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Schweigende Lämmer und reißende Wölfe, moralische Helden und coole Zyniker : zum öffentlichen Diskurs über „sexuellen Kindesmißbrauch“ in Deutschland;
Pädagogik und Sozialwissenschaften;
12, 492 pp. 21 cm.
Using a sociology-of-knowledge approach, this book critically examines the German discourse on the ‘sexual abuse of children’ in the 1990s when it was already an emotionally highly charged subject. The author first identifies four concepts and illustrates each of them with a representative monograph: the ‘pedophile’ (Bernard, 1982); the feminist (Kavemann/Lohstöter, 1984); the incest theoretical (Hirsch, 1987); and the critical (Rutschky, 1992). A fifth variant, the child molester discourse, with its connotations of violence, death, and conspiracies, is found later to dominate the popular press to the near-exclusion of all others. On the basis of these concepts she then analyses both professional (articles and monographs) and popular (newspapers and weeklies) media. It was the feminist point of view that was found to be dominant, even penetrating the pedophile discourse, except in the popular press as previously mentioned.
The second part puts these results in wider contexts. The newer German feminism is examined first. It is shown how sexual abuse became the rallying point of this movement, how it served its interests, and how it transformed it. Only by adopting the child-saving rhetoric could feminism occupy its current influential position, ironically replacing in the process its original emancipatory, anti-patriarchal stance with a stout reliance on the state, the quintessential patriarchal power.
The discourse on children and childhood comes next. The connections between the child-saving and feminist movements, both in Germany and the USA, are discussed as well as the idealization of children in much of contemporary culture. The books by Ariès, de Mause, and Postman are cited as evidence for conflicting views currently held about childhood. Often childhood is elevated to a utopian ideal and associated with myths and felt to be endangered by reality and myths likewise.
The author next turns to the discourse on sexuality. Rousseau here has stressed the innocence of children, simultaneously seen as naturally given and extremely endangered. With the repudiation of Freud's insight into the essential psychic predisposition of trauma, the sexual life of children was also negated, and the aetiology of trauma became the subject of an extreme reductionism. The political right has had a field day here with the resurrection of sexual repression and censorship. The author turns to Foucault for insight into the historical interplay between politics and sexuality. If the person of the confessor has changed, she notes, the practice of (public) confession has regained prominence.
Violence and crime are the leading ideas of the discourse which is examined next. The almost universally negative appreciation of intergenerational sexuality (which, as she notes, ignores the voices of many children themselves) is not founded in reality or argument but grounded in a constant appeal to demagoguery and emotion. The law creates the very myth it defends.
The last discussion returns to the sociological vantage point and traces the career of intergenerational sexuality as a social problem. Like the deficient child or dangerous (male) sexuality, it is a myth (Barthes) which serves symbolic politics.
Using a sociology-of-knowledge approach, this book critically examines the German discourse on the ‘sexual abuse of children’ in the 1990s when it was already an emotionally highly charged subject. The author first identifies four concepts and illustrates each of them with a representative monograph: the ‘pedophile’ (Bernard, 1982); the feminist (Kavemann/Lohstöter, 1984); the incest theoretical (Hirsch, 1987); and the critical (Rutschky, 1992). A fifth variant, the child molester discourse, with its connotations of violence, death, and conspiracies, is found later to dominate the popular press to the near-exclusion of all others. On the basis of these concepts she then analyses both professional (articles and monographs) and popular (newspapers and weeklies) media. It was the feminist point of view that was found to be dominant, even penetrating the pedophile discourse, except in the popular press as previously mentioned.
The second part puts these results in wider contexts. The newer German feminism is examined first. It is shown how sexual abuse became the rallying point of this movement, how it served its interests, and how it transformed it. Only by adopting the child-saving rhetoric could feminism occupy its current influential position, ironically replacing in the process its original emancipatory, anti-patriarchal stance with a stout reliance on the state, the quintessential patriarchal power.
The discourse on children and childhood comes next. The connections between the child-saving and feminist movements, both in Germany and the USA, are discussed as well as the idealization of children in much of contemporary culture. The books by Ariès, de Mause, and Postman are cited as evidence for conflicting views currently held about childhood. Often childhood is elevated to a utopian ideal and associated with myths and felt to be endangered by reality and myths likewise.
