RADAR ALERT:
Tell the Associated Press (AP) to Publish Facts -- Not Disinformation

Virtually every week you read, hear, or see stories about female teachers having sex with their pupils. Yet, contrary to the experience of everyone reading this alert, the Associated Press just published a multi-part series on sexual predators claiming that 9 out of 10 were male. The false 9 out of ten claim was in the lead and longest story: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEACHER_SEX_ABUSE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The empirical research reality is found in a report by the U.S. Department of Education which notes on page 24 that 2 large survey studies found that about 43% of students reported that their abusers were female sexual predators: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf

Additional information can be found on Google under "Female Sexual Predators."

Finally, sexual abuse by adult females is not a victimless crime. The best evidence can be found in the transcript of a BBC Documentary titled "The Ultimate Taboo: Child Sexual Abuse by Women" described by the Canadian Children’s Rights Council as "a vivid and horrific programme in which the victims of sexual abuse by women told disturbing stories of emotional and physical damage:" http://www.canadiancrc.com/articles/BBC_Child_sexual_abuse_by_women_06OCT97.htm

So, what to do?

We urge you to send emails or letters to the Director of Media Relations for the Associated Press. Tell him they've already caused great harm by printing a multi-part series that misleadingly promotes the myth that only 10% of sexual predators are female. Tell him that the only way they can undo that harm is for them to follow up with a multi-part series on female sexual predators and the harms they cause to their victims. As always, be polite in your calls and emails.

Go to http://www.mediaradar.org/press_release_20071023.php to read RADAR’s press release on the AP's claims.

Then write, email, or call. Do it today!

Paul Colford, Director of Media Relations
Associated Press
pcolford@ap.org
If the email address above has gotten munged, type "pcolford-at-ap.org" but replace "-at-" with "@"
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Date of RADAR Release: October 29, 2007

Want to improve the chance that they'll pay attention to your letter? Click here.

R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://mediaradar.org