Looking at pedophilia as a neurological issue

The law often mandates reporting-but some therapists refuse, worrying it does more harm than good.

There's no helpline for pedophiles who want treatment before they act. So a teen with a terrible secret had to find his own way to save himself and others like him.

Researchers piecing together the facts are uncovering some surprising truths - and debunking some widely held myths.

Two sociology students left their comfort zone and did fieldwork in an internet forum for pedophiles that is against the abuse of children.

Child pornography should end. As an ex-convict, I ask: Is prison the most effective way to address demand?

Most sexual abuse of children is by non-pedophiles.

Images of child sex abuse have reached a crisis point on the internet, spreading at unprecedented rates in part because tech platforms and law enforcement agencies have failed to keep pace with the problem. But less is understood about the issue underlying it all: What drives people to sexually abuse children?

“This is a topic that scientists in the fields of mental health are not just uninterested in—it is actively repugnant."

A charity helpline for paedophiles worried about re-offending has called for more volunteers and funding as it deals with rising demand. The helpline referenced is Stop It Now! UK. Despite its portrayal in the article. Stop It Now! helplines serve non-offenders in addition to convicted offenders.

This article discusses the fact that laws restricting sex offender housing locations not only lack any empirical basis, but also highlights how they can be counterproductive and actually increase risk of recidivism.

This article is behind a soft paywall. If it is inaccessible to you, please click here to access an archived version.

This piece was published in the wake of Salon removing Todd Nickerson's article. The author, Jesse Singal, criticizes Salon's decision and comes out in support of Todd and non-offending pedophiles in general.

This article is behind a soft paywall. If it is inaccessible to you, please click here to access an archived version.

This is a candid interview with an unnamed pedophile who discovered his attractions during middle age. He discusses the nature of his attractions, their effects on his life, and his participation in Virtuous Pedophiles, among many other topics.

This article is behind a soft paywall. If it is inaccessible to you, please click here to access an archived version.

The Blog of Todd Nickerson . . . Pedophile with a Conscience. Todd is a true hero. He has sacrified his anonymity in order to present to the world a real, living non-offending MAPs. A good place to start if you are young pedophile/MAP and not sure what to do, who to talk to.

The tagline says "Stories about pedophilia, written by pedophiles" but TNF's, a leader in the non-offending pedophile Community, writings present a compelling look into a subject many find repelling. Highly recommended.

Ethan Edwards (pseudonym) one of the founders of Virtuous Pedophiles who's writings or profoundly important. As he says, "these are just my opinions, not shared positions of Virtuous Pedophiles."

Personal blog of MAP Activist and Virtuous Pedophiles' strategy coordinator Bly Rede.

Fact based opinion article, that does a wonderful job of showing just how far pedo-haters will go shamelessly promoting fear where not threat exists.

In 2014, award-winning journalist Luke Malone released a radio documentary and companion print piece about self-identified, “non-offending” pedophiles who want help managing their attraction to children. The former appeared on this American Life and the latter in Matter magazine, and they collectively reached an audience of over six-and-a-half million people. In the 2 years he spent researching the topic, Malone met Adam (a pseudonym), a then 18-year old who, for lack of other options, created an informal support group for pedophiles in their teens and early twenties. In this chapter, the author will recount his reporting experiences and discuss how a shift toward prevention could better serve this community and their potential victims. While Malone comes to the prevention of sexual violence from an unorthodox background, he has risen to prominence in the field conducting key note addresses at national and international sex offender treatment conferences and he is currently collaborating on prevention initiatives with John Hopkins University. Malone’s accounts of these young men and their commitment not to offend resonated both with academics and the public at large, bringing this taboo topic to a large national forum.

Would you feel prepared if a client in your clinical practice shared that he was sexually attracted to children? Mental health professionals come in contact with these individuals primarily through the child welfare or criminal justice systems. But it is now increasingly evident that a population exists of non-offending minor-attracted persons (MAPs) who have never molested a child and have no intention of doing so. By becoming familiar with their unique treatment needs, clinicians can develop competence to provide effective, ethical, and compassionate services for this stigmatized and hard-to-reach population, with a dual focus on sexual abuse prevention and client well-being.