The author next turns to the discourse on sexuality. Rousseau here has stressed the innocence of children, simultaneously seen as naturally given and extremely endangered. With the repudiation of Freud's insight into the essential psychic predisposition of trauma, the sexual life of children was also negated, and the aetiology of trauma became the subject of an extreme reductionism. The political right has had a field day here with the resurrection of sexual repression and censorship. The author turns to Foucault for insight into the historical interplay between politics and sexuality. If the person of the confessor has changed, she notes, the practice of (public) confession has regained prominence.
Violence and crime are the leading ideas of the discourse which is examined next. The almost universally negative appreciation of intergenerational sexuality (which, as she notes, ignores the voices of many children themselves) is not founded in reality or argument but grounded in a constant appeal to demagoguery and emotion. The law creates the very myth it defends.
The last discussion returns to the sociological vantage point and traces the career of intergenerational sexuality as a social problem. Like the deficient child or dangerous (male) sexuality, it is a myth (Barthes) which serves symbolic politics.
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The Secret of Bryn Estyn: The Making of a Modern Witch Hunt by R. Webster - Review;
Extent unknown
Richard Webster sets out to tell the ‘story of the story’ of Bryn Estyn, the approved school at the centre of the North Wales child abuse scandal. It’s a story that has everything: personal animus, fantasy, intrigue, alleged Masonic conspiracy, bizarre sex acts and courtroom drama.
Webster leads us from the early investigations, which found no evidence of systematic abuse in children’s homes in North Wales, through the persistent rumours that led to the reopening of criminal and civil inquiries.
Richard Webster sets out to tell the ‘story of the story’ of Bryn Estyn, the approved school at the centre of the North Wales child abuse scandal. It’s a story that has everything: personal animus, fantasy, intrigue, alleged Masonic conspiracy, bizarre sex acts and courtroom drama.
Webster leads us from the early investigations, which found no evidence of systematic abuse in children’s homes in North Wales, through the persistent rumours that led to the reopening of criminal and civil inquiries.
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Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) - chapter 5 - Early Sexual Growth and Activity;
35 pp, 157 - 192
Chapter five, here presented as a .PDF file, is devoted to early sexual growth and activity and first sets out to define erotic arousal and orgasm, noting the variation in pattern of orgastic response in individuals.
One significant finding was that more than 99% of these boys adopted a regular routine of sexual activity after the initial experience of ejaculation.
Chapter five, here presented as a .PDF file, is devoted to early sexual growth and activity and first sets out to define erotic arousal and orgasm, noting the variation in pattern of orgastic response in individuals.
One significant finding was that more than 99% of these boys adopted a regular routine of sexual activity after the initial experience of ejaculation.
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Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (Chapter 21 - HOMOSEXUAL OUTLET);
0-1
[...] Homosexual contacts account, therefore, for a rather small but still significant portion of the total outlet of the human male. [...]
If homosexual activity persists on as large a scale as it does, in the face of the very considerable public sentiment against it and in spite of the severity of the penalties that our Anglo-American culture has placed upon it through the centuries, there seems some reason for believing that such activity would appear in the histories of a much larger portion of the population if there were no social restraints.
[...]
The homosexual has been a significant part of human sexual activity ever since the dawn of history, primarily because it is an expression of capacities that are basic in the human animal.
[...] Homosexual contacts account, therefore, for a rather small but still significant portion of the total outlet of the human male. [...]
If homosexual activity persists on as large a scale as it does, in the face of the very considerable public sentiment against it and in spite of the severity of the penalties that our Anglo-American culture has placed upon it through the centuries, there seems some reason for believing that such activity would appear in the histories of a much larger portion of the population if there were no social restraints.
[...]
The homosexual has been a significant part of human sexual activity ever since the dawn of history, primarily because it is an expression of capacities that are basic in the human animal.
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The Sexual Behavior of the Human Female;
888 pp
Kinsey c.s.' book "The Sexual Behavior of the Human Female", 1953, is given here as a long pdf file.
Kinsey c.s.' book "The Sexual Behavior of the Human Female", 1953, is given here as a long pdf file.
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The Seduction of Peter Jay Rudge;
Rolling Stone MAGAZINE,
Jan 01 1993
A quite long but carefully reported true story of the close relationship between a women, Diana Walders, 40 year, and a boy, Peter Jay Rudge, 13 years.
The development and the form of the relationship is carefully told. Reading it, one might think of 'grooming' by the woman. She more or less seduced Peter Jay from the living sphere of his parents to the living sphere of Diana. The lady and the boy planned to 'disappear' together, to run away both from both their homes and families. This actually happened.
