6:19:00 PM EDT
Congressman Mark Foley of Florida's resignation has sent shock waves across Washington, coming as it does in the run-up of mid-term elections. And it has ramifications that cut to the core of the questions of protecting children and young adults not only from harmful content, but, equally, harmful and inappropriate contact on the web. Ironically, Rep. Foley had very close ties to this issue. He chaired the House caucus on missing and child exploitation and played a key role in the recent Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Here is what the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had to say on their website:
"In response to the numerous media inquiries we have received, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is issuing the following statement regarding the resignation of Florida Congressman Mark Foley:
News reports regarding interactions over the Internet between former Congressman Mark Foley and Congressional pages are deeply troubling and convey strong suggestions of child sexual exploitation. NCMEC is not privy to the specific facts of the case and thus, it is inappropriate for NCMEC to comment or speculate about them.
Child sexual exploitation via the Internet has become an enormous problem, reaching into every aspect of society. It is imperative that every person become more vigilant and that we enhance steps to keep children safe online.
Congressman Foley has been an effective and dedicated Member of Congress. Nonetheless, if it is determined that he has engaged in acts which have harmed children or put them in jeopardy, like any other person, he must be held accountable. If he has violated the law, he should be prosecuted."
Very well said. Of course, as a parent, I am appalled that a respected and long-term public representative could have carried on in this way and, seemingly, with the full knowledge of others in Congress who could have acted, but didn't . This is not a party political issue. This takes us back to the reality that child sexual predators have no obvious profile, apart from (mostly) being male. Once again, we need to ask ourselves what are the mixture of biological, social, psychological and emotional factors that lead ordinary men - many of them in positions of power and high responsibility - to act out in this way? A good deal of soul searching and much greater psychological research is needed to unearth this elusive and difficult question.
Written by stephenbalkam . Link to this entry | Blog about this entry | Notify AOL