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing discourse on prevention of child sexual abuse, determine where the pedophile is situated in the discourse, and examine the potential in reframing primary prevention to include the non-offending pedophile.

Non-offending pedophiles are a unique population of individuals who experience sexual interest in children, but despite common misperceptions, have neither had sexual contact with a child nor have accessed illegal child sexual exploitation material. An emerging body of research has examined the prevalence of pedophilic interests, characteristics of non-offending pedophiles, correlates of pedophilic interests, and stigma associated with pedophilia. Treatment programs are beginning to produce findings regarding the effectiveness of treatment in supporting non-offending pedophiles to remain offence-free. The current review spans these areas of research and discusses potential treatment options for working with non-offending pedophiles based on that research base.

This study explores future mental health providers’ assumptions about minor-attracted people, using data from a survey of 200 students preparing for entry into social service professions at a public university in the state of Utah. Survey results show that more than half of the students believe clients who identify themselves as pedophiles must be automatically reported to the police, which has implications for providers’ understandings about the term “pedophile,” as well as their knowledge of guidelines for when clinicians may break client confidentiality. This belief was not significantly affected by taking ethics courses, nor courses that discussed mandated reporting guidelines. Despite this finding, 91% of students did not believe that they would need to report a client who had attractions to children, but who had never committed a sexual offense against a child. The majority of students indicated a willingness to work with minor-attracted clients, and commonly indicated in comments that they wanted more information about MAPs and when to break client confidentiality in their programs of study. Study results indicate a need for education among social service students about these issues.

In their article on the subject of risk assessment of online child sexual exploitation offenders, Hirschtritt and colleagues highlight an important finding derived from an analysis of group data which concludes that the vast majority of individuals convicted for accessing child pornography online (and who have had no prior conviction for a contact sexual offense) are at low risk of becoming a contact, hands-on, sexual offender. This commentary is intended to complement their observations by emphasizing the importance of performing a comprehensive psychiatric-forensic evaluation when assessing risk. It argues that greater emphasis should be placed upon reducing any risk that may be identified rather than simply asserting its presence. While not arguing against legal sanctions, this commentary questions their severity in some instances based upon the above noted finding. This commentary suggests that effectively addressing the mental health needs of child pornography accessors and exploring methods of primary prevention should be considered aspects of risk reduction. In an article in this issue of The Journal, entitled “Risk Assessment of Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenders,” the authors address a matter that has important clinical, public safety, and civil liberties implications.1 In doing so, they define several characteristics that distinguish between “contact (hands-on) sexual offenders” against children, and “online non-contact (hands-off) offenders.” Despite making such a distinction, they nevertheless still categorize both groups as sexual exploiters. The authors used the term “online (non-contact) offender” when referring to individuals who accessed (in their words, had “engaged in”) child pornography or “other child sexual exploitation materials” (Ref. 1, p 000) via the Internet. The precise nature of “other child sexual exploitation materials” was not clearly defined. The online offender group had had no known convictions for a prior hands-on sexual offense at the time of their child pornography related convictions. That online offender group did not include individuals who had attempted to solicit a child (or to solicit a government agent purporting to be a child, or purporting to have access to child) via the Internet. Some hands-on contact offenders had also been convicted for accessing child pornography and were therefore classified as “mixed” (i.e., both contact and non-contact) offenders. The authors had no direct contact with any of the reported-upon individuals; they reviewed studies and data that contained information about them. After reviewing that data, the authors concluded that most individuals who are charged with online offenses related to accessing child pornography (and who have not had a prior conviction for a contact offense against a child) are unlikely to engage in subsequent contact sexual offenses. That finding is important given the severity of the criminal sanctions often imposed for accessing, and sometimes sharing, child pornography via the Internet.

