Wow thanks Joe - that is a great read. Another thing that has changed about rape in the last decade or so is the premise (which always made sense to me) that rape (the ACTUAL definition) was a crime of power and not sexual. Because of the change in the definition of rape it has now become a crime that is sexual ....

I always love it when someone puts into words (nicely I might add) something I have felt or thought ...

I am one of those who have seen the definitions "morph" over time until now even "inappropriate touching" telegraphs whatever the hearer imagines. Baby raper, child predator. forever dangerous whatever...the definitions change with the fashion in words but they are all meant to telegraph Once a 'pervert' always a ...whatever...

I am especially concerned (maybe because I am concerned about young people) that young sex-curious impulsive kids who "inappropriately touch' other under-age youngsters are arrested and charged (using the legal / adult definitions of rape) and often remanded to adult court and into adult prisons and required "treatment" based on the 'correct treatment' prescribed for their label affixed in the pre-sentence report.

Never mind that a child/ youngster who does "inappropriate touching' will almost certainly "inappropriately touch" another child...(and if they inappropriately touch anyone over 18-21 they would automatically be labeled the victim not the perpetrator) but the label affixed to such a child is "child molester" and later as he gets older and faces a parole board etc...baby-raper or even dangerous sex-predator or even "Pedophile" because his original crime of "Inappropriate touching involved (another) child. So as time goes on his crime, first defined in Adult terms as though committed by an adult shapes there trajectory of his entire life...and that of his family and what sort of person he is told by therapists that he is. If their therapy is not effective they don't see that perhaps the original label / definition was wrong, but they say he has not responded to their "correct" treatment...the treatment proscribed by his "Label"? But treating the Label is not treating or / even helping the person as he ages through the legal system.
Don't we all wish every case involved a defense attorney prepared to ask precise questions?

Thank you.