This life and how it is yours

I will be away next week so I'll need to decide what to do about an entry here and on the other blogs and if needs be set them to publish automatically.

I was out for a bit last week and a overheard conversation is something I feel talking about as it is relevant.

As some of you might know I had a career in Child Abuse prosecution so apart from former professional interest in keeping up with the latest guidance and research around the topic you could say I know a far bit about this.

Generally most research has shown the majority of children abuse in all forms tend to subject to it from within their own extended family and people who ordinarily children have contact with such as teachers, people in sports, scouting etc which is why we have safeguarding policies and procedures subject to inspection.

Strangers while having a potential to, play a small role in the overall scheme of things, certainly less than the "stranger danger" campaigns might suggest.

So to recap, the person likely to pose a risk probably looks like the average family man or woman.

I was going having a bit of time to kill in a small town park, admiring the gardens, watching the park staff out maintaining the grass, keeping myself pretty much to myself making no contact with any child as I became aware of man with what looked like a female partner following me.

I decided keeping a low profile probably was a good idea.

A few minutes later I hear his partner saying "and why are following them?" to which his reply is "They are wearing school uniform in a park and it's suspicious, like why would they?"

I had on at the time a red waterproof adults jacket, a grey pair of shorts that might well be associated with school, longish all grey socks but not turnover tops, hidden a blue adults piquet neck polo shirt and black children's shoes (cos well I am a child's fitting).

So only two items might meet his description at best but on his basis I'm so obvious, why hasn't it occurred to him I am hardly going do any thing on a very public setting especially when I not situated say by a swing but sat by a sensory garden for disabled people even if I was thinking interacting with a minor, which to avoid all doubts I most certainly would not?

It would be absolutely stupid to even try it and in my experience children can tell a adult 'playing' a child by looks from a child.

If you wanted to do that you'd be far better off dressing more like someone's Uncle or Dad with a t shirt and jeans on, blending in and there are very few cases of adults in any sort of school uniform caught making inappropriate contact with children.

I decided "bugger it" and just carried on as normal because I was doing nothing against either the law, a park by-law or causing a breach of the peace and challenging when he had not expressed those opinions directly to me or the public at large wasn't worth it.

Still it does show the stupidity of prejudice and the extent some feel it is their job to monitor others when they are not the police or park officials.

It's not putting me of being me cos there is nothing illegal or wrong with it.