Few studies of pedophilia or hebephilia have included questions about romantic attraction. We conducted an anonymous online survey of 306 men who self-reported as sexually attracted to children. The majority (72%) of participants reported they had fallen in love with a child in their lifetime. Participants reported greater feelings of attachment to children than feelings of infatuation. Though sexual attraction and falling in love were strongly correlated, they were not synonymous. Participants who reported pedohebephilia (defined in this study as attraction to prepubescent and pubescent children) were more likely to have fallen in love with a child than participants who reported pedohebe-ephebophilia (defined as attraction to prepubescent, pubescent, and post-pubescent minors). Also, participants with an exclusive attraction to children were more likely to have fallen in love with a child than participants who were equally attracted to children and adults. The results of this study were consistent with the suggestion of Seto (2012) that pedohebephilia could be considered a form of sexual orientation for age, which includes both sexual and romantic attraction.

To our knowledge, this is the first large study of the attractions of child-attracted men recruited in any manner other than their being charged with legal offenses. We recruited 1,189 men from websites for adults attracted to children. Men in our sample were highly attracted to children, and they were much less attracted to adults, especially to adult men. However, men varied with respect to which combination of gender and age they found most attractive. Men in our sample were especially attracted to pubescent boys and prepubescent girls. Their self-reported attraction patterns closely tracked the age/gender gradient of sexual arousal established in prior research. Consistent with the gradient, men most attracted to prepubescent children were especially likely to have bisexual attractions to children. Pedohebephilia-attraction to sexually immature children-is best considered a collection of related if distinct sexual orientations, which vary in the particular combination of gender and sexual maturity that elicits greatest sexual attraction. Finally, our study reveals the potential power and efficiency of studying highly cooperative child-attracted men recruited via the Internet. (PsycINFO Database Record

We conducted an Internet survey of 1,102 men sexually attracted to children concerning their history of adjudicated offenses related to child pornography and sexual contact with children. Most of the men reported no offenses, but their rate of offenses was much higher than that expected for adult-attracted men. Correlates of offending are consistent with a strong role of the cumulative effects of temptation, especially age. Older men, men who had repeatedly worked in jobs with children, men who had repeatedly fallen in love with children, and men who had often struggled not to offend were especially likely to have offended. Attraction to male children, relative attraction to children versus adults, and childhood sexual abuse experiences were also strong predictors of offending. In contrast, permissive attitudes regarding child-adult sex and frequent indulgence in sexual fantasies about children were not significantly related to offending. Our findings represent the first large study of offending among men sexually attracted to children who were not recruited via contact with the legal system. Because of methodological limitations, our findings cannot be definitive. Reassuringly, however, results are generally consistent with those from the most pertinent existing studies, of recidivism among convicted sex offenders.

In this article, I address the question of whether pedophilia in men can be construed as a male sexual orientation, and the implications for thinking of it in this way for scientific research, clinical practice, and public policy. I begin by defining pedophilia and sexual orientation, and then compare pedophilia (as a potential sexual orientation with regard to age) to sexual orientations with regard to gender (heterosexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality), on the bases of age of onset, correlations with sexual and romantic behavior, and stability over time. I conclude with comments about the potential social and legal implications of conceptualizing pedophilia as a type of sexual orientation in males.

There are at least two different criteria for assessing pedophilia in men: absolute ascertainment (their sexual interest in children is intense) and relative ascertainment (their sexual interest in children is greater than their interest in adults). The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition (DSM-III) used relative ascertainment in its diagnostic criteria for pedophilia; this was abandoned and replaced by absolute ascertainment in the DSM-III-R and all subsequent editions. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the continuing need for relative ascertainment, particularly in the laboratory assessment of pedophilia. A total of 402 heterosexual men were selected from a database of patients referred to a specialty clinic. These had undergone phallometric testing, a psychophysiological procedure in which their penile blood volume was monitored while they were presented with a standardized set of laboratory stimuli depicting male and female children, pubescents, and adults.The 130 men selected for the Teleiophilic Profile group responded substantially to prepubescent girls but even more to adult women; the 272 men selected for the Pedophilic Profile group responded weakly to prepubescent girls but even less to adult women. In terms of absolute magnitude, every patient in the Pedophilic Profile group had a lesser penile response to prepubescent girls than every patient in the Teleiophilic Profile group. Nevertheless, the Pedophilic Profile group had a significantly greater number of known sexual offenses against prepubescent girls, indicating that they contained a higher proportion of true pedophiles. These results dramatically demonstrate the utility-or perhaps necessity-of relative ascertainment in the laboratory assessment of erotic age-preference.

