I thought kids these days were fond of the term "pedophile" and "stalker." But yeah, I see what you're saying.

I only talk or look at kids when they are an arms length away from their parents. I would never approach or talk to a child by themselves for fear of being accused as a child abductor.

Yes, the bad news is that your correct. I have known, and do know, many wonderful adult males that no longer coach little league sports because of the risk. In this sue happy society we are going overboard. Plus prosecutors that are looking for reelection just love this. It is not the fact that a crime has committed, but the fact that a charge has been made. We no longer look for proof, just what a person at times imagine. There is no hope left.

When I was a swimming instructor for special needs kids....we were told to never hug any of the kids or we could be brought up on charges should anyone see us and take it wrong. Now while I understand that completely I am a hugger and know how to give innocent hugs but having to stop hugging was the most hardest thing I had to do since most all kids love hugs. I use to change them into their swim suits ( boys and girls ) and I saw a lot of abuse so I understand and it sickens me.

I teach at a private school, in the public schools no one is allowed to touch. What an awful thing, not to be able to hug a 3 or 4 yr old who misses mom. Things have gotten ugly. The other day a little 5 year boy was crying in the boys bath room, he couldn't snap the top of his pants and he wouldn't come out, so I had to go in, I hurried!!!!!! All I could think was OH,OH!! I understand why people feel this way, it's so hard for us that just want to treat them like kids.

Try being a 40 year-old, single (divorced), male, volunteer youth pastor - and one who's extremely popular with, and genuinely loved by all the kids almost instantly, especially the troubled boys without strong or good father figures, who just flock to you. The fact was there was no way I could do my job in such a way that no one would ever suspect that I might be a pedophile - let alone be able to do it in such a way that no one would ever fear that someone else somewhere someday might suspect I was a pedophile (which is sadly the greater issue with churches these days). So I decided just to do my job boldly and passionately, virtually inviting suspicion - and encouraging people to investigate me and examine my work so that they'd know I wasn't. That worked extremly well throughout the 90's up through 2002. Unfortunately, a change of leadership (and an increase in both assets and debts) at the church brought a fixation on appearances and a fear of baseless accusations. So I was forced out in 2003 because I "had a history of bad judgment" - the bad judgment being that as a youth pastor I had failed/refused to avoid appearances of impropriety by pastoring youth - that is, I was guilty of doing my job well. But hey, now I'm teaching in Thailand, happily (even deliriously) married to a lovely Thai lady I a adore; and here I can talk, hug and roughhouse with kids to their hearts' content, and everybody loves me. No fears. No worries. No bogus paranoid suspicions fueled by media hype. No terrified employers desperate to keep their insurance premiums low and their press positive. In fact, parents are waiting in line and begging me to tutor their kids after school. Thailand btw, could stand to be a little more fearful of child molestors: the country's been a major magnet for them for decades. The fledgling middle class is getting a little concerned of late, and Interpol has just broken into the game and is, thankfully, making many arrests, but the poor not only don't worry, they often eagerly prostitute their own children to moneyed white pedophiles, hence the attraction of Thailand for them. But the improved economy has cut into the supply of willing prostitutes, child prostitutes included, so the pimps have taken to kidnapping to satisfy demand.