Forty days later, the pair was found by police. The boy was taken home, the lady was arrested.
The reporter guides the reader along the notes of two therapists of Peter Jay.
In the first therapy, Peter denied any sexual aspect in the relationship with Diana.
However, during the second therapy, Peter Jay told the therapist and his father and a priest about the quite frequent sexual contacts the pair has had.
During the trial, both therapist testified, as well as Peter Jay did, testifying also about his sexual adventures with Diana. Diana strongly denied such contacts.
Diana's lawyer found many inconsistencies in Peter Jay's testimony, as well as some impossibilities and improbabilities. "Too many for good evidence", said the jury.
A quite long but carefully reported true story of the close relationship between a women, Diana Walders, 40 year, and a boy, Peter Jay Rudge, 13 years.
The development and the form of the relationship is carefully told. Reading it, one might think of 'grooming' by the woman. She more or less seduced Peter Jay from the living sphere of his parents to the living sphere of Diana. The lady and the boy planned to 'disappear' together, to run away both from both their homes and families. This actually happened.
Forty days later, the pair was found by police. The boy was taken home, the lady was arrested.
The reporter guides the reader along the notes of two therapists of Peter Jay.
In the first therapy, Peter denied any sexual aspect in the relationship with Diana.
However, during the second therapy, Peter Jay told the therapist and his father and a priest about the quite frequent sexual contacts the pair has had.
During the trial, both therapist testified, as well as Peter Jay did, testifying also about his sexual adventures with Diana. Diana strongly denied such contacts.
Diana's lawyer found many inconsistencies in Peter Jay's testimony, as well as some impossibilities and improbabilities. "Too many for good evidence", said the jury.
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Sex and the age of consent : the ethical issues;
Social Analysis;
39, 27-55,
Apr 01 1996
Based on the authors’ dissertation work, Leahy discusses common arguments against intergenerational intimacy and contrasts them with the interviewees’ interpretations of their experiences.
Based on the authors’ dissertation work, Leahy discusses common arguments against intergenerational intimacy and contrasts them with the interviewees’ interpretations of their experiences.
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The sex crime situation : Deteroration more apparent than real?;
European Journal of Criminal Policy and Research;
8, 399-422
Public concern about an escalation of sex crime is unsupported by a critical analysis of official crime statistics in England and Wales. Assumptions about the inveterate recidivism of sex offenders are unconfirmed by follow-up studies. A great variety of behaviours is covered by sex crime, from the grave to the trivial. To the traditional offences of predatory aggressors, violent rapists and a small number of dangerous offenders driven by pathological emotions, are now added date rapes and harassment previously little reported. All sex incidents involving children are widely believed to cause lasting harm, despite evidence to the contrary. Female offenders and boy victims are receiving more attention. Adolescent involvement is insufficiently distinguished from paedophile offences and male homosexuals are suspected of paedophile tendencies. the development of constructive therapeutic approaches is impeded by doubts about efficiency and a punitive ethos. [A]
Public concern about an escalation of sex crime is unsupported by a critical analysis of official crime statistics in England and Wales. Assumptions about the inveterate recidivism of sex offenders are unconfirmed by follow-up studies. A great variety of behaviours is covered by sex crime, from the grave to the trivial. To the traditional offences of predatory aggressors, violent rapists and a small number of dangerous offenders driven by pathological emotions, are now added date rapes and harassment previously little reported. All sex incidents involving children are widely believed to cause lasting harm, despite evidence to the contrary. Female offenders and boy victims are receiving more attention. Adolescent involvement is insufficiently distinguished from paedophile offences and male homosexuals are suspected of paedophile tendencies. the development of constructive therapeutic approaches is impeded by doubts about efficiency and a punitive ethos. [A]
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Sex education: why the British should go Dutch;
The Times UK
Britain's Schools Minister plans to introduce sex lessons for five-year-olds. They already have them in the Netherlands. Is that why they also have the lowest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe? [...]
The Government has chosen the Dutch model rather than the Nordic way of tackling the subject of sex because the Netherlands, unlike Scandinavian nations, also manages to have one of the lowest abortion rates in Europe. In Britain, the number of abortions performed on under-16s rose by 10 per cent last year to 4,376.
So how do the Dutch do it? [.... Sex Educationion ....]
This openness seems to work. [...]
