minor attracted person - Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings

What Risk do They Pose? Minor Attracted Persons in Voluntary Treatment

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This research summary focuses on a study that seeks to answer the question: What risks do minor attracted persons seeking voluntary treatment pose to the community?

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

The study also aimed to verify the predictive validity of the Static 99, Static C and CPORT.

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CSAM on the Dark Web

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 27 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Those of us in the field know that access to CSAM on the dark web is really only a few clicks away. Despite what many people think, it is pretty easy to access. Many of our CSAM clients were accessing these materials on TOR sites. Despite its frequent use, we really don’t know much about the details of CSAM availability and users on TOR sites.

A Study on CSAM on the Dark Web

An article just published in Scientific Reports, a Nature publication, looked at CSAM materials on TOR sites from both a computer science perspective and a public health perspective.

It is an enlightening study.

CSAM on the Dark Web: What is TOR?

For the unaware, TOR stands for The Onion Router.

It is an communication protocol that provides many layers of obfuscation for its users.

It does this by concealing the origin of the communications, resisting browser fingerprinting and circumventing traffic.

These tools allow for anonymous online hosting. On TOR sites, illegal content proliferates, whether that be CSAM sharing, drug trafficking, or other crimes.

CSAM on the Dark Web Study: The Questions

The authors of this study analyzed content on TOR sites to address the following questions:

How much CSAM is distributed through the TOR network?
What are users seeking and searching for?

They also surveyed the CSAM users to find out information about them.

Finally, they looked at how interventions based on searches might reduce child abuse.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Take the free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

Statistical Results

The authors used a web crawler from 2018-2023 and found that 1/5^th of all TOR sites share CSAM.
CSAM can also be found on 21 of the 26 top TOR search engines, with four of these search engines actually advertising CSAM.
11.1% of users specifically searched for CSAM using the phrase “child porn” to get there.
When they surveyed the CSAM viewers, 61.6% said they have tried to stop watching it and 48.1% said they went to stop viewing CSAM.
Those CSAM users who were specifically searching for child content were more often searching for content of girls than boys.
More than half of the CSAM explicit searchers are looking for content in the age range of 12 to 16 year olds.

The authors went as far as to recommend that the psychiatric diagnoses of pedophilia and hebephilia be altered to sexual attraction to children under 11 (paedophilic type), attraction to children 11 to 14 (hebephilic) or both.

Who are Tor CSAM users?

The data showed that most of the CSAM users were initially exposed to CSAM when they were children and that more than half of these exposures were accidental.

Based on self report, almost 70% reported that they preferred content of girls to boys.
A very small percentage of individuals preferred content depicting images of infants or toddlers.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

What are possible online interventions for users of CSAM on the Dark Web?

The study reported that there are three prominent TOR search engines that provide links to self help programs for people who are concerned about their searching of CSAM. A good number of the CSAM viewers said they want to stop viewing the material and most of them have tried to stop at least once.

If so many people want help, why don’t they get help?

Many of the survey respondents stated that they were afraid to get help. Previous research has cited barriers to seeking help including fear of being reported, fear of being stigmatized, shame, and lack of understanding by professionals.

Since people who are using CSAM on TOR seem to want help, it is an area that is ripe for effective intervention. It opens up the question of whether or not more dark web recruitment for anonymous interventions is possible.

Since three websites provide links to self-help programs, why are more not doing so?

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My Takeaways from the Study on CSAM on the Dark Web

I really liked this study for two main reasons:

It was a combination of computer science and psychology

I think we know more about the psychology of CSAM users than how and where they get it.

It is often stated in court that someone who views CSAM must really be working hard to find it and view it. Studies like this one show us that it is not very hard to come across the content and more than half of the people who view it first accessed CSAM accidentally.

It Openly Discusses Interventions

It digs into how we can use these TOR sites to let people know there is help available. If they want to stop their behavior, they need to know there are therapists who can help them in a knowledgeable and non-shaming fashion.

I wonder, now, what we can do as a practice to be more active in prevention in this medium.

Reference: Nurmi, J., Paju, A., Brumley, B.B., Insoll, T., Ovaska, A.K., Soloveva, V., Vaaranen-Valkonen, N., Aaltonen, M. & Arroyo, D. (2024). Investigating child sexual abuse material availability, searches, and users on the anonymous Tor network for a public health intervention strategy. Scientific Reports, 14:7849.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

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What Affect do Sex Dolls Have on Human Sexuality?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

If you have spent any time on this blog, you might be thinking another sex doll post? What is her obsession with sex dolls?

