This section provides
links to online resources that may help parents be more streetwise regarding
protecting children from abuse at sleep overs.
Child
Sexual Abuse: Its Scope and Our Failure Chapter six provides a report of sexual molestations occuring while
children were abused by nonparental caregivers. 6% of the abuse was
reported to have occured at sleepovers.
"May I express my personal warning about a practice that is common
in many cultures. I am referring to sleepovers, or spending the night at
the home of a friend. As a bishop I discovered that too many youth violated
the Word of Wisdom or the law of chastity for the first time as part of
a sleepover. Too often their first exposure to pornography and even their
first encounter with the police occurred when they were spending the night
away from home." Quoted from the conference address.
"Frequently a pedophile will offer children the opportunity to sleep
over with the prospect that they will change their clothing at night, subjecting
them to greater exposure. Sexual molestation at these 'sleepovers'
may take place with other children, or even the pedophile's wife situated
close by. The presence of others not only provides the pedophile
with cover, (i.e., How could anything have happened when there were so
many others present?), but also adds an element of danger to seduction
and abuse."
No Sleepovers.com Provides research, articles, and videos related to the dangers of
sleepovers.
Police believe 44-year old Vance Green would have killed his sick
wife to get to his daughter. The couple divorced and the girl came forward.
But she isn't the only victim, police believe there are at least 10 others.
Mike Wright: "They would come over and have sleepovers with his daughter.
They were good friends with his daughter."
Sex
Abuse Case Expands News report of a predator who assaulted children at sleepovers at
his home.
Utah
Officers Focus on Rescuing the Defenseless Report on the activities of the Unified Police Department's Family
Crimes Unit, consisting of seven officers. They reported the following
regarding their attitude towards sleepovers after working in the unit:
Likewise, members of UPD's Family Crimes Unit admit that because
of their work, there are different rules in their homes today concerning
their children than there were before they started working in the unit.
"No sleepovers," Carr said. "The rule about sleepovers is there are
none."
All of Carr's unit nods in agreement as he talks about why his children
aren't allowed to have sleepovers at other friends' homes.
"Nobody in here does sleepovers. I really didn't care before. I thought
it was something everyone does. Parents say, 'It's a part of childhood.'
Not now," he said. "You become more careful based on what you've learned
from your cases.