Children in their final year of primary school have not been shielded from anything, but their teachers have continually reinforced the message that sex is about love and commitment. The pupils all agree that they will not sleep with anyone until they have finished secondary school and are in a serious relationship. [...]
Maybe, instead of expecting schools to teach children morality and the missionary position, the British should adopt a few other Dutch lessons.
Britain's Schools Minister plans to introduce sex lessons for five-year-olds. They already have them in the Netherlands. Is that why they also have the lowest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe? [...]
The Government has chosen the Dutch model rather than the Nordic way of tackling the subject of sex because the Netherlands, unlike Scandinavian nations, also manages to have one of the lowest abortion rates in Europe. In Britain, the number of abortions performed on under-16s rose by 10 per cent last year to 4,376.
So how do the Dutch do it? [.... Sex Educationion ....]
This openness seems to work. [...]
Children in their final year of primary school have not been shielded from anything, but their teachers have continually reinforced the message that sex is about love and commitment. The pupils all agree that they will not sleep with anyone until they have finished secondary school and are in a serious relationship. [...]
Maybe, instead of expecting schools to teach children morality and the missionary position, the British should adopt a few other Dutch lessons.
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The Sex-Abuse Time-Line Diagrams;
IPT Journal, Vol 6, 3-5, 1994
When evaluating sexual abuse allegations it is extremely important to differentiate between symptoms that arose prior to disclosure and those that arose afterwards. Symptoms arising after the disclosure and cessation of abuse can be caused by sexual abuse therapy, multiple interrogations, and other aspects of the legal process. Therefore, in a sex-abuse examination it is necessary to inquire as to the timing of the development of any claimed symptoms. Diagrams are presented to facilitate this inquiry.
When evaluating sexual abuse allegations it is extremely important to differentiate between symptoms that arose prior to disclosure and those that arose afterwards. Symptoms arising after the disclosure and cessation of abuse can be caused by sexual abuse therapy, multiple interrogations, and other aspects of the legal process. Therefore, in a sex-abuse examination it is necessary to inquire as to the timing of the development of any claimed symptoms. Diagrams are presented to facilitate this inquiry.
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Sexual abuse and lifetime diagnosis of psychiatric disorders;
Mayo Clinic Proceedings ;
2011(July 31, 2011 ),
There was no statistically significant association between sexual abuse and a diagnosis of schizophrenia or somatoform disorders.
No longitudinal studies that assessed bipolar disorder or
obsessive-compulsive disorder were found.
Associations between sexual abuse and depression, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder were strengthened by a history of rape.
Conclusion: A history of sexual abuse is associated with an increased risk of a lifetime diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders.
There was no statistically significant association between sexual abuse and a diagnosis of schizophrenia or somatoform disorders.
No longitudinal studies that assessed bipolar disorder or
obsessive-compulsive disorder were found.
Associations between sexual abuse and depression, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder were strengthened by a history of rape.
Conclusion: A history of sexual abuse is associated with an increased risk of a lifetime diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders.
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Sexual behavior intervention program: an innovative level of care in male sex offender treatment. (PRACTICE)(Report);
Journal of Mental Health Counseling,
Oct 01 2008
The literature does not provide practical, targeted alternatives to prosecution and incarceration for sexual offenders deemed at low risk for recidivism. The Sexual Behavior Intervention Program (SBIP) is an innovative level of care in male sex offender treatment that offers communities an option for treating sexual misconduct. SBIP is a focused, psychoeducational program rooted in the restorative justice model, one that attempts to meet the needs of both individuals and the community.
The literature does not provide practical, targeted alternatives to prosecution and incarceration for sexual offenders deemed at low risk for recidivism. The Sexual Behavior Intervention Program (SBIP) is an innovative level of care in male sex offender treatment that offers communities an option for treating sexual misconduct. SBIP is a focused, psychoeducational program rooted in the restorative justice model, one that attempts to meet the needs of both individuals and the community.
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Sexual consent and human rights;
Thymos;
4(2), 99-102,
Oct 01 2010
The basic human right to sexual autonomy and self-determination encompasses two sides: it enshrines both the right to engage in wanted sexuality on the one hand, and the right to be free and protected from unwanted sexuality, from sexual abuse and sexual violence on the other.
This concept elaborated by the European Court of Human Rights, in the light of European legal consensus, suggests that the age of consent for sexual relations (outside of relationships of authority and outside of pornography and prostitution) should be set between 12 and 16 years. In any event the age of criminal responsibility should be the same as the age of sexual consent.
