OPINION: Stop assuming nice older men are creeps

HAS the presumed innocence of older men been lost in today’s society?

Amy Formosa. Picture: Lee Constable

HAS the presumed innocence of older men been lost in today's society?

If you were to ask my dad and men around his age (late 50s), they would probably answer yes.

Only this week I hit the streets to talk to parents about smacking children and I met a gentleman around the same age as my dad. 

We got chatting about the topic and then he mentioned how these days there seems to be suspicion of adult men. 

It took me back to a story my dad told me about when he was at the shopping centre one day.

He saw a woman who was trying to pack her groceries into the car with a screaming baby in one hand and another small child nearby.

He innocently offered to help the woman and said she refused his help in a rude manner looking at him as though he was some old creep.

My dad is the biggest bushy you'll ever see.

A short, bald man with a beard and a happy smile.

But then again I guess some of the paedophiles out there come across as the most innocent of all.

Are we living in an era where due to a few big names like Rolf Harris and the actor off Hey Dad have caused women to believe all older men are creepy and have ulterior motives when being friendly?

I am a 30-year-old woman and while I understand there are a lot of 'bad guys' out there, there are many more nice older men out and we shouldn't stereotype men into the creep category for no reason.

I think the media plays a big role in the way society has headed, but I strongly believe we shouldn't rule out all men as being creepy, it's just not fair.

What do you think? Join the conversation and have your say below. 

Originally published as OPINION: Stop assuming nice older men are creeps