In this article, we sought to build on existing stigmatization research by examining the extent to which internalized stigmatization (i.e., the personal adoption and incorporation of social views, operationalized as thought suppression—an avoidant coping strategy—and low psychological well-being) among minor-attracted persons (MAPs) may impact upon help-seeking behaviors and their avoidance of children. We adopted a cross-sectional anonymous survey design to recruit a sample of self-identified MAPs (N = 183) from prominent online support fora. We found that increased levels of suppression and lower levels of psychological well-being were associated with lower levels of hope about the future, but higher levels of both shame and guilt about having a sexual interest in minors. Thought suppression was not significantly associated with outcomes related to help-seeking behaviors, but did significantly predict higher rates of actively avoiding children, even after controlling for psychological well-being and other emotional variables. Independently, lower levels of self-reported psychological well-being were associated with a desire for more support and higher rates of actively avoiding children. We explore the potential implications of our data in relation to treating and supporting MAPs within the community, increasing their well-being, and encouraging help-seeking behavior.

Stigmatization restricts people's opportunities in life and has severe consequences on mental health and psychological well-being. 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 (11). Although 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.

The Berlin Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (PPD) aims to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) by targeting men who fear they may sexually abuse children, and who seek help without being mandated to do so. This article aims to demonstrate that a pedophilic or hebephilic sexual preference is very common among these men, to show how these men can be reached, and to document their determination to find help. The target group was informed of the project and encouraged to respond via a media campaign. A telephone screening was conducted over the first 18 months. Of the 286 who completed the screening (60.1% of the respondents), 84.3% (N = 241) were interviewed by a clinician. Of the interviewees, 57.7% (N = 139) and 27.8% (N = 67) expressed a sexual preference for prepubescent and pubescent minors, respectively, and 10.8% (N = 26) for mature adults. The remaining 3.7% (N = 9) could not be reliably categorized. As (potential) child molesters with a respective sexual preference can be reached via a media campaign, efforts to prevent CSA ought to be expanded to target this group.

The present study compares community-based minor-attracted persons (MAPs) with and without histories of sexual activity with children. MAP actors (N = 342) were significantly older than non-actors (N = 223), with longer duration of pedophilic attraction, more antisocial traits, greater attraction to boys, greater difficulty controlling their attraction, and more positive attitudes toward adult-child sexual activity. Additionally, more MAP actors reported prior mental health treatment, nonsexual offenses, and childhood sexual and nonsexual abuse. Over a third of the whole sample reported chronic suicidal ideation. These findings support the existence of MAPs who successfully refrain from sexually engaging with children, identifying multiple protective and risk factors.

‘Non-offending pedophiles’ or ‘minor attracted persons’ are individuals who suppress an attraction to children. Previous analyses of this population’s mental illness employed overt self-report methods, limited by social desirability. Additionally, studies assessing the coping mechanisms employed to remain offense-free are underpowered; understanding of these would facilitate the rehabilitation of prior offenders. A thematic analysis of coping mechanisms and mental illness was conducted on 5,210 posts on the ‘Virtuous Pedophiles’ forum. Four themes emerged for coping mechanisms: Managing risk and attraction to children, Managing mood, Managing preferences prosocially and Friends, family and relationships, with 13 subthemes. Five themes emerged for mental ill-health, including: Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Self-hatred/Self-harm/Suicide and Other. Self-hatred/Self-harm/Suicide accounted for almost a third of discussed mental ill-health. These results highlight the severity of mental ill-health amongst this population and the coping mechanisms employed to remain offense-free.

Sexual attraction to children occurs in roughly 3 to 9 percent of the population. However, most knowledge about such desires comes from forensic samples, and most studies fail to assess preferred sexual activity and sexual partner. A new multimodal assessment of sexual desire was used to investigate interest in consensual and nonconsensual sex with adults and children in an online sample of men sexually attracted to children (n = 101). Desires were compared across history of sex offending behavior and preferred gender of child victim. Men who have and have not acted on their sexual attractions to children reported similar levels of sexual desire. Men primarily attracted to girls reported greater desire for sex with adults than did men primarily attracted to boys. Results highlight the heterogeneity of men sexually attracted to children as well as possible distinctions across gender of children to whom they are primarily attracted.

