which young people should be learning about sex.
All parents should be paying attention to what their minor children are watching on any device. Period. Pay attention to their phones. And most importantly for men, pay attention to how you talk about women in the presence of your sons. How you treat their mother. How you treat all of the women in your life.
The Bureau of Women’s Affairs is addressing these issues in several ways. Our “Don’t be that guy” PSA campaign addresses male attitudes that contribute to sexual assault. We were also recently awarded a federal grant to increase awareness among youth of the many forms of sexual assault and what to do if you experience any of them. We will share this information through bathroom posters like the ones in female stalls in major airports targeting human trafficking. These posters will provide information about the signs of abusive behavior, and what youth can do if they feel they are in danger or if someone is sexually assaulting, stalking, or otherwise harming them.
The project will work with the Guam Department of Education, Department of Youth Affairs, Sanctuary, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, island businesses, and youth leaders from various organizations to put the posters in school bathroom stalls, mall and movie theater bathrooms, and other places where youth hang out. Teachers and counselors can use the posters as a catalyst for conversations about respectful versus damaging behavior and how to address it safely.
We need to confront the issues that are causing this alarming rate of sex crimes perpetrated upon minors–not be satisfied that a few of the perps are sent off the island. This disgusting, unacceptable behavior is a problem in every culture. So the question becomes: How do we stop it?
That is the real issue. And it’s one that merely kicking a few men off the island will not solve.
Jayne Flores is the director of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs.
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