Predators

by Anna C. Salter

Book Overview

From a leading expert, a window into the psychology that motivates sexual predators-and how we can protect ourselves from them Psychologist Anna Salter has been studying sex offenders and their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465071724
• ISBN13: 9780465071722
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

If you've been hurt, read this book

This direct, authoritative, and arresting book is the best I've read about sex crimes. It gives the invaluable insights promised about protecting yourselves and your children, but it's more than that: Reading it can be very useful for victims. Most victims, even when they know intellectually that what happened wasn't their fault, look at the healing process from their own perspective: "Why did this happen to me? Why was I picked?"The real question is, "Why did someone do this?" Understanding how abusers, rapists, and sadists think and plan and what they think about their victims is perhaps the only way to forever dispel the notion that the crime centered on the victim. One of the most startling revelations is that rapists are surprised that their victims expect them to recognize them in court: "Why would she think I'd know her?" The book also does a lot to dispel the irritating myth that abuse victims turn into abusers.If you want the truth--with no dogma, pontification, or unsupported speculation--read this book.

Tragedy

I had read this book some time ago, but due to the recent events involving the Florida girl I decided to come back here and write this review. This book is an excellent source of information. I wish that everyone, everywhere would read this to gain insight into what is going on around us. We have got to find a way to stop the molestations,rapes,abuse and deaths from happening to our children. As a society we need to read about what is happening to our children. Have a safe guard for the future.I also want two recommend to other books dealing with sexual abuse-Beauty For Ashes by Joyce Meyer and Nightmares Echo by Katlyn Stewart and then for child abuse-A Child Called It by David Pelzer. So very angry!!

Educational for All Parents

Anna Salter does a masterful job of drawing attention to the fact that we live in an increasingly dangerous world amongst sexual predators who are invisible right before our eyes. These predators are able to successfully gratify their pathological appetites because not only are they experts at deception but also because they take advantage of our naivete and willingness to believe that friendly, pleasant-looking adults are trustworthy and have only good intentions around our children.Salter points out that sexual assaults occur much more frequently than once thought. In addition, offenders are rarely caught because we are vulnerable to the distorted belief that we know who predators are, what they look like, and how they act.The majority of the book is devoted to correcting those distortions. It provides insights into how to identify child molesters and rapists and how sadists and psychopaths operate. After describing the fine intricacies of deception and providing some intriguing observations on what to look for when we believe a person is trying to deceive us, Salter concludes that lies are easy to miss. She admits to reservations about developing the ability to detect deception frequently enough to make a difference. Instead she proposes the most effective means of protection is to "deflect" sex offenders through increased awareness of the environment and more involvement in our children's lives.The more parents and adults educate themselves about those who abuse our children, the safer our society will become. The only glaring omission in Salter's work however, is the use of the Internet as a means to prey upon the young. A volume devoted to developing safeguards employing the same acumen and professional insights as used in this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED work would be a welcome addition to the subject.

Relevant for parents, but disturbing.

I disagree with the editorial review which opined that this "subject matter is likely to appeal more to police or psychology professionals." I am a parent, and not a police officer or psychologist, and I sat down with this book and read it nonstop because it was so compelling. I think the author does a great job of alerting readers to the danger we face from the human predators around us. She works with the Wisconsin Dept of Corrections and in the book has shared dialogue from interviews with a number of unsavory convicted criminals. Yet the truth is so disturbing that it is easier to blindly believe in an inner good in everyone.The book contains plenty of insight into the minds of child molesters, and a lengthy focus on deception and lying. There's an overview of how child molesters ingratiate themselves with trusting families in order to get at their victims. And how child rapists are given the freedom to commit their crime again and again when children aren't believed. "Niceness" is their masquerade, in the sense that people doubt that someone so "nice" could be doing something so horrible.The book also discusses victim-blaming, and why the victims of rape cope by thinking, "If only I hadn't done THIS, If only I hadn't been wearing THAT." And it talks about the wrongness of family therapy as a response to incest, because the perpetrator gets to hide behind the "dysfunctional family" label.There's a lot more in this well-written book, which I find very relevant to people who want to protect themselves and their own children. I recommend it.

A Disturbing Book about a Disturbing World.

I wish there was no need for this book. It speaks of things that shouldn't be done or even thought about. The title makes one think of something rare, unusual, and not of general interest. Unfortunately, the activities are all too common.The author is warm, likeable ... and even humorous at times.The subject is the worst case opposite.As parents we wish to raise happy, innocent children. Kites and kittens, puppies and dolls. Laughter and sunny memories. Anna Salter shows the cruel statistics, demonstrating that the dangers to children are much greater than commonly believed. She provides practical advice that the readers of the book can use to protect themselves and their loved ones.