The Blog

Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

This book draws together a wealth of material from many different areas to form a picture of what adult sexual attraction to children means within the context of our culture and our understandings of sexuality. Information widely available in libraries or on the Internet account is covered along with online offending. The majority of the text however, is about the findings from the author’s original research between 2006 and 2008 which explores the everyday experiences and views of ‘minor-attracted adults’ (MAAs) themselves. This includes fantasies and what respondents found most attractive, with the distinction between fantasy and reality appearing to be recognised by most. Interactions with others within and outside the online paedophile community are examined. The provision and form of support is reported and findings suggest that those who have no support outside the paedophile community are more likely to agree with sexual contact with children, while those who have support available from non-paedophiles are more likely to hold ‘non-contact’ views. That support may not be with approval but with acceptance.

Issues which stop adults preventing child abuse and initiatives in addressing adult sexual attraction to children e.g Stop It Now are covered. Finally, keeping children safe with guidance is given.

“The whole intention of this book has been to enable us, as a society, to understand that adult sexual attraction to children does exist and that the best way to address it is through awareness, empathy and clear boundaries, by accepting that the way to protect children is to allow us all to talk openly about our feelings, no matter what they are, while holding ourselves responsible for our actions, no matter what they are”.

https://www.ipce.info/sites/ipce.info/files/biblio_attachments/goode_2.pdf

Oxford University Press. 2019.

This book examines current and past perspectives concerning unconventional sexual interests. Extensively referenced, it challenges the dogma that sexual interests are immutably determined during a single critical period and are thereafter unchangeable. It is written for mental health clinicians and specialists in the fields of sexology, forensic psychology, and psychiatry, but is also of interest to anyone whose lives have been affected by a paraphilia.

Chapter in: The Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Addiction.

ABSTRACT

The information gathered from both American and British projects on the prevalence rates of clergy sexual misconduct suggests the clergy have substantially higher rates of sexual misconduct than other caring professionals. This chapter takes the view that religious vocation, no matter the religious tradition, is often about the use of religion and religious practice to manage endemic shame caused by narcissistic damage. Sexual behaviour can also be a way of escaping from this endemic shame. It is the author’s view that the clergy have these higher rates of misconduct because religious behaviour and sexual behaviour are both solutions to the pain of narcissistic damage.

www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/compulsive-sexual-behaviour-religious-practice-thaddeus-birchard/e/10.4324/9781315639512-34

The results of a survey taken in February 2018 about viewing pornography, frequency of viewing and effects on sexual aspects of their lives.

https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/2zlehezpae/InternalResults_Feb18_sexvsporn.pdf

Details of papers presented can be found on the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) website: https://www.atsa.com/select-atsa-conference-handouts

The Australia and New Zealand association (ANZATSA) has further detail of the 2019 conference presentations at:  https://www.griffith.edu.au/criminology-institute/news-events/2019-anzatsa-conference

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34 (20), 4303-4327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519869235

Abstract

This study examined the role of the reaction of the victim, the nature of the physical setting, and the proximity of third parties in deterring offenders from completing an act of child sexual abuse (CSA). A self-report study was conducted with 238 adult males serving a custodial sentence for CSA, of whom 82 identified an occasion in which they had tried to have sexual contact with a child but did not because they were stopped or discouraged. We examined the situational characteristics of the noncompleted offense and compared these with the most recent completed offense by the same offenders. The most common reason for stopping the noncompleted offense, given by more than half of the participants, was the negative reaction of the child, and in particular, the direct request by the child to stop. Actual or potential actions by third parties were the next most cited reasons, with around a quarter of cases stopped because the offender was interrupted. In comparison to the noncomplete offense, in the completed offense the child was more likely to be younger and to be perceived as a willing participant. The most common suggestion for what might have stopped the completed offense, endorsed almost universally, was a negative reaction from the child. Factors that increased the chance of being detected—someone being nearby and the possibility of being observed—were also strongly endorsed. We argue that the findings provide the basis for devising offense-focused prevention strategies for CSA.

N.B Figures appear at the end of the accepted version given here.

(https://fightthenewdrug.org/)

This Research-Based organisation presents reviews and summaries of research in a variety of areas related to pornography; effects on the brain, relationships and society. Presentations for Students are available, and links to media and podcasts available.

(https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/)

Gary Wilson is the founder of this site and author of a book of the same name, proceeds from which go to a registered charity. The site is maintained by a group effort that includes men who have recovered from internet-porn related problems and a retired teacher. Pages are dedicated to Quitting porn, Research, Sexual problems and Videos and articles. The latter contains five videos produced by them, and a link to a long list of other videos available which includes the channel 4 documentary of 2018 ‘Porn on the brain’ (https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/relevant-research-and-articles-about-the-studies/porn-use-sex-addiction-studies/cambridge-university-brain-scans-find-evidence-consistent-with-addiction/porn-on-the-brain-uk-documentary/).

Aggression and Violent Behavior. 38, 21-30.

Abstract (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178917303609)

There is increasing interest in the use of strength-based approaches, such as the Good Lives Model (GLM), in the field of offender rehabilitation to complement primarily risk management models. To date, theoretical work has focused on the application of the GLM to adult offenders, and primarily sexual offenders at that. This paper explores the theoretical application of the Good Lives Model (GLM) to the rehabilitation of youth offenders. Practitioners often struggle to engage young people in treatment as working towards the goal of avoiding further offending does not directly speak to their core concerns and, as such, is not very motivating. The GLM is a rehabilitation framework that focuses on approach goals, which encourages individuals to identify and formulate ways of achieving personally meaningful goals in prosocial ways. It is argued that as a rehabilitation framework the GLM has the flexibility and breadth to accommodate the variety of risk factors and complex needs youth offenders present with, and also provides a natural fit with a dynamic systems (e.g., family and educational systems) framework, and evidence based interventions in the youth offender field.

Please see https://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?user=Cos97IEAAAAJ&hl=en for further research papers by this author.

Journal of Sexual Aggression 12(2):189-201.

Abstract

The Good Way model was originally developed for working with youth with intellectual difficulties who have sexually abused and is also now being used with adults with intellectual disabilities and non-disabled adolescents. The model is practical and has been developed to address the need for a common, coherent narrative with which clients and therapists can effectively discuss behaviour and experiences. It has been developed through a process of listening to the clients’ descriptions of their experiences and then adapting our conceptual framework accordingly. The model is essentially a strengths-based programme using a narrative therapy approach and incorporates relapse prevention. There are two streams to the model: the first (Good Way/Bad Way) focuses on the young person identifying their strengths and the components of their “Good Life”, developing an understanding of the consequences of their actions including their abusive behaviour, and developing their ability to choose the “Good Way”. The other stream (Good House/Bad House) deals with the young person’s experience of loss and trauma, and assists them to develop an appreciation of the impact on others of their abusive behaviour and to take steps to repair relationships where possible. Current indications of success are shown by the young people and their families readily using the language, and applying the concepts to describe and monitor their behaviour. To date, none of the young people who have completed the programme are known to have sexually re-offended.

Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13552600600841680