Helpline: Accessible help inviting active or potential paedophiles

Abstract

Public reaction to paedophilic behaviour is generally one of outrage, fear and anger, followed by a desire for revenge or punishment. The reaction from the paedophile is frequently one of withdrawal, denial, fear, secrecy and isolation. This may inadvertently be responsible for further victims by inhibiting requests for treatment. In the summer of 2000, a helpline was established in the northwest of England aimed at encouraging offending paedophiles, and those with the disposition to offend, to seek help and advice. This paper will assess responses to this invitation by reviewing the nature of these calls over an 18-month period.

Preventing Female-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse

“…The general public also could be educated about the warning signs at-risk females exhibit and how to intervene when these signs are first noticed. This is in line with findings that show that it is possible to prevent some abuse by targeting potential abusers and their friends and family (Hossack, Playle, Spencer, & Carey, 2004;. According to the organization Stop It Now!, warning signs that a person may be at risk to sexually abuse a child include if the person (a) "Refuses to let a child set any of his or her own limits," (b) "Insists on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with or holding a child even when the child does not want this affection," (c) "Manages to get time alone or insists on time alone with a child with no interruption," (d) "Regularly offers to babysit many different children for free or takes children on overnight outings alone," (e) "Buys children expensive gifts or gives them money for no apparent reason," (f) "Encourages silence and secrets in a child," or (g) "Often has a 'special' child friend, maybe a different one from year to year."…”

Being Sexually Attracted to Minors: Sexual Development, Coping With Forbidden Feelings, and Relieving Sexual Arousal in Self-Identified Pedophiles

“…Because of the great stigma associated with pedophilia (Jahnke & Hoyer, 2013;Janhke, Imhoff, & Hoyer, 2015), some pedophiles may be troubled by their sexual interest (Freimond, 2013), fear losing control over their feelings (Hossack, Playle, Spencer, & Carey, 2004), or experience difficulties in dealing with feelings that are "forbidden" in contemporary society. In order to refrain from offending, these pedophiles need sufficient self-control and some need professional help in order to learn better coping strategies to relieve sexual arousal.…”

Thoughts on Combating Pedophilia in Non-Offending Adolescents

“…It would help tremendously for written resources to be made available which would reassure these youth that they are not bad people just because they have inappropriate sexual thoughts, that sexual contact with young children is never okay, that there is help available, and that it's not a good idea to keep the problem a secret (cf. Hossack, Playle, Spencer, & Carey, 2004).…”