I’ve been thinking about this while formulating a response to a reader’s comment on an older sex dolls post.

I find the topic interesting because people have very strong opinions about it based on feelings.

There are just not enough facts or data out there for anyone to form what we might call an “informed opinion.” So, that’s why I love reading and writing about research articles on sex dolls.

Sex Dolls in the Journal of Sex Research

Here’s a recap of a newer article published last year in the Journal of Sex Research.

The authors, through an online survey, sought to add some knowledge to the debate about sex doll usage. Particularly, to address sex dolls used by people who are sexually attracted to prepubescent or pubescent children.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

Wait, What’s the Debate About Sex Dolls?

The core concerns regarding the use of sex dolls that people tend to bring up:

Using sex dolls increases problematic sexuality. Many feel the users may transfer the type of sexuality they engage in with a doll to a human.
Individuals who use sex dolls will become increasingly isolated from others.
People who use sex dolls will lose intimacy and empathy in their interpersonal relationships.

Specifically, relating to the use of child sex dolls, people fear that if a person who is sexually attracted to children uses a childlike sex doll, it will increase their desire or propensity to then engage in sexual activity with a live child.

Back to the Sex Doll Study

The authors “sought to explore the potential influence of (sex) doll use on common (i.e., sex with humans, masturbation, and porn use) as well as problematic or (potentially) illegal sexual behaviors (compulsive sexual behavior, illegal and dangerous sexual fantasies as well as visiting sex workers).

The study is the first to look at potential changes in sexual behavior associated with sex doll use.

The study asked 224 individuals who were sex doll users:

About the features of their dolls (gender, size, price, etc.)
About the changes they observed in their own sexual behavior
Demographic questions
Open ended questions

Interested in more information about sex dolls and their owners? Here’s all of our posts about them:

Results of the Study

The authors classified sex doll users as those who used the doll basically as a sex toy or those who used the doll as an artificial companion (AC).

The average age of the doll users was 31.

Those who used the doll as an AC were less likely to be in a relationship than those who used it as a sex toy.

What changes did they see in their behaviors?

All of the users reported an observable decrease in common and dangerous behaviors since they started using the dolls.

Specifically relating to doll owners who are sexually attracted to children, those individuals self-reported a strong significantly greater decrease in compulsive sexual behavior when compared to their adult attracted peers.

They also stated that they used their dolls as an alternative sexual outlet as they could not live out their sexual interest with humans.

Individuals with sexual interest in prepubescent or pubescent children did report:

They used the dolls to act out illegal fantasies with the dolls
They lost interest in sexual interactions with children due to their owning and using a childlike sex doll

The authors note the results of their study go against the idea that using sex dolls will reinforce problematic sexual behavior of any kind. Their results showed the opposite.

Sex doll ownership and use decreased self-reported problematic sexual behavior.

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

Limitations of the Sex Doll Study

Before we definitively state the use of sex dolls is a good thing or that it does not, in fact, lead to problematic sexual behavior, we have to talk about the limitations of this research study.

The first limitation is that it is a survey.

There is always the question of whether or not the people who choose to respond to a research survey are in any way different from those that do not choose to participate, and this could decrease the generalizability of the results.

The second big limitation is the questions about reduction in problematic (including illegal) sexual behavior were self-reported.

This means we have no way of knowing if the study participants were telling the truth. We also don’t know if the decrease they reported is real or just their perception. Again, this may limit the validity and generalizability of the research.

Nonetheless, this study is a big step in moving forward and answering the questions of what affect owning and using a sex doll has on a person’s sexual behavior.

Reference: Desbuleux, J. C. & Fuss, J. (2023). The Self-Reported Sexual Real-World Consequences of Sex Doll Use. The Journal of Sex Research, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2199727.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post What Affect do Sex Dolls Have on Human Sexuality? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Why Do People Own Sex Dolls

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:36:50 +0000

If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ll know that I love to write about sex dolls research; I find the topic fascinating and it intersects directly with my work, too.

The controversy over child sex dolls stirs up very strong feelings and hard and fast opinions made without any actual data to back them up.

Today, I’m excited to share new research so that we can start to put some facts behind our opinions.

Opinions on Sex Dolls

When it comes to child-like sex doll ownership, opinions tend to fall in three camps:

“Allowing someone who is minor attracted access to a child-like sex doll will enhance their risk of moving on to a contact sexual offense with a child.”
“Allowing someone who is attracted to children access to a child-like sex doll will serve as a protective mechanism and decrease their likelihood for offending against a child.”
“Child like sex dolls serve other functions either in lieu of or in addition to a sexual function.”