The basic human right to sexual autonomy and self-determination encompasses two sides: it enshrines both the right to engage in wanted sexuality on the one hand, and the right to be free and protected from unwanted sexuality, from sexual abuse and sexual violence on the other.
This concept elaborated by the European Court of Human Rights, in the light of European legal consensus, suggests that the age of consent for sexual relations (outside of relationships of authority and outside of pornography and prostitution) should be set between 12 and 16 years. In any event the age of criminal responsibility should be the same as the age of sexual consent.
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Sexual experiences in early childhood: 18‐Year longitudinal data from the UCLA family lifestyles project;
THE JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH ;
34 - 4(JANUARY 1997), 339-347
We present results of the first longitudinal study of long-term outcome correlates of sexual experiences in early childhood ("sex play"). Two hundred children participated in the UCLA Family Lifestyles Project (FLS), beginning at birth to the current wave of data collection at ages 17-18. ...
These results converge on earlier cross-sectional retrospective work, suggesting that the experience of childhood sex play in itself is unrelated to long-term adjustment.
We present results of the first longitudinal study of long-term outcome correlates of sexual experiences in early childhood ("sex play"). Two hundred children participated in the UCLA Family Lifestyles Project (FLS), beginning at birth to the current wave of data collection at ages 17-18. ...
These results converge on earlier cross-sectional retrospective work, suggesting that the experience of childhood sex play in itself is unrelated to long-term adjustment.
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Sexual Interest in Children Among Women in Two Nonclinical and Nonrepresentative Online Samples;
Sex Med;
2020(1), 1-14
Regarding women, little research is available about the prevalence of sexual interest in children (SIC), especially in nonclinical samples.
The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which adult women from 2 nonclinical and non-representative samples indicate sexual interest in prepubescent and/or pubescent children.
Participants took part in an online survey either via general websites or via websites directed toward individuals with a SIC.
The samples included are non-representative and therefore not generalizable to the female population.
Nevertheless, they strongly suggest that SIC is a phenomenon also found in women. We therefore recommend professionals in the field of sexual medicine to increase their attention and engagement for women with SIC. Based on the present results, the development of preventive treatment services specifically tailored to women with a SIC has to be strongly encouraged in the near future.
Regarding women, little research is available about the prevalence of sexual interest in children (SIC), especially in nonclinical samples.
The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which adult women from 2 nonclinical and non-representative samples indicate sexual interest in prepubescent and/or pubescent children.
Participants took part in an online survey either via general websites or via websites directed toward individuals with a SIC.
The samples included are non-representative and therefore not generalizable to the female population.
Nevertheless, they strongly suggest that SIC is a phenomenon also found in women. We therefore recommend professionals in the field of sexual medicine to increase their attention and engagement for women with SIC. Based on the present results, the development of preventive treatment services specifically tailored to women with a SIC has to be strongly encouraged in the near future.
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Sexual Preference for 14-Year-Olds as a Mental Disorder: You Can’t Be Serious!!;
Archives of Sexual Behavior (published on line);
2010, March 4,
This letter addresses two papers by the DSM-V Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Workgroup member Ray Blanchard published in this Journal. [...]
A series of biased terms or logically frail arguments are provided for including hebephilia as a mental disorder.
This letter addresses two papers by the DSM-V Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Workgroup member Ray Blanchard published in this Journal. [...]
A series of biased terms or logically frail arguments are provided for including hebephilia as a mental disorder.
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The Sexual Revolution and Children;
Der Spiegel,
Jul 02 2010
Translated from Der Spiegel: a description of the revolutionary years around 1968, when child sexuality was to be 'liberated' from 'bourgoise's' norms and culture, thus had to become completely free.
Translated from Der Spiegel: a description of the revolutionary years around 1968, when child sexuality was to be 'liberated' from 'bourgoise's' norms and culture, thus had to become completely free.
