Some troubling inumbers emerged from a new report released this month by SafeHome.org.
Every year, the organization compiles data on registered sex offenders and sexual offense from across the country. And things aren't look too good for our neck of the woods.
Texas has the most registered sex offenders overall in the U.S. at 99,160. California is a distant second with 59,886.
Arkansas ranks third in the nation with the most registered sex offenders per 100,000 residents -- 596.
Those registered offenders represent a wide variety of sex crimes. One of the most horrific to most of us is the sexual abuse of children. And unfortunately that hits home as well.
Arkansas is No. 1 in the nation for reports of child sexual abuse per 100,000 children at 254. Alabama is second with 202 and Utah at third with 178.
We would like to think readers would be shocked by these numbers, but the truth is many won't be. We all see the stories in this and other newspapers, on TV and online about sexually-based offenses.
The public has a right to know about these crimes, but there is a danger. They more you see, there is a chance the less it will affect you. But we can't become even slightly jaded to sexual offenses, especially those directed against children.
Police do everything they can. And the high numbers of registered sex offenders mean culprits are known and have been punished for their crimes. That's good.
But too many sex crimes go undetected or unreported.
It's up to all of us to know and understand the signs of child sexual abuse and report any suspicions to the proper authorities. You can find out what to look for at https://www.rainn.org/articles/warning-signs-young-children.
And if you have been the victim of a sex crime, we encourage you to report it. We know it's not easy. Sometimes you just want to forget it ever happened. But it's important to remember no one invites a sex crime. It's never the victim's fault. it's important that you get both justice and any assistance you need to cope with what happened.
Help is out there.
CORRECTION: The In Our View in Wednesday's Texarkana Gazette said the Texas Department of Insurance did not notify those potentially affected about a security breach until last week. That is incorrect. TDI started notifying those affected in late March.
The Gazette regrets the error.