Consistent evidence exists for sexual interest in children in non-clinical/non-forensic male populations. However, prevalences for community males’ self-reported sexual interest in children involving prepubescent children have been based on indiscriminate definitions including postpubescent individuals, age-restricted samples, and/or small convenience samples. The present research assessed males’ self-reported sexual interest in children (including child prostitution and child sex tourism) on community level and examined the link between strictly defined sexual fantasies and behaviors involving prepubescent children. In an online survey of 8,718 German males 4.1% reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children, 3.2% sexual offending against prepubescent children, and 0.1% a pedophilic sexual preference. Sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children were positively related to sexual offending against prepubescent children. Sexual interest in children was associated with subjectively perceived need for therapeutic help. In contrast to findings from forensic samples, men who exclusively reported child pornography use were identified as a subgroup differing from contact sexual offenders against prepubescent children and men who committed both child pornography and contact sexual offenses against prepubescent children. The empirical link between child-related sexual fantasies and sexual victimization of prepubescent children and high levels of subjective distress from this inclination underscore the importance of evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention approaches in the community. Findings are discussed in terms of their relation to pedophilic disorder.

Although much is currently known about hypersexuality (in the form of excessive sexual behavior) among sexual offenders, the degree to which hypersexual behavior is linked to paraphilic and especially pedophilic interests in non-forensic populations has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the associations between total sexual outlets (TSO) and other sex drive indicators, antisocial behavior, pedophilic interests, and sexual offending behavior in a large population-based community sample of males. The sample included 8,718 German men who participated in an online study. Hypersexual behavior as measured by self-reported TSO, self-reported sex drive, criminal history, and pedophilic interests were assessed. In moderated hierarchical logistic regression analyses self-reported contact sexual offending against children was linked to sexual fantasizing about children and antisociality. There was no association between aggregated sex drive, and sexual abusive behaviour in the multivariate analyses. In contrast, self-reported child pornography consumption was associated with sex drive, sexual fantasies involving children, and antisociality. Nevertheless, in convicted sexual offenders antisociality, sexual preoccupation (like hypersexuality), and pedophilic interest are important predictors of sexual reoffending against prepubescent children. Therefore, in clinical practice an assessment of criminal history and pedophilic interests in hypersexual individuals and vice versa hypersexuality in antisocial or pedophilic men should be considered.

The fierce stigma associated with pedophilia may interfere with attempts to prevent sexual offending. Prior research on the effects of media reports about pedophilia mostly focused on their role in perpetuating stigma in the general population. In order to better understand potential benefits and risks of the media coverage on people with pedophilia and specialized prevention and treatment efforts, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 healthcare practitioners of the German Prevention Network “Don’t offend”. Healthcare practitioners described positive (e.g., raising awareness for prevention offers) as well as negative (e.g., perpetuating the existing public stigma) effects of the media coverage and estimated that only about one-third of media coverage portrays pedophilia realistically. To destigmatize pedophilia and benefit the prevention of child sexual abuse, a fact box for journalists was developed based on practitioners’ expert knowledge.

From an evolutionary perspective, incestuous behavior is puzzling. The goal of this study was to assess the tenability of the Westermarck hypothesis (1891, 1921)—that people who live in close physical proximity with one another during childhood will develop a sexual indifference or aversion toward one another—and the mediating role of disgust as an incest avoidance mechanism in father–daughter relationships. A sample of fathers with daughters (N = 632) from Canada and the United States were recruited by Qualtrics—a survey platform and project management company—to complete an online survey. The results from this study did not support the viability of the Westermarck hypothesis as a mechanism that facilitates incest avoidance for fathers. Physical proximity was not associated with incest propensity or disgust toward incest. Less disgust toward incest, however, was found to be associated with more incest propensity. These results indicate that physical proximity may not be a reliable kinship cue used by fathers to inform incest avoidance, but that disgust toward incest may still be a proximate mechanism that facilitates incest avoidance among fathers using kinship cues other than physical proximity.

