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Abstract
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This opinion piece describes how negative reactions towards child sexual abuse at the individual, interpersonal, and societal levels often block pathways to the prevention of child sexual abuse. Using the case ofMark Salling, the former Glee actor who recently died by suicidefollowing charges of child pornography possession, we argue thatsocietal fears and frustrations about child sexual exploitation andabuse are often counter-productive and should be redirected towardsprevention efforts. Accordingly, current and potential initiatives forprevention of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation arediscussed.
Keywords: child pornography, suicide, stigma, sexual offender treatment
Minor attracted persons often experience major challenges when realizing their own deviant pseudosexual and sexual urges. Moreover, minor attracted persons experience difficulties when seeking help for their inappropriate attraction to children, in large part due to societal shaming (Jahnke, 2018; Cantor & McPhail, 2016). Minor attracted persons are subjected to perceived and actual negative responses from the community, even in situations where they pose a low risk for offending (Grady, Levenson, Mesias, Kavanagh, & Charles, 2018). As such, the stigma associated with possessing a sexual attraction to children may delay someone from seeking professional services and/or result in self-harm.
There are well-documented, lifelong consequences that children face when they are sexually abused (Lewis, McElroy, Harlaar, & Runyan, 2016). The consequences often extend beyond the child - families, communities and institutions are also negatively impacted. As such, news of child sexual exploitation and abuse can elicit anger and othering directed towards the individual who engaged in the harmful behavior. Anger as a response is, however, a double-edged sword. Responses of anger can motivate us to take more effective steps to protect children from abuse, or they can have the opposite effect, and ultimately do more harm than good...
Language: en |