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

A Study on Sex Dolls

Doctors Harper and Lievesley recently published a research article in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior on their research about child-like sex doll ownership.

As there is so little research on this topic, the goal of this study was to provide an initial “snapshot” into the characteristics of individuals who own or would like to own a child-like sex doll.

The authors provided anonymous, IP address protected surveys to individuals on online forums and asked them questions regarding:

Doll ownership
Sexual interests
Emotions
Personality
Attachment styles
Sexual objectification
Sexual offending

In total, 205 men answered the survey, and their answers were used in the data analysis.

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The Results

They found that child-like doll ownership was not just something sexual.

Dolls were used for sexual reasons but also for emotional reasons and “other” reasons which included art, non-sexual intimacy, non-intimate care, improving quality of life and to prevent offending behavior.

Those individuals who used the dolls for sexual purposes had sex with the dolls on average 8.08 times per month which was significantly more often than they engaged in partnered sex.

Other findings showed that doll owners, based on the Interest in Child Molestation Scale, were significantly less likely to express a desire to engage in a contact sexual offense.

They also were less likely to score as having an anxious attachment style.

The characteristics of child sex doll ownership from this study indicated that:

Interested in more information about sex dolls and their owners? Here’s all of our posts about them:

“…doll owners were significantly older than non-owners. They were also more likely to exhibit schizotypal personality traits, to report engaging in sexually objectifying behaviors than non-owners and reported more anticipated enjoyment in relation to hypothetical child sexual abuse scenarios.”

The doll owners were also less sexually preoccupied than those who did not own a doll and were less antisocial.

They were also self-reported less arousal to child sexual abuse scenarios.

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

Takeaways

Let’s go back to those thoughts on child-like sex doll ownership and what the data from this study shows.

The authors state that they did not find any evidence in their study to support that child-like sex doll is inherently risky and promotes in person child sexual abuse.

The authors stated that their data supports a functional model of child-like sex doll ownership meaning that most people own a doll to serve a functional need.

Limitations on the Study about Sex Dolls

As with any research study, there are limitations, and they should be noted:

This is a preliminary study, which means the results are not definitive and should be replicated before they are taken to be 100% truth.
As with any survey study, there is no way to ensure that the participants answered questions 100% truthfully.

The way the survey was presented did provide anonymity, but that may not have been enough to inhibit some people’s tendency to answer in a socially desirable fashion.

This study is a great first step toward creating actual, scientific evidence that can then be used to support fact-based opinion and legislation about child-like sex doll ownership.

Reference: Harper, C.A. & Lievesley, R. (2022). Exploring the Ownership of Child-Like Sex Dolls. Archives of Sexual Behavior, doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02422-4

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

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Help for Minor Attraction

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:22:30 +0000

Based on science and clinical experience that there are individuals who acknowledge an attraction to children, also known as minor attraction.

What do we Really Know About Minor Attraction?

The most recent science about minor attraction suggests that the age of the people we are attracted to is influenced by our brain structures and not a choice. Many people who have this attraction also have NOT engaged in any behavior with a child. Because they realize that acting on their attraction is never appropriate.

Where can those afflicted by these urges go for help? How do they ensure they never act on these urges or to process their feelings?

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

Where can they go?

Most of the time they do not seek help for fear of what may happen if they disclose this attraction. Because the fear of stigmatization is a real and justified fear.

Many therapists are not trained to help process this form of sexuality. And, worse yet, many refuse to do so.

There have been a few scientific studies of therapists. These studies have found that they hold the same stigma against pedophilia as the general public. So much for non-judgmental!

Where might someone go for treatment who wants to process their minor attraction? While there are therapists out there who are trained to help people process this attraction, these resources are few and far between.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Enter: Troubled Desire

Doctors at The Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine at Charite-Universitatsmedzin Berlin created Troubled Desire specifically for this purpose. The website provides an anonymous online self-management program for individuals who experience an attraction to children. The University acknowledged that there was a great need for services for individuals who could not find a suitable therapist near them.

The University is practicing Primary Prevention. By providing resources and support for individuals who are attracted to children who have not offended. This means helping people not offend against children in the first place.

Unfortunately, the normal state of affairs is that we engage in secondary prevention. Therefore we help someone not offend AGAIN.

