- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books (April 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0465071724
- ISBN-13: 978-0465071722
- Product Dimensions: 24.7 x 15.8 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,356,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
A world-renowned expert provides a psychological profile of serial sex offenders-how they think, how they deceive their victims, and how they elude the law.. Psychologist Anna Salter has been studying sexual offenders and their victims for more than twenty years. What she has learned in countless hours of interviews with sexual predators-from respected community leaders to clergymen and trusted family friends-will shock and outrage readers.What motivates sexual abusers? Why are so few caught? Drawing on the stories of abusers, told in their own words, Salter shows that sexual predators use sophisticated deception techniques and deliberately rely on misconceptions surrounding them to evade discovery. A man who raped more than ninety people tells how he fooled authorities by inserting elements of truth into his story. As recent reports of abuse by priests have shown, abusers often lead double lives in their communities. Two girls repeatedly raped in front of each other told Salter that their assaulter was "still moderator of the town meetings." Arguing that even the most knowledgeable among us can be fooled, Salter dispels the myths surrounding sexual predators and gives us the tools to protect our families and ourselves.
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The woman across from me has a lyrical voice that is mesmerizing. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The woman across from me has a lyrical voice that is mesmerizing. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Never knowingly under-sensationalized, this polemical tract is only for those who like their 'facts' to be served up in the form of tabloid headlines. (The paradox contained in its title might be the first clue.)
A happily unacademic work, Salter's 'methodology' consists of selecting the most melodramatic examples of stories gathered from her years of employment within prisons, and then somehow extrapolating these questionable anecdotes to society in general.
Her message is clearly enunciated: fear and ignorance should be our guides in approaching life. Which, unfortunately, is also likely to be the alluring nature of this book, and its tendency for mass-appeal; it repeats the same comforting fairy-tales that we so desperately *want* to believe in; that mythical world of monsters and demons, princesses and knights. These fables may be deeply comforting, and we may relish their uncomplicated familiarity, but to pretend - and under the guise of authoritative academia - that such fictions are anything other than tools for manipulation would be unconscionable.
More positively, mention must be made of the author's genuinely impressive ability not to allow her storyline to be clouded by anything resembling intellectual insight. Salter is not alone, of course, in cherry-picking those 'sources' that support her adaptation of the story, although the transparent straw-man approach to the work of genuine scholars still has the power to startle.
For those readers who honestly wish to avoid an hysterical abreaction (and who appreciate that whilst fairy-tales may be enchanting, what we actually need are *new* approaches), then Kincaid's Erotic Innocence: The Culture of Child Molesting and Levine's Harmful to Minors should absolutely be their first port of call.
A happily unacademic work, Salter's 'methodology' consists of selecting the most melodramatic examples of stories gathered from her years of employment within prisons, and then somehow extrapolating these questionable anecdotes to society in general.
Her message is clearly enunciated: fear and ignorance should be our guides in approaching life. Which, unfortunately, is also likely to be the alluring nature of this book, and its tendency for mass-appeal; it repeats the same comforting fairy-tales that we so desperately *want* to believe in; that mythical world of monsters and demons, princesses and knights. These fables may be deeply comforting, and we may relish their uncomplicated familiarity, but to pretend - and under the guise of authoritative academia - that such fictions are anything other than tools for manipulation would be unconscionable.
More positively, mention must be made of the author's genuinely impressive ability not to allow her storyline to be clouded by anything resembling intellectual insight. Salter is not alone, of course, in cherry-picking those 'sources' that support her adaptation of the story, although the transparent straw-man approach to the work of genuine scholars still has the power to startle.
For those readers who honestly wish to avoid an hysterical abreaction (and who appreciate that whilst fairy-tales may be enchanting, what we actually need are *new* approaches), then Kincaid's Erotic Innocence: The Culture of Child Molesting and Levine's Harmful to Minors should absolutely be their first port of call.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although clearly written by someone who has extremely good insight into the dark world of sexual and violent predators, paedophiles and rapists, the conclusions are a little too misanthropic and typical American "buy a gun tomorrow or you'll be dead". However, it is a very good learning book for how to recognise these characters and that's why this book is a very interesting and good reading.
Format:Paperback
No fear-mongering here; a friend of mine works in the police force, and he backs all this information up. So it's all real, and it's detailed, but I couldn't get through it - I was looking for a more practical guide, something a little less horrifying. The moral of the story is: vigilance isn't "helicopter parenting"; keep an eye on your children. There are plenty of freaks around everywhere, waiting for an opportunity.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Over-the-top but a good guide
Salter does have a tendency to blow things out of proportion. After reading this book, you may feel as though everyone is out to get you and monsters are waiting around every... Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2010 by Ms. Lisa Mcintosh
Too long and detailed to be readily useful
Far too much detail to be a useful everyday guide to the subject. The book needs to be heavily edited and truncated if it is going to be of everyday help to parents.
Published on 10 Oct 2009 by zippy
Real Self Defence
This is a great book which will provide invaluable insights to people wishing to protect themselves and their children from the most loathsome elements of human society. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by Lark
One of the Most Invaluable Books
The title of this invaluable book speaks for itself and it most certainly provides important insights and powerful lessons about protecting oneself and one's children from getting... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2008 by Zadius Sky
Essential reading for all parents!
The title of this book is not one that jumps out at you and says read me, as it is a book that casts light on a dark area of society, one that most prefer to ignore or shut out. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2008 by Aeneas
A Must read...Protect yourself and your children
`Predators' is an incredibly readable and fascinating look at paedophiles, sadists, rapists, psychopaths and other sex offenders. Read more
Published on 30 May 2007 by Sarah Durston
A real eye opener
This really is a fantastic true but scary book. Every parent or child carer should read this. Some parts were very descriptive however necessary, especially when talkng about sex... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2003
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