How to judge the risk in adults in terms of sexual abuse

 Many people wonder "which group of people is out there to abuse my child". Many parents, however, fail to realize that they are also abusing their child, and inadvertently putting a child in harms way in other way. The fact of the matter happens to be that over 80% of known child sexual abuse is committed by parents. There are different ways to tell if an adult is safe with your child, in terms of sexual abuse prevention. 

"It could be anyone" is only true with abuse as a whole. Certain parenting styles are associated with sexual abuse more than others. It is a myth that gentle parenting "causes" child perpetrators to sexually abuse children. Certain aspects of our parenting actually cushions the harm from the abuse. 

In reality, sexual abuse occurs either in highly permissive (sexual/behavioral neglect) or highly authoritarian environment, as per research into the parenting views of sexual abusers of children. In the United States, it is often seen by parents a way to "cure" a child of some spiritual ailment, such as promiscuity, homosexuality, or pedophilia. Permissive parents are a minority, and tend to be the pedophiles themselves, meaning clinically so, and have a reverse "L" complex - permissive/coddling father who punches out threats, deeming any instruction to set limits a threat.

Ultimately, the problem is that many child advocates have long seen sexual abuse as something outside of parenting, thus putting blinders on. A perpetrator might see sexual abuse as a form of parenting, and a way to be "the parent", when it clearly isn't so. Many times, it is simply a punishment for subtly defined infractions such as "being mad". When calling a sexual abuser "mad", they go mad, and they rip apart the place. I, on the other hand, get defensive in a minute, flinch sort of way, due to who I might associate myself with if I reacted another way. 

Many times, like any other abuse, it is because a parent does not know what to do, and/or defends such a way of life. That's one reason why I am punitive with pro-spanking parents. I just got slapped in the face when I was that out of control and emotional as a child. Some teenage girls got raped instead. I don't see it as a heirarchy, but rather quarters of the same slaveship that is childhood, each doing their part to keep the children down, while appear to be good, loving adults. I don't want to be seen as "good" as an adult simply for existing. What have I done for children? Everybody can do something, and then work from there. I simply treat them with respect, and don't sexually harass them at all.