do n't even know where to begin with explaining how wrong...¶

I don't even know where to begin with explaining how wrong this is.

I guess a good starting point is the fact that an overwhelming majority of child abuse is perpetrated by family, clergy, and other adults that children cannot easily disassociate from. https://t.co/9bLkjVY6iL It is actually critical for children to have a wide social circle of trusted adults to prevent abuse. This equips them with:

a) The repeatedly reinforced experience of what an appropriate relationship looks like.

b) Numerous options for support if someone violates that trust. "Abuse," in this case, goes beyond sexual assault or violence. Children of all ages are constantly subjected to emotional abuse and intense social pressures that can be internalized and normalized in the context of a stunted social sphere. Something I am particularly sensitive to is the trauma inflicted on queer children, for whom their "designated adults" are often the biggest sources of that trauma, in which case they certainly can't be trusted as confidants or supporters. Such kids often seek out role models among the queer adults they see as safe. Those adults often offer the guidance and community they wish they had received growing up. This type of relationship is absolutely critical for reducing the damage done to queer youth. And it is frankly disgusting to feed into the fascist narrative that such relationships are a form of "grooming."

You are not "protecting kids" by keeping them away from people who can mentor and support them. Queerness is just the example I am most personally familiar with, but there are tons of other examples.

Children coming from a fraught home life -- even if not directly abusive to them -- often seek outside adult guidance. Same with children in poverty, or with absent parents. There are so many ways a minor and an adult can interact in appropriate and beneficial ways. Sometimes, it can literally be the difference between life and death.