Individuals who are attracted to minors but have abstained from sexual offending (non-offending minor-attracted persons) are an under-researched, hard-to-reach population. The current study explored professionals' perspectives of the barriers this population faces in seeking and receiving help and how these barriers can be reduced. Twenty professionals read an original vignette and answered a series of questions via an online survey. Using an inductive thematic analysis, the accessibility of treatment and perceived risk of disclosure emerged as the main barriers to seeking and receiving help. To reduce these barriers a number of potential solutions were suggested, including increasing publicity, educating the public, and offering enhanced training to professionals. This research should bolster future efforts to prevent child sexual abuse and contribute to strategies focused on helping non-offending minor-attracted persons manage their attraction in a pro-social way.

Introduction
Current discussions in the field of sex research concern the age at which sexual interest in children occurred or awareness emerged.

Aim
To investigate the age of onset (AOO) and its correlates in men with sexual interest in children.

Methods
Using 2 samples (study 1, patients from an outpatient treatment center, n = 26; study 2, an online survey using 3 recruitment paths, n = 94), we assessed self-reported AOO of sexual interest in children, its flexibility, its exclusiveness, and individuals’ motivation to change it. We further examined the interrelation between these variables.

Main Outcome Measure
AOO as the self-reported age at which participants retrospectively felt sexually attracted to children for the first time.

Results
We found broad ranges in AOO (study 1: mean 20.0 ± 10.7; study 2: mean 17.0 ± 8.7), flexibility, and exclusiveness (in studies 1 and 2, 7.7% and 22.3%, respectively, reported that their sexual interest is exclusively in children). The earlier participants felt sexually attracted to children for the first time, the more they were attracted exclusively in children and the less they perceived it to be flexible. Participants who reported rather exclusive sexual interest in children were less likely to perceive it as flexible. The more participants reported on flexibility, the more they were motivated to change it. The earlier participants of study 2 felt sexually attracted to children for the first time, the less they were motivated to change.

Clinical Implications
The variety of our results indicates the contradiction of overall rules for individuals with sexual interest in children.

Strength & Limitations
We included individuals with sexual interest in children from different contexts (eg, forensic vs non-forensic). Our results are in line with previous findings. However, both studies included rather small samples, limiting generalizability. There is not yet consent about how to operationalize AOO.

Conclusion
We recommend a differentiated perspective on individuals with sexual interest in children and on different forms of pedophilia in the diagnostic construct.

Introduction
Regarding women, little research is available about the prevalence of sexual interest in children (SIC), especially in nonclinical samples.

Aim
The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which adult women from 2 nonclinical and nonrepresentative samples indicate sexual interest in prepubescent and/or pubescent children.

Methods
Participants took part in an online survey either via general websites or via websites directed toward individuals with a SIC.

Main Outcome Measures
The self-report survey included questions about the use of online abuse material including children and teenagers as well as about sexual fantasies involving prepubescent and pubescent children. Both measures were included as main outcome measures.

Results
Results showed that few women reported having used online abuse material including children (total sample: n = 7 [0.8%], general websites: n = 3 [0.4%], SIC websites: n = 4 [9.5%]) or teenagers (total sample: n = 44 [5.0%], general websites: n = 37 [4.4%], SIC websites: n = 7 [16.7%]). Results further revealed that some women reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent (total sample: n = 98 [7.0%], general websites: n = 92 [6.8%], SIC websites: n = 6 [11.1%]) or pubescent children (total sample: n = 136 [9.6%], general websites: n = 129 [9.5%], SIC websites: n = 7 [13.0%]).

Conclusions
The samples included are nonrepresentative 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.

Aim
Investigating the variability of the age of onset (AOO) of sexual interest in children (SIC) and the interrelations of important measures in individuals having a SIC, especially the role of the AOO.

Methods
A sample of 75 individuals from different contexts having a SIC was examined within an online survey. We explored the relations between AOO and other characteristics of the sample using correlation coefficients. The main outcome measures were self‐reported AOO of the SIC, its exclusiveness, its flexibility over time, participants' motivation to change it, and their self‐efficacy for modifying it.

Results
Results displayed that the AOO ranges from 6 to 44, and has a mean value of 17 and a median of 15 years. AOO correlates only with the flexibility, indicating that the earlier participants recognized their SIC, the less change they have experienced over time.

