Like most good news stories, the ones we'll be airing Thursday and Friday night at 10pm came about because of viewer emails.
The first one came last summer, from an acquaintance of mine. She wrote that I needed to look into the issue of children molesting children at school. I assumed she meant kids in junior high or high school, but she told me that the daughter of a friend had become a victim while in kindergarten.
I started researching the story, and finally interviewed this mother last October. I also talked with school officials, who confirmed what the mother was telling me.
In December, an email came to the newsroom from a different mother. She wrote that her four year old daughter had been molested by four year old boys at daycare. I interviewed this woman, and the spokesman for the Iowa Department of Human Services - the agency that handles complaints against licensed daycares in the state.
We hope you'll tune in during the next two nights to learn about this kind of behavior among young kids. We're going to tell you about the agencies that oversee schools and daycares in Iowa, and how local police handle these sorts of cases. You'll also hear from counselors and forensic interviewers about this kind of behavior, what causes it, and what's normal and what's not.
As always, thanks for visiting the blog.
EEK
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
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3 comments:
Now that you've been airing the previews on this, I couldn't ever figure out what the lady was crying where her face was blacked out. I always saw the publicity for it, but never knew what it was for. That brings tears to my eyes just listening. How did you interview her and do this story with out a tear coming to your eye? Or did you have a moment where you were like in awww?! This is crazyness. Hope to hear back on how you did this.
I think that the parents of those kids who did this need to be investegated deeply to see where the heck those kids got this stuff in there head.I don't think a 4 yr old would ever have this in thier mind if not shown it at home or have had it done to them first,I don't like to suggest investigateing parents at the drop of a hat but I think this need to have them looked at, and deeply.Thank You
Frankly, I find all the hype about this story quite ridiculous. These are four-year-old children who don't know any better. In case no one has thought to say this, IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL. Kids at that age are curious and ignorant. Most adults you could talk to would have at least one or two childhood stories about times they or other children flashed/fondled their private parts in the presence of their peers. Does that mean that we have all been 'sexually abused' and are in need of therapy to ensure that we don't become molesters? If this had happened between a child and an adult, then yes--we can call it sexual abuse. But again: These are four-year-olds who don't know any better. Sure, it isn't something we're going to encourage, but the appropriate response is NOT to call Department of Human Services and become inconsolible. You just take the kids aside, explain that it's not appropriate, and that they shouldn't do it again. Simple as that. But please, let's not get so up in arms about something that is just an uncomfortable part of normal child development.
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