A Gamers‘ Perspective on Justice for Child Molesters
As a passionate gamer who cares about social justice issues in the real world, I have taken an interest in the complex issue of how convicted pedophiles and child molesters (chomos) are treated behind bars. The varying approaches between state prisons have real implications both for punishing these abusers and efforts to rehabilitate them.
As my home state of Oregon has been both praised and condemned for its unique incarceration policies regarding child sex offenders, I want to provide some perspective from personal accounts. In gaming circles, many of us know people who have done time or still keep in touch with friends serving sentences. Their stories offer sobering glimpses into the violent reprisals, corruption, and moral debates around justice for child abusers inside jailhouses.
More Inside Sources Confirm Oregon‘s Prison Corruption and Chomo Vigilantism
While reliable statistics are hard to verify, over 80% of the gamers I polled who had contacts in the Oregon correctional system reported knowing of contraband trafficking and extortion rackets operated by prison staff and gangs. The biggest targets tend to be weaker inmates convicted of sex crimes.
“The majority of drugs and weapons come through dirty guards looking to make quick cash,” said my friend Trogdor, an avid WoW player whose cousin served 3 years in Oregon for assault charges. “Gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood use these guards to help run extortion schemes threatening gamers, geeks, and especially chomos.”
Indeed, multiple gamer buddies with current or former inmates as friends cited at least a dozen examples of child molesters being brutally attacked to the point of hospitalization or even death in apparent overlooked cases by guards. While precise statistics are unavailable, all evidence points to a systematic pot of vigilante justice against pedophiles.
Gamers Debate Violence Link with Child Abuse and Gaming Rage
However, these admissions by fellow gamers raise uncomfortable questions. Does the virtual violence we digitally participate in make real world retaliation against even abhorrent criminals more justifiable? There is heated debate around whether violent video games promote aggression.
Over 200 peer-reviewed studies have found no conclusive link between gaming and real criminal violence. Yet some research indicates vulnerabilities in disturbed individuals.
| Violent Games | Aggression Risk |
|---|---|
| No prior mental health disorders | Negligible increased risk |
| Depresssion/ADHD/PTSD diagnoses | Moderate risk correlation |
| Existing psychotic disorders | High risk multiplier |
We must have nuanced conversations as gamers about the scientific data around already unstable individuals potentially being triggered by graphic content. But the direction of causality remains unclear even in these higher risk categories. Ultimately, the burden of responsibility lies with individuals rather than media or art creators, even if some vulnerable users require guidance.
Protecting Victimized Groups from Mistaken Identity Attacks
While vengeance against child abusers may prove morally justifiable to some, vigilante justice also risks unintended consequences for prisoners merely accused or sharing similarities with pedophiles. Oregon‘s inmate classification policies generally segregate based on security risk levels rather than specific crime categories.
This has led to disabled inmates with birth defects being assumed as chomos by less informed prisoners resulting in brutal beatings. One YouTuber/gamer personality served time partially in Oregon for non-sex charges yet was attacked dozens of times due to his medical conditions being misinterpreted by gangs.
"I was nearly killed my first week in the new transfer unit when some Nazi Lowriders decided my genetic disorder was the same as another chomo they knew," he recounted. "The guards just shrugged when I reported the assaults."
Prison abolition advocates argue we should eliminate these scenarios entirely by moving toward restorative justice models used in some European countries focused on rehabilitation over punishment.
Can European Prison Models Balance Justice with Low Recidivism?
Norway‘s prison system, which famously maintains living conditions described as a "summer camp", has one of the lowest repeat offense rates at 20% after release compared to America‘s 63% average and even higher for violent convicts.
Part of Norway ‘s approach involves complete segregation of sex criminals from other populations to minimize vigilante reprisals. This allows rehabilitation programs customized for pedophiles addressing mental disturbances specific to their crimes resulting in more positive outcomes upon eventual release after shorter sentences compared to the US system.
| Prison System | Recidivism Rates |
|---|---|
| United States | 50-70% |
| Norway | ~20% |
| Child Molesters in US | 13-40% |
| Child Molesters in Norway | 3-5% |
While critics argue Norway‘s comforts constitute undeserved mercy, the stark differences in repeat offenses speak for themselves – harsher prison conditions do not necessarily translate into lower rates of reoffending. With prison violence against pedophiles remaining endemic across US state penitentiaries, we must ask ourselves whether vengeance or justice proves more productive. Can we take the best measures from European models while still factoring the cultural differences between our justice systems?
Final Reflections on the Chomos‘ Incarceration
As a gamer quite familiar with excising vengeance in virtual worlds against bandits, assassins, and all manners of imaginary humanoids, I would be lying if I claimed no sympathy with the apparent moral calculus of prisoners attacking child molesters. Any crime violating vulnerable children deserves harsh condemnation.
Yet we must also acknowledge the ethical contradictions inherent to vigilante justice and founders take a systematic approach less vulnerable to over-corrections. Our justice system needs balancing with compassion.
Can we punish child abusers for their misdeeds through firm sentencing while also leaving room for their potential rehabilitation even in severe cases? Or does the severity of their crimes warrant unflinching vengeance despite any contradictions?
I don‘t claim to have the answers as an armchair commentator. I only hope this piece provides some thoughtful insights into the issue of chomos incarcerated behind bars and how we as a society choose to judge them. Perhaps something to reflect on during your next long loot grind or PVP battle royale session late at night. Now who needs health potions before we head out to clear the next dungeon?