Understanding and Addressing Adult Sexual Attraction to Children: A Study of Paedophiles in Contemporary Society

ISBN-13: 9780415446259 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 228 str.

Sarah Dalal Goode

Opis

Paedophiles exist and we must develop ways of living with this fact whilst ensuring that children are kept safe. This ground-breaking book demystifies the field of adult sexual attraction to children, countering the emotionality surrounding the topic of paedophilia in the popular media by careful presentation of research data and interview material. Addressing how we can work together to reduce sexual offending in this population, this text bridges the gulf in understanding between those who want to protect children and those who feel sexual attraction to children - and recognises that they are sometimes the same people. Sarah D. Goode provides an overview of the topic by defining the term 'paedophile' and discussing how many adults there may be in the general population who find themselves sexually attracted to children. She looks at how the Internet has acted as an enabler, with an explosion of child pornography and 'pro-paedophile' websites. Drawing on data from a sample of fifty-six self-defined paedophiles living in the community, she explores themes including self-identity, the place of fantasy and the forms of support available to paedophiles. Her research highlights the scale of debate within the 'online paedophile community' about issues such as the morality of sexual contact with children and encouragement to maintain a law-abiding lifestyle. Throughout, she draws careful distinctions between sexual attraction to children and sexual contact with children. The book concludes with a valuable discussion on how adult sexual contact harms children and examples of a range of initiatives which work to protect children and prevent offending. Suitable for all professionals who work with children or sexual offenders, this book gives clear guidance on what one needs to know and do to ensure children are kept safe. It will also be of interest to students studying child protection, paedophilia and child sexual abuse within other social science disciplines.

From ideas about ‘stranger danger’, it has become increasingly evident to professionals working across health and social care services that children are usually sexually abused by family members or by other trusted people they know. Far from being a rare occurrence, sadly it is now estimated that as many as one in four women and one in six men are sexually abused before the age of eighteen. This groundbreaking book explores what can be done to stop this, making use of case studies and primary interview-data and seeking a new understanding of paedophilia in order to better prevent child sexual abuse.

Paedophiles in our Communities is divided into three sections. The first section covers basic background information about paedophiles and child sexual abuse. It looks at historical context, contemporary concerns and cutting edge research, demonstrating the harm that sexual abuse does to children and outlining our current child protection precautions. The second section examines the paedophile perspective, looking at the arguments presented for adult-child sexual contact, the Internet revolution and the burgeoning civil rights movement. The final section then puts forward suggestions for ways that we can really keep children safe.

Suitable for all professionals who work with children or sexual offenders, this book gives clear guidance on what one needs to know and do in order to ensure children are kept safe. It will also be of interest to students studying paedophilia and child sexual abuse with the areas of social work, social policy, criminology and sociology.

Spis treści

@contents:1. Understanding Paedophiles 2. Paedophiles Online 3. Setting Up the ‘Minor Attracted Adults’ Daily Lives Project 4. Running the ‘Minor Attracted Adults’ Daily Lives Project 5. Findings from the Minor-Attracted Adults Daily Lives Research Project 6. Constructing and Negotiating Identities 7. Attraction and Fantasies 8. Experiences of Support 9. Debate and Dissent Within the Online Paedophile Community 10. What Stops Adults Preventing the Abuse of Children? 11. Addressing Adult Sexual Attraction to Children

O autorze

Sarah D. Goode, a qualified occupational therapist, holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Warwick and is Director of the Research and Policy Centre for the Study of Faith and Well-being in Communities and a Senior Lecturer in Social Care and Community Development at the University of Winchester, UK.