Know someone struggling with minor attraction? I suggest they check out the free, anonymous online course from Troubled Desire.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post Help for Minor Attraction first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

You Are Not a Monster: Review of A Long Dark Shadow

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 13:56:45 +0000

As a member of the professional community that works with Minor Attracted Persons as well as individuals who have committed sex crimes, I was immediately aware of the controversy surrounding Dr. Allyn Walker and the publication of their book A Long Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and Their Pursuit of Dignity.

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Dr. Walker is a professor and researcher who focuses on various aspects of human sexuality. The book is the result of a qualitative study they did using interviews of individuals in the MAP community. This research was done in a completely appropriate and professional manner with the full support of their academic institution.

Fallout from A Long Dark Shadow

After an interview discussing the book, Dr. Walker became the subject (or victim) of social media. There was immediate pushback from people at their university stating that they were promoting child abuse or other similar complaints.

The comments went crazy.

This initially resulted in the university placing them on leave. I imagine the hope was that the fervor would die down. Dr. Walker ultimately resigned from their position based on the harassment and death threats they were receiving.

All of this for what? People, who had not read the book, getting upset by assumptions.

People misconstruing Dr. Walker’s statements, which clearly stated that sexual abuse of children is abhorrent and unacceptable, as being supportive of sexual offending. It is because of this controversy that I immediately purchased the book. The topic is of interest but my main motivation for purchase was to support Dr. Walker.

Struggling with excessive sexual thoughts, urges, or activities that are causing you distress? Take the free, online Sexual Symptom Assessment Scale (SSAS) and get a link to share with your therapist.

My Review

I will start this review by saying that if I were ever to write a book about minor attraction, this is the book I would write.

The first thing I felt upon reading it was a great sense of validation.

Yes!

There are other psychology professionals in the world who understand that pedophilia ≠ sexual offending. There are other psychology professionals willing to spread the word.

I am an adjunct professor for a local graduate program as well as an instructor of a law enforcement polygraphy school.

Everyone who has ever had a class with me leaves (hopefully) with a clear understanding of the differences between attraction and behavior and that pedophilia is a sexual attraction and not a behavior AND that there are plenty of people in the world who are attracted to children who never commit a sexual offense.

The Real Research Behind A Long Dark Shadow

The book is based on Dr. Walker’s research which involved extensive interviews with people who identify as minor attracted. These individuals were brave enough to come forward to a psychology professional, who they often duly distrust, to share their stories. The chapters focus on many aspects of living with a minor attraction.

The first chapter discusses identity formation. MAPS themselves often share the negative views held by society about minor attraction and struggle to integrate their own sexual interest into their identity. Many of them questioning, “Am I a Monster” which is a question I have heard in my office many times.

The book continues to address the effect of societal shame on MAPS.

Many people, due to stigma, feel that they have to live a dual life and never disclose their minor attraction. They fear rejection from family, partners, loved ones, friends and society at large. Unfortunately, this fear is not unfounded as many also do experience that rejection.

Often this living a dual life can lead to depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts for some.

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

Strategies for Coping

Subsequent chapters deal with the strategies they use to cope with their own attractions as well as to refrain from sexual offending. Many MAPS acknowledge an attraction to children but do not have a desire to physically act on those attractions. This goes against a societal assumption. As the book states, we don’t assume all adult attracted people are walking around actively thinking about raping other adults so why do we think this about minor attracted people?

However, the reality cannot be ignored that some MAPS do, in fact, not resist these urges and sexually abuse children. The book also discusses what strategies some of the individuals use to avoid engaging in any type of contact sexual offense.

Medical Professional Reactions

Another book chapter discusses MAP’s experiences with mental health professionals.

This chapter is upsetting to me as a mental health professional but an expression of reality. People avoid seeking therapy to help cope with the attraction, stigma, shame, or other mental health issues around the minor attraction for many reasons.

They fear, rightly, that many therapists will have a negative reaction to their disclosure and will refuse to treat them. They often fear that a therapist will make an unwarranted call to children and youth, or the police based on the disclosure of an attraction, not based on any behavior. While some might think this is farfetched, I have experienced this in my own practice, hearing of other therapists thinking they need to make a mandatory report when a client says they have an attraction to minors but never disclosed any behavior in that direction.

A final concern for some MAPS that keeps them from treatment is the fear that a therapist might try to engage in a sexual orientation change experience. Basically, the minor attraction equivalent of conversion therapy. We know that we cannot change sexual attractions, and many consider SOCE to be inhumane or unethical.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Final Thoughts

The plea to reduce stigma against individuals who are attracted to minors is twofold.

