The assumption isn't that you will molest them, and you know that, being a statistician.
I'll pull together statistics on this since it's so important to my view on it. The vast majority of men are going to come out shining, of course. If the argument is going to be that most men are harmless, I'm not going to do the research, because I concede that point from the beginning.
Wait. Can't women be pedophiles? And isn't it extremely common for minors to molest/sexually assault other minors?
Why on earth should men be singled out for this? Can't the TSA, with their all-intrusive knowledge base and tracking of our every move, screen for pedophiles and put them, I don't know, seated next to other pedophiles on the plane?
And I really disagree that a "practical" solution based on profiling, statistics and stereotyping is what's called for.
While you're digging up statistics, I'd love to know the incidence of sexual assault of children on airplanes by strange passengers of
any gender. I suspect it's a non-problem, but I suppose I could be wrong.
And no, I won't buy that mass discrimination against half the population of the world is justified "if it prevents
even one assault."
Again, if the airlines are really that concerned they can buy peace of mind by giving up a little profit and putting those precious, vulnerable darlings in rows by all themselves.