I don't trust my daughter with anyone that I don't get to know and trust myself. During my lifetime, I learned that their are scumbags out there and not interested in the well being of that child. I'm not talking about the RSO across the street. I'm talking about John the pimp, Ruben the dealer, Taylor the smuggler, Hector the gang recruiter, etc.

Understood. The important thing to consider is that in a youth liberated society, your daughter would likely be far less reluctant to introduce you to all of her friends, both peers and adults. She wouldn't be nearly as likely to feel any need for secrecy, and you and many other parents, in turn, would feel a lot less need to maybe be over-protective and overcompensate to keep her safe. If the person she introduced you to was truly bad, you could more easily keep an eye on things if she felt able to carry on the friendship in public, and you and others who did have her well-being in mind would be in a much better position to intervene if necessary.

Btw, I find it ironic that you named the pimp John; you would think his workers' clients would find that humorous :-)

Sometimes the good guys are actually the bad guys just take my case as an example. The investigation process and how it was dealt was way more harmful than the rape itself. You know what I find interesting, I hardly remember all the detail of when I was raped as a kid, but I could go into details about the doctor office, the detectives and how the desks where layout, foster care house, the courthouse, the two psychologists, even the car the social worker drove in. After the case was closed and I was able to return to my family, I was scared of cops as a kid. I used to hide from them when I saw them that is how traumatized I was as a kid.

I'm glad you mentioned these points, concerned aunt. Your case amply displays how the oft-mentioned "intervention process" by the cops and social workers could be the true traumatizing factor in situations where an intergenerational relationship was mutually desired but "found out," if they can add this much to the trauma of a girl like yourself who was actually raped. Of course, in cases of actual rape, the system does need to get involved and investigate, but I wish they could go about things differently to consider how scary they can come off to a genuinely victimized child.

It isn't a nice world out there. It would be nice that we could socialize our kids by experiencing interaction between as many people and things as possible. I am a big firm believer if you open your ears, you could learn from anybody or anything around you, and it is our prejudgments and misconceptions that usually cloud our learning ability. In reality, parents need to use caution who they trust their baby with because it is hard to know who has the best intention for that child. I can't just give my daughter to my neighbor to take her to his church when I never met that neighbor before.

Which is why establishing communication and dialogue with others is very important. It's easy to mistrust strangers for all the reasons you mention. Sadly, however, the vast majority of real abuse and crimes perpetrated against children by adults happens from adults they know very well, not Dirk the neighbor at the other side of the street, or Casey the drag queen who hangs out at the local club.

Side note: You know who is the most expensive coyotes? The border patrol.

I've gotten so used to seeing Trucker refer to cops as "bears" that I often call them that myself in RL without even thinking about it; can I now add "coyotes" to my personal vocabulary in regards to border patrol officers? :-) I am now wondering what type of animal nickname National Guard officers have been given.