The one that comes to mind first for many is to help with primary prevention. For those MAPS who do struggle with urges to act on their desires, providing safe spaces to work through these urges and work on resilience techniques can help keep a child safe as well as keep the person from engaging in a behavior that everyone knows is not appropriate.

The main reason to reduce stigma, particularly by therapists, is that MAPs are people.

They are just as deserving of a safe place to work through their issues with depression, anxiety, stigma, grief, and loss, etc. as the rest of us. They deserve a safe space and a nonjudgmental professional to work with that can help them improve their general health and wellbeing.

If you have an interest in this topic, I strongly urge you to read this book. I will be incorporating it into our treatment program for those individuals who are minor attracted.

I don’t want to make this disclaimer but given the nature of our world and the internet, I feel that I need to say that supporting Dr. Walker, this book, and the reduction of stigma against minor attraction in no way supports harming children.

It actually supports working to prevent child abuse.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

The post You Are Not a Monster: Review of A Long Dark Shadow first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Do Minor Attracted Persons Make Your Skin Crawl?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 13:20:01 +0000

What are Minor Attracted Persons (MAPs)? Let’s talk about the things that make us uncomfortable and learn in the process.

There were many research presentations this year at the ATSA conference relating to MAPs.

This was great to see! From a scientific perspective, we just don’t know much about the MAP community. Therefore, we don’t know about their needs or how to help those who seek it.

What are Minor Attracted Persons?

Very few people are aware of the term. MAP is the acronym for a Minor Attracted Persons.

As a therapist I need to be specific, although the media tends to lump everyone into a single category.

Pedophilia – the name for the attraction to prepubescent children (typically 12 and under). We use this for diagnosis, DSM-V, and research purposes.
Hebephilia – the name for the attraction to pubescent children (not pre- or post- pubescent; typically 13-17 year olds). Again, we tend to use this term for diagnosis, not in the DSM-V, and research purposes.
MAP – Minor Attracted Persons. A non-diagnostic umbrella term for a person who is attracted to children. There is no specific age nor pubertal status associated with this label.

The Minor Attracted Persons Debate

There are some people who do not like the Minor Attracted Persons (MAP) moniker.

I have heard these arguments from people in both research and supervision. The argument loosely goes like this:

“The MAP label is not descriptive enough.”

“It lumps all minors together and does not distinguish between prepubescent, pubescent, and post-pubescent attraction.”

I understand these arguments when it comes to research. There is not enough scientific research in the community looking at any type of attraction to minors.

To lump pedophilia and hebephilia together for research purposes assumes that there are no differences between people who have these attractions.

While this may be the case, due to lack of research, we just don’t know. It is better to look at these groups separately until we can definitively say they are similar enough to put in the same research subject category.

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

Treatment Providers

I am neither a MAP, nor a researcher. I am a treatment provider.

If someone has engaged in sexual offenses, it’s imperative to know their arousal template. It allows us to help them manage unwanted or illegal behavior.

However, I will argue, once we’ve made the diagnosis, we no longer need to continue to use the pedophile language, particularly with our clients.

Why do we need a different term?

I am going to make an assumption, based on my work with clients, that the main reason to use the term Minor Attracted Persons is due to shame and stigma.

The general public, fueled by sensationalist media, equate pedophile with child molester.

There is an assumption made that someone who is attracted to children either has or will eventually sexually offend with a child.

Bluntly, this is not true. Attraction is not a behavior.

While pedophilia and sexual offending are related, they are not synonymous. The label of pedophile is stigmatizing. There is no way around that truth.

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Shame, Stigma, and Minor Attracted Persons

I recently learned of the work of Braithwaite (1989) and how this researcher classified shame.

Braithwaite argued that there were two types of shame, reintegrative and disintegrative:

“Reintegrative shaming is temporary, used to communicate censure to an individual, but ultimately aimed at correcting a person’s behavior and, for offenders, reintegrating them back into the community. Disintegrative shaming is a more permanent and reoccurring shame, resulting in a master status that encourages stigmatization and breaks the bond between the person and the community (Bailey & Klein, 2018)”

I learned of this work when researching the effects of the sex offender registry on the people who have to register.

Reducing Shame as Primary Prevention

In the public’s eyes attraction to children equals child molesting. Therefore, those who are attracted to children get put in this category without ever hurting anyone.

If they come forward for treatment or talk about their attraction to family or friends they can face the disintegrative shame that encourages stigmatization.