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Social Response to Age-Gap Sex Involving Minors: Empirical, Historical, Cross-Cultural, and Cross-Species Considerations;
Thymos;
4(2), 113,
Oct 01 2010
Social response to age-gap sex involving minors has become increasingly severe. In the US, non-coercive acts that might have been punished with probation 30 years ago often lead to decades in prison today. Punishment also increasingly includes civil commitment up to life, as well as scarlet-letter-like public registries and onerous residence restrictions for released offenders. Advocates and the general public approve, believing that age-gap sex with minors is uniquely injurious, pathological, and criminal. Critics argue that public opinion and policy have been shaped by moral panic, consisting of unfounded assumptions and invalid science being uncritically promoted by ideology, media sensationalism, and political pandering. This talk critically examines the basic assumptions and does so using a multi-perspective approach (empirical, historical, cross-cultural, cross-species) to overcome the biases inherent in traditional clinical-forensic reports. Non-clinical empirical reviews of age-gap sex involving minors show claims of intense, pervasive injuriousness to be highly exaggerated. Historical and cross-cultural reviews show that adult-adolescent sexual relations have been common and frequently socially integrated in other times and places, indicating that present-day Western conceptualizations are socially constructed to reflect current social and economic arrangements rather than expressions of a priori truths. Analogous relations in primates are commonplace, non-pathological, and not infrequently functional, contradicting implicit assumptions of a biologically-based "trauma response" in humans. It is concluded that, though age-gap sex involving minors is a significant mismatch for contemporary culture—and this talk therefore does not endorse it— attitudes and social policy concerning it have been driven by an upward-spiraling moral panic, which itself is immoral in its excessive adverse consequences for individuals and society.
Social response to age-gap sex involving minors has become increasingly severe. In the US, non-coercive acts that might have been punished with probation 30 years ago often lead to decades in prison today. Punishment also increasingly includes civil commitment up to life, as well as scarlet-letter-like public registries and onerous residence restrictions for released offenders. Advocates and the general public approve, believing that age-gap sex with minors is uniquely injurious, pathological, and criminal. Critics argue that public opinion and policy have been shaped by moral panic, consisting of unfounded assumptions and invalid science being uncritically promoted by ideology, media sensationalism, and political pandering. This talk critically examines the basic assumptions and does so using a multi-perspective approach (empirical, historical, cross-cultural, cross-species) to overcome the biases inherent in traditional clinical-forensic reports. Non-clinical empirical reviews of age-gap sex involving minors show claims of intense, pervasive injuriousness to be highly exaggerated. Historical and cross-cultural reviews show that adult-adolescent sexual relations have been common and frequently socially integrated in other times and places, indicating that present-day Western conceptualizations are socially constructed to reflect current social and economic arrangements rather than expressions of a priori truths. Analogous relations in primates are commonplace, non-pathological, and not infrequently functional, contradicting implicit assumptions of a biologically-based "trauma response" in humans. It is concluded that, though age-gap sex involving minors is a significant mismatch for contemporary culture—and this talk therefore does not endorse it— attitudes and social policy concerning it have been driven by an upward-spiraling moral panic, which itself is immoral in its excessive adverse consequences for individuals and society.
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Stigma-related stress and its correlates among men with pedophilic sexual interests.;
Archives of Sexual Behavior;
November 2015,
Despite decades of research on the adverse consequences of stereotyping and discrimination for many stigmatized groups, little is known about how people with pedophilia perceive and react to stigma.
In this article, we present a framework that outlines how stigma-related stress might negatively affect emotional and social areas of functioning, cognitive distortions, and the motivation to pursue therapy, all of which may contribute to an increased risk of sexual offending.
We tested our hypotheses in an online survey among self-identified German speaking people with pedophilia (N = 104) using a wide range of validated indicators of social and emotional functioning (...). Specific risk factors such as self-efficacy, cognitive distortions and the motivation to seek treatment were also assessed.
In line with our hypotheses, fear of discovery generally predicted reduced social and emotional functioning. Contrary to our predictions, perceived social distance and fear of discovery were not linked to self-efficacy, cognitive distortions, or treatment motivation. [...]
Despite decades of research on the adverse consequences of stereotyping and discrimination for many stigmatized groups, little is known about how people with pedophilia perceive and react to stigma.
In this article, we present a framework that outlines how stigma-related stress might negatively affect emotional and social areas of functioning, cognitive distortions, and the motivation to pursue therapy, all of which may contribute to an increased risk of sexual offending.
We tested our hypotheses in an online survey among self-identified German speaking people with pedophilia (N = 104) using a wide range of validated indicators of social and emotional functioning (...). Specific risk factors such as self-efficacy, cognitive distortions and the motivation to seek treatment were also assessed.
In line with our hypotheses, fear of discovery generally predicted reduced social and emotional functioning. Contrary to our predictions, perceived social distance and fear of discovery were not linked to self-efficacy, cognitive distortions, or treatment motivation. [...]
