Presentation Title
A New Approach to Assessing Pedophilia and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Start Date
20-4-2018 10:00 AM
End Date
20-4-2018 11:00 AM
Keywords
pedophilia, stigma, abuse, prevention
Biography
My name is Keyton Sampson and I am a junior and psychology major. My interests include clinical psychology, with a focus on abnormal psychology. I enjoy researching and sharing my findings on topics that help remove the negative stigma associated with mental illnesses.
Major
Psychology
Advisor for this project
Penny Koontz
Abstract
A New Approach to Assessing Pedophilia and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
This literature review aims to address pedophilia as a sexual preference that can be successfully treated, rather than as an uncontrollable desire. In both society at large and within the legal system, the term “pedophile” is incorrectly used as a synonym for “child molester”. Because of this inaccurate portrayal of individuals who experience pedophilia, a strong negative stigma has been created in our society. This has made it quite difficult for pedophiles to step forward and seek help from a mental health professional without being viewed as a perpetrator of a heinous crime. Most of society has the perception that their behavior is uncontrollable and that they will eventually act upon their desires. Along with this, many health professionals are not comfortable or do not have the knowledge and resources to adequately address these problems because of this stigma. Research reveals that pedophiles, unlike situational child molesters, often feel distress and remorse for their inappropriate desires and behaviors. This suggests that if steps were taken to reduce the stigma and shame associated with pedophilia, these individuals may be more likely to participate in treatment interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy in combination with medications.
A New Approach to Assessing Pedophilia and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
A New Approach to Assessing Pedophilia and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
This literature review aims to address pedophilia as a sexual preference that can be successfully treated, rather than as an uncontrollable desire. In both society at large and within the legal system, the term “pedophile” is incorrectly used as a synonym for “child molester”. Because of this inaccurate portrayal of individuals who experience pedophilia, a strong negative stigma has been created in our society. This has made it quite difficult for pedophiles to step forward and seek help from a mental health professional without being viewed as a perpetrator of a heinous crime. Most of society has the perception that their behavior is uncontrollable and that they will eventually act upon their desires. Along with this, many health professionals are not comfortable or do not have the knowledge and resources to adequately address these problems because of this stigma. Research reveals that pedophiles, unlike situational child molesters, often feel distress and remorse for their inappropriate desires and behaviors. This suggests that if steps were taken to reduce the stigma and shame associated with pedophilia, these individuals may be more likely to participate in treatment interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy in combination with medications.
