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Stigma and Maps

Description:

One of my old archive science posts. I'm not sure it is necessary yet, there's nobody to argue with, I'm just testing the format.

There is an emerging consensus among researchers that having pedophilic interests is not synonymous with child sexual abuse or other amoral behavior. Nevertheless, misconceptions about pedophilia are highly prevalent among the general public and mental health practitioners. <...> We argue that stigmatization of people with pedophilic sexual interests has undesired indirect effects on risk factors for child sexual abuse, particularly on an emotional and social level. Also, fear of being rejected or treated unethically may prevent pedophilic individuals at risk for sexual offending from confiding in medical practitioners or psychotherapists. Psychologists working with pedophilic individuals in forensic or clinical settings should be aware that stigmatizing people with pedophilia may increase their risk of sexual offending, and provide help to deal with potential stigma-related repercussions.

 
Stigmatization and societal punitiveness about pedophilia have a range of potential consequences, such as the social isolation of people with sexual interest in children, and the formation of policies that are not consistent with empirical research findings. Previous research has shown that people with pedophilic sexual interests use societal thinking to self-stigmatize, which in turn may actually serve to increase their risk of committing a sexual offense.
 
 
 
Results revealed that the shame and secrecy resulting from stigma associated with pedophilic interests often prevented our respondents from seeking professional counseling, and only about 20% tried to talk to anyone about their sexual interests prior to their arrest. Barriers to seeking and receiving psychological services included concerns about confidentiality, fears of social and legal consequences, personal shame or confusion about the problem, affordability, and challenges finding competent therapists who were adequately equipped to help them. Understanding and ultimately reducing obstacles to help-seeking can improve the quality of life for people with harmful sexual interests and potentially prevent sexual abuse of children or other vulnerable individuals.
 
 
 
In the general public however, it is to be expected that sexually abusive behavior
towards children is often confused with pedophilia as a sexual preference. In the media,
people with pedophile or other paraphile interests are often stereotypically portrayed as
violent criminals (Diefenbach, 1997; Kitzinger, 2004). The public’s view of sexual offenders is extremely negative (Fortney, Levenson, Brannon, & Baker, 2007). Agreement with the stereotype that pedophilia often or always coincides with child sex offenses is likely to prompt a high degree of discrimination against people with pedophilia, regardless of their actual behavior. This may have a negative impact on the mental health of a person suffering from pedophilia, and unwanted indirect effects on the likelihood of this person seeking therapy when needed. Both potential consequences may, presumably, put children at risk of child sexual abuse.
 
 
For instance, the societal rhetoric about people who abuse children (e.g., “monsters,” “predators,” and “deviants,” along with declarations that they are not amenable to treatment and will inevitably reoffend) is rather damaging to the self-concepts of MAPs, who internalize these stigmatizing perceptions (Buckman et al., 2016; Jahnke, 2018). The shame and secrecy that result from this stigma prevent MAPs from reaching out to find role models, professionals, or confidants who might offer support or advice about how to deal with minor attraction and achieve a satisfying and healthy life (Beier, 2016; Buckman et al., 2016; Piché et al., 2016).