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Stigmatization of People with Pedophilia: A Blind Spot in Stigma Research;
International Journal of Sexual Health
Stigmatization restricts people’s opportunities in life and has severe consequences on mental health and psychological wellbeing. This article focuses on stigmatization research on pedophilia. Based on an extensive literature search, it reviews studies that have empirically determined lay theories, stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against people with pedophilia, as well as the effect of stigma on this group. The review reveals a scarcity of empirical studies on the subject.
While the majority of studies give at least an indication that stigma against people with pedophilia is highly prevalent, we also identified severe methodological limitations and a lack of a unifying and systematic research agenda.
We discuss the need for more theory-driven, rigorous, and representative empirical studies and propose perspectives and requirements for the scientific study of stigma against people with pedophilia.
Stigmatization restricts people’s opportunities in life and has severe consequences on mental health and psychological wellbeing. This article focuses on stigmatization research on pedophilia. Based on an extensive literature search, it reviews studies that have empirically determined lay theories, stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against people with pedophilia, as well as the effect of stigma on this group. The review reveals a scarcity of empirical studies on the subject.
While the majority of studies give at least an indication that stigma against people with pedophilia is highly prevalent, we also identified severe methodological limitations and a lack of a unifying and systematic research agenda.
We discuss the need for more theory-driven, rigorous, and representative empirical studies and propose perspectives and requirements for the scientific study of stigma against people with pedophilia.
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Stigmatization of People with Pedophilia: Two Comparative Surveys;
Arch Sex Behav
Despite productive research on stigma and its impact on people's lives in the past 20 years, stigmatization of people with pedophilia has received little attention. We conducted two surveys estimating public stigma and determining predictors of social distance from this group.
Both studies revealed that nearly all reactions to people with pedophilia were more negative than those to the other groups, including social distance.
Results strongly indicate that people with pedophilia are a stigmatized group who risk being the target of fierce discrimination. We discuss this particular form of stigmatization with respect to social isolation of persons with pedophilia and indirect negative consequences for child abuse prevention.
Despite productive research on stigma and its impact on people's lives in the past 20 years, stigmatization of people with pedophilia has received little attention. We conducted two surveys estimating public stigma and determining predictors of social distance from this group.
Both studies revealed that nearly all reactions to people with pedophilia were more negative than those to the other groups, including social distance.
Results strongly indicate that people with pedophilia are a stigmatized group who risk being the target of fierce discrimination. We discuss this particular form of stigmatization with respect to social isolation of persons with pedophilia and indirect negative consequences for child abuse prevention.
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Subjectivity under Erasure: Adolescent Sexuality, Gender, and Teacher-Student Sex;
The Journal of Men’s Studies, Vol. 15, No. 3, Fall 2007, 347-360.;
15(3, Fall 2007), The Journal of Men’s Studies, Vol. 15, No. 3, Fall 2007, 347-360.
This article offers a reading of a recent Australian teacher-student sex scandal
in order to interrogate the relationship between gendered subjectivity and cultural codes of gender.
The questions of whether gender ought to make a difference to how we understand instances of so-called “intergenerational sex” and whether cultural codes accurately reflect sexual subjectivity are posed.
It is argued that while cultural codes are not external or equivalent to subjectivity, this does not mean that they are not expressive of elements of subjectivity.
The article concludes with the suggestion that the failure to attend to the nexus
of the social and the psychical not only serves to strengthen a very recent and
particular set of historical, political, and ideological forces but also risks creating foundations for misreadings of the history of male adolescent subjectivities.
This article offers a reading of a recent Australian teacher-student sex scandal
in order to interrogate the relationship between gendered subjectivity and cultural codes of gender.
The questions of whether gender ought to make a difference to how we understand instances of so-called “intergenerational sex” and whether cultural codes accurately reflect sexual subjectivity are posed.
It is argued that while cultural codes are not external or equivalent to subjectivity, this does not mean that they are not expressive of elements of subjectivity.
The article concludes with the suggestion that the failure to attend to the nexus
of the social and the psychical not only serves to strengthen a very recent and
particular set of historical, political, and ideological forces but also risks creating foundations for misreadings of the history of male adolescent subjectivities.
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The Suggestibility of Young Children;
Current Directions In Psychological Science;
6(No. 3, Memory as the Theater of the Past (Jun., 1997)), 75-79
Since the beginning of the 1980s, there have been a number of legalcases in which young childrenhave provided uncorroborated testimony involving sexual abuse. Although it seemed from the evidence that the children in many ofthese cases were subjected to anumber of suggestive interviews,the primary issue in deciding guilt or innocence was the degree to which such interviews could actually bring children to make serious allegations. [...]
