Should convicted sex offenders be banned from social networks like Facebook and MySpace?

Sex offenders are not suppose to be in contact with minors , it's like allowing carreer criminals who kill people to have the right to a gun. It's not because it,s an online social network made up of people that the harm done in the real world should be exonorated and forgotten. The criminals and offenders have to many rights and defender as it is.

Would you tolerate a child rapist to come talk to your child or sister or brother on those social sites, because they served time? Personnaly I say no. You lost your right to be equals to me as I have commited no crimes and was convicted of none and frankly I prefer your not in my social network or allowed acces to them as I don't want to connect or have any relation with criminals.It's better to remove the privilege of a few ,as accessing a website is a privilege, then to allow anyone to be under harm.

Even more when it,s the most defensless of the society that are usualluy the target , womens and childs.

I think if they served time for their crime and were released back into society, then they should be allowed to use social networks. Whether or not the person you are communicating with online is a 'sex offender' or not, you should always use caution and protect your children online. Imposing additional regulations on criminals who have already been punished seems unconstitutional to me.

Just because someone is not on a 'list' doesn't mean anything to me. I think imposing such laws create a false sense of security. Watch your kids, protect your private information, don't date strangers you meet online.

If it was possible, definitely. I don't think that once they have been convicted as Sex offenders that they should be allowed in FB and MySpace or any other social network for that matter. That is the price they have to pay.

Sadly though is that I do not believe that there are any effective controls in place to prevent these offenders from simply crating new accounts and doing everything or over again, unless of course they shout it out loud. There will be the day (hopefully)..........

Although I agree with the sentiments of 'joyannj' and 'tboz' in principle, there is maybe more to add (and refute) Firstly, tboz, you have such an 'innocent', even brainwashed view of the system! "you do the punishment that is supposed to fit the crime and give you time to reform " Nope, prison is NOT about reform. It is about removing people from mainstream society for a period of time!"out of society long enough so that you are no longer a criminal" Nope a LARGE majority of people 1,Learn further criminal activities whilst in prison & 2,Re-offend.

" give people the chance to be reformed like the justice system is supposed to do" Again NO that is NOT what the justice system is for. It is more of a 'revenge' system. The majority of people who are locked up in the prison system, it is too punish them NOT reform them!

Often the locking of someone up serves NO PURPOSE OR BENEFIT to that person, but is only to make the persons who have been wronged FEEL better! It is to give the wronged JUSTICE (revenge). As to the question: Yes I do think they (sex offenders) should be banned from social networks.

This should be part of the 'standard' punishment for all! I believe if we are going to have a punishment style system, then the punishment should be severe enough to deter those who wish to break our moral and legal codes! That of course would mean making people responsible for their actions which modern society seems to avoid doing.

Yes! But unfortunately no one can stop them unless they r in jail.

This is a crazy idea...we have a justice system! If you commit a crime you do the punishment that is supposed to fit the crime and give you time to reform or keep you out of society long enough so that you are no longer a criminal....if we believe child molesters to still be a threat than why are we letting them out of jail! That is not even constitutional to continue to punish people after they serve the time the court appointed them, unless their court ruling includes some kind of probation that limits their contact with children.

If it is not in their court ruling then it is not constitutional to continue to punish these people. If you give alcohol to a minor should you be banned from all social networks after you pay your fine or serve your time. Are you still a threat to these children.

Where do we draw the line. Don't let people out of jail if they are still a threat, otherwise give people the chance to be reformed like the justice system is supposed to do. We do not just go and make our own rules willy-nilly based on an emotional response to an emotionally disturbing crime.

I think by making sex offenders stay on lists and letting all the neighbors now they are living near one, this does not give his person a chance to reform. Don't let them out if they are not reformed.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.