Conclusion
AOO of SIC may be broadly distributed and related to its flexibility. Further studies should clarify the relevance of these preliminary results and their possible implications for clinical practice. Tozdan S and Briken P. The earlier, the worse?

The ownership of sex dolls has become an increasingly controversial social issue over the last five-to-ten years, with many in society (and academia) calling for the criminalization of such dolls. At the root of these calls is the implicit (and often explicit) assumption that sex doll ownership contributes to increases in social objectification of women, and sexual offense risk among doll owners. However, there are yet to be any empirical examinations of these claims. In this work we compare the psychological characteristics of sex doll owners (n = 158) and non-owner controls (n = 135). Contrary to widely held social attitudes, we found no substantive differences in sexual objectification between the two groups. Doll owners typically had more sexual fantasies related to coercion (biastophilia), but lower offense proclivity, than controls. Owners were also more likely to see women as unknowable, have less secure attachment styles, and more stable negative mood. We begin to build a psychological profile of sex doll ownership, before highlighting the need for more evidence-informed social debates about the use of sex dolls in modern society.

The ReDirection Survey Report reveals unprecedented findings from Protect Children’s surveys in the dark web on CSAM users. This new information is invaluable in enhancing global child protection efforts and strengthening the fight to protect children from sexual violence online.

A collection of short fiction about non-offending, anti-contact minor-attracted persons (MAPs). “MAP” is an umbrella term for nepiophiles, pedophiles, hebephiles and ephebophiles. While society believes “pedophiles” to be responsible for all child sexual assault, research has proven this to be untrue: most MAPs do not sexually offend. These stories explore some of the issues a MAP goes through, from self-identification (which usually occurs in early adolescence) to reporting abusive images, to having a family, to advocacy and education work. This book contains no explicit child sexual abuse. It is intended as an introduction for therapists, students of sexuality, family members of MAPs and people who are interested in child sexual abuse prevention.

Danish YA novel written by a clinical psychologist about a teen who discovers he is attracted to younger boys. The story portrays the protagonist in a sympathetic light. Unfortunately, no English translation exists.

Challenging widespread assumptions that persons who are preferentially attracted to minors—often referred to as "pedophiles"—are necessarily also predators and sex offenders, this book takes readers into the lives of non-offending minor-attracted persons (MAPs). There is little research into non-offending MAPs, a group whose experiences offer valuable insights into the prevention of child abuse. Navigating guilt, shame, and fear, this universally maligned group demonstrates remarkable resilience and commitment to living without offending and to supporting and educating others. Using data from interview-based research, A Long, Dark Shadow offers a crucial account of the lived experiences of this hidden population.

“The world doesn´t have to please me.”

“If we listen to desire, it looks for justifications for its activities. It want to make things a reality, it wants to enjoy. And so it makes us see facts even in thing where they don´t exist.”

“I´ve never felt bad because I can´t do what I´d like to do. That´s not something I´ve ever been upset about. I´ve been upset because I haven´t come up with any other way to feel that I have a full life.”

This is a collection of discussions between Juhani and sex therapist (Ulla Konttila) over a year. The quopations above are Juhani´s own words. He presents a mental method that can help people live with any preference without hurting anyone. This way of thinking can be applied to other mental issues, too. Juhani experiences sexual interest in children, and he has received lessons for coping with it from the wise part of his mind, that he calls the rational self. He wants to tell people that a preference in itself does not make anyone a monster. The discussions touch on themes and books about sexology, psychology and philosophy. In addition to Juhani´s life story, the sessions also took in the cultural background to the topic. But the greatest honour and pleasure as author is to present the voice of reason that makes you stop and think: the rational self.

The author of the book has been involved in the Serita-work as an expert in the work on sexual violence since 2019. She is trained psychiatric nurse, sexual counsellor, sex therapist and tantric instructor. Before Serita-work, se worked extensively as a psychiatric nurse for the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of the city of Oulu. This book by Ulla Konttila is a significant contribution to the field that makes it easier to discuss the topic rationally.

The book is translated in English and will be published at 30.3.2022 in this site and it´s available for free.