This empirical vacuum forced a new conceptualization of issues related to children's suggestibility, which, in turn, resulted in an outpouring of new research in the area. In general, two features of the newer research make it more relevant to forensic issues.
First, the studies are designed to examine children's suggestibility about events that are personally salient, that involve bodily touching, and that involve insinuations of sexual abuse.
Second, the concept of suggestive techniques has been expanded from the traditional view of asking a misleading question or planting a piece of misinformation, so that now studies examine the larger structure and the components of suggestive interviews.
In this article, we provide an overview of the results of these newer studies of children's suggestibility. [... ... ...]
In summary, interviewer bias is revealed by a number of suggestive techniques, each of which can conipromise fhe accuracy of young children's reports. In this secfion,we qualify and elaborate on this conclusion by raising several points.
Since the beginning of the 1980s, there have been a number of legalcases in which young childrenhave provided uncorroborated testimony involving sexual abuse. Although it seemed from the evidence that the children in many ofthese cases were subjected to anumber of suggestive interviews,the primary issue in deciding guilt or innocence was the degree to which such interviews could actually bring children to make serious allegations. [...]
This empirical vacuum forced a new conceptualization of issues related to children's suggestibility, which, in turn, resulted in an outpouring of new research in the area. In general, two features of the newer research make it more relevant to forensic issues.
First, the studies are designed to examine children's suggestibility about events that are personally salient, that involve bodily touching, and that involve insinuations of sexual abuse.
Second, the concept of suggestive techniques has been expanded from the traditional view of asking a misleading question or planting a piece of misinformation, so that now studies examine the larger structure and the components of suggestive interviews.
In this article, we provide an overview of the results of these newer studies of children's suggestibility. [... ... ...]
In summary, interviewer bias is revealed by a number of suggestive techniques, each of which can conipromise fhe accuracy of young children's reports. In this secfion,we qualify and elaborate on this conclusion by raising several points.
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Selected Cross-Generational Sexual Behavior in Traditional Hawai’i: A Sexological Ethnography
Published in: J. Feierman (Ed.), Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions (pp. 422-443)
Introduction
Anthropological studies of human sexual behavior traditionally are difficult to conduct and to interpret because so much of any sexual behavior is private and must be understood through reporting by others rather than through direct observation. Sexual behavior between adults and nonadults is especially difficult to study, but an understanding can be facilitated if one looks at that behavior across time, species, and societies. Hawai’i1 has several characteristics that make it a useful society in which to view such behavior.
Hawai’i was one of the first South Pacific societies to be visited and written about by Westerners (Cook, 1773). What it currently lacks in cultural purity, as a consequence of long association with foreigners, is partly compensated for by 200 years of contact and observation. Furthermore, over the years since Cook’s visit, published comparisons have been drawn between Hawai’i and lesser known societies in other parts of Oceania and Polynesia (e.g., Marshall and Suggs, 1971).
This author has spent more than 20 years living and working in Hawai’i as an academic sexologist. This chapter is written mainly for readers who will benefit from seeing aspects of selected cross-generational sexual behavior in the context of a non-Judeo-Christian and non-Western society.
Published in: J. Feierman (Ed.), Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions (pp. 422-443)
Introduction
Anthropological studies of human sexual behavior traditionally are difficult to conduct and to interpret because so much of any sexual behavior is private and must be understood through reporting by others rather than through direct observation. Sexual behavior between adults and nonadults is especially difficult to study, but an understanding can be facilitated if one looks at that behavior across time, species, and societies. Hawai’i1 has several characteristics that make it a useful society in which to view such behavior.
Hawai’i was one of the first South Pacific societies to be visited and written about by Westerners (Cook, 1773). What it currently lacks in cultural purity, as a consequence of long association with foreigners, is partly compensated for by 200 years of contact and observation. Furthermore, over the years since Cook’s visit, published comparisons have been drawn between Hawai’i and lesser known societies in other parts of Oceania and Polynesia (e.g., Marshall and Suggs, 1971).
This author has spent more than 20 years living and working in Hawai’i as an academic sexologist. This chapter is written mainly for readers who will benefit from seeing aspects of selected cross-generational sexual behavior in the context of a non-Judeo-Christian and non-Western society.