The Naked Truth About Sexual Predators: Myths Debunked

I work in a profession where I have to take at least an annual training about sexual abuse and sexual predators, and have done so for over 10 years. That there was still some new information or perspectives to be gained here is a ringing endorsement for the content at least in ‘The Truth About Sexual Predators.' The first and last parts are the strongest by far, with clear goals and structure to the information presented.

If I was basing my rating entirely on the information given, this could have been a much higher review. However, there were quite a few things that prevented me from doing so. I am not entirely sure if this was because it was an ARC copy that I received, but the formatting was very strange in numerous places. Many lists were words smashed together without commas or any type of punctuation, including spaces. There were also a few grammar errors that further made the reading a bit difficult at points.

For a nonfiction work published this year, I was also surprised by how dated the resources were, the vast majority of material coming from studies conducted in the 90s or even 80s. The most modern citation was only from 2000. While there are more modern references, chief among them, the Weinstein case, it was prefaced using the word “yesterday” which I wouldn't recommend for a publication. Even more so if that publication wasn't even from the same year as the case either.

I also liked the last section focusing on how to identify some characteristics of a sexual predator, but the way it is presented directly defies one of the myths the book is trying to debunk. The predator is labeled as “he” and the victim as “she” for that entire part. Using such labels only perpetuates the belief some hold that sexual abusers are only men and their victims are only women.

Overall though, I am still happy that I had the opportunity to read this book. And I recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, particularly those that work with children since this could be a valuable tool for helping identify grooming behaviors.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.