Research Relating to Minor Attracted Persons

Levenson and Grady (2019) recently published work where they spoke to MAPs about their experiences. Specifically, this study looked at people seeking help for their attraction.

The subjects of this study reported that they often felt isolated and alone with their feelings.

They also experienced feelings of shame, fear and expected to be misunderstood by people, including therapists.

Particularly distressing was finding that therapists wanted to “cure” the minor attraction. However, the client wanted to work on concerns such as depression or loneliness and not specifically their minor attraction.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Back to the Beginning: Why Terminology Matters

From a person centered, trauma informed perspective, we should be using appropriate terms rather than potentially increasing shame and isolation.

From a public education standpoint, I would like to see the term de-coupled from people who sexually offend against children.

Misuse of the term pedophile is one of my soap boxes. I will forever argue about semantics and how the word is used. I’m tired of the media misusing the word and equating it to child sexual abuse.

I challenge you to think about these issues for yourself:

Can you accept that some people are attracted to children?

Can you accept that it’s not a choice?

Will you decry the assumption that every person who is attracted to children is going to offend?

To end, I will leave you with something heard more than frequently in graduate school.

Correlation is not causation.

References: Bailey, D.J.S. & Klein, J.L. (2018). Ashamed and Alone: Comparing offender and family member experiences with the sex offender registry. Criminal Justice Review, 43(4), 440-457. Braithwaite, J. (1989). Crime, Shame and Reintegration. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University. Levinson, J.S. & Grady, M.D. (2019). Preventing sexual abuse: Perspectives of Minor Attracted Persons About Seeking Help. Sexual Abuse, 31(8), 991-1013.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

The post Do Minor Attracted Persons Make Your Skin Crawl? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Pedophilia is Not a Behavior

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 13:07:17 +0000

It’s easy to tell when a bit of science about pedophilia is brought out to the general public. There is usually a rash of negative memes. Usually it’s implied, by agreeing with the emerging science, the writers or researchers are condoning the sexual abuse of children.

Recently, Dr. James Cantor, a highly respected and published researcher who focuses on the study of pedophilia, appeared on an Australian news show to discuss his findings.

He shared his research, which involves brain scans and neuroscience and shows the fascinating differences people have in their brain structures. Furthermore, it suggests people with pedophilia are born with this attraction. Therefore, it’s not something they can change.

What is Pedophilia?

Enter the memes and where I get on my soapbox and continue to spout science and education.

I have written about this topic before because it is something that I feel strongly about. I feel very strongly about it being accurately portrayed in the lay community.

Pedophilia is a sexual arousal to a person who is prepubescent; the age is not the important thing. However, what is important is the attraction is to a child’s body that has NOT started the physiological changes associated with puberty.

If a person is attracted to pubescent or post pubescent children, that is considered hebephilia.

What isn’t Pedophilia?

Pedophilia is NOT a behavior.

I believe that this is one of the most common myths in the non-scientific community.

Pedophilia is an attraction. Actions are behavior.

The frequently cited concern is that every person who has a pedophilic arousal template is a child molester.

Not true.

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Why do People Offend Against Children?

Some people sexually abuse children because they are attracted to them.

Some people sexually abuse children for reasons that don’t have much to do with sexual attraction.

For example: issues of power and control, distorted thinking, emotionally connecting with children in an inappropriate manner that becomes sexualized.

Some people who are attracted to children never engage in any sexual contact with them, nor do they view images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

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Why am I Lecturing About Pedophiles?

Why do I think it’s important?

When you get it wrong, when the press gets it wrong, it damages prevention efforts.

Every person who is attracted to children, whether they have offended or not, knows how society feels about them.

Most carry an immense amount of toxic shame. This shame keeps them from coming forward to seek help from trained professionals. Sadly, there are treatment professionals who also engage in this stigma.

We fail to protect children every time a Minor Attracted Person feels they can’t seek treatment.

We need to do a better job protecting children as a society. Therefore, treatment needs to be accessible for those who have not offended.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Primary Prevention vs. Secondary Prevention of Pedophilia

The United States does a good job of secondary prevention.

Once we know you have offended and found guilty, you are mandated to treatment to prevent another offense. We try really hard to make sure you don’t offend AGAIN. We focus on decreasing recidivism, but it misses the mark.

I would much prefer to live in a world where there are no more first victims, not just no more subsequent victims.

Pedophilia ≠ Child Molestation

Pedophilia is an attraction.

Child molestation is a behavior.

They are not synonymous.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Preparing a sentencing report for a minor attracted person? Get the data you need, quickly, with Mitigation Aide.

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