It's hard to be a parent in 2024. Here's an honest question: has parenting ever been more difficult? Parents of grown children might have a different answer than those who are currently raising little ones, but with so many factors at play in this day and age, I'm struggling to think of a decade in which raising children was more challenging than it is right now.

Not only do parents have to worry about real-life predators, but the online threat to children has never been more terrifying. With the rise of social media over the last 15 years, predators have much easier access to kids than they ever have before.

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If you've never given it much thought, that's probably a shocking revelation for you to wrap your brain around.

Parenting is always hard, it's true. However, in this digital age in which social media rules, it's only made threats that more dangerous.

That's why it's so important to protect your children at all costs.

National Sex Offender Registry

Multiple sources will confirm that each and every state has a sex offender registry that is updated as often as it can be. While criteria may be different for what mandates someone's name be added to it state by state, it's important for parents to know that they do exist.

This is the first time I've ever even taken a look at what NJ State Police say about New Jersey's registry.

New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry

Under Megan's Law, the State Police make the list public to any and all persons wishing to take the necessary precautions to protect not only their children, but themselves as well, from any and all harm that could be inflicted by coming in contact with someone on the list.

How does someone land on the sex offender list?

It's important to remember that the list is not a complete annotation of each and every person who has committed a sexual offense or crime in the Garden State:

In accordance with New Jersey law, individuals who have been convicted, adjudicated delinquent or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a sex offense must register under New Jersey's Megan's Law. The specific offenses for which registration is required can be found in New Jersey Code at 2C:7-2. Individual registrants are then assessed to determine whether they pose a relatively low, moderate or high risk of re-offense, based on application of elements such as the characteristics of the sex offense or offenses they committed, their offense history and other criteria such as response to treatment and community support.

To familiarize yourself with NJ's sex offender registry, visit NJ.gov HERE.

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