Can child molesters be rehabilitated?????

[Julindy]

Absolutely NOT

 

[lemmon714]

Well, most say no....

I suppose it depends upon the specific crime and the specific perpetrator of.

 

[Ponette]

Rehabilitated in the sense that they won't commit the crime again, but not in the sense that they will no longer be pedophiles or attracted to children. Obviously it's impossible to know if they would commit the crime again, but is it worth the risk to find out?

 

[Kaley Smith]

I spent some time a few years ago on a Psych Forums thread which was meant to be a support for pedophiles not wanting to offend. I learned A LOT. I was trying to understand what they are thinking. I often could not be on there reading posts for more than 10 minutes as it was very disturbing to read how they justified themselves. Some of my observations...

There are pedophiles who manage to hold their urges in check. Some are afraid they might abuse their own children, so they do not marry or have kids. They feel isolated and alone with their feelings and know they are hated by society. These are the pedophiles who realize their desires are not normal, and that to act on them would hurt children. They resist child for fear of the knock on the door, being exposed to loved ones, losing everything and jailtime. Also because they are afraid could open the floodgates inside of them. These are the ones who deserve counselling and support.

Then there are the pedophiles who flirt around the edges. They will do want they can get away with. They think their fantasies are OK and convince themselves that they really just love children. Every opportunity they see to touch a child, they will take. Yes, they may even choose their job to be around children. For stretches of time, they may do nothing but watch and wait to get close to a vulnerable child. They are building up a huge fantasy world in their heads. Relatives like siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins seem to be especially at risk because of the access they have to them.

These can not be changed until they see what they are doing is wrong and hurtful.

Then there are the very scary pedophiles who dream of possessing and dominating children, including raping them. They will groom a child for years if need be. They will offend often and in very terrible ways. Their fantasies are truly awful as they get pleasure from causing pain. These can never be changed in my opinion.

This thread was eventually closed because I and another person discovered through private messages we received and reported, that there was a pedophile ring started through contacts from that forum. They were actively recruiting people to exchange stories and pictures of child . Can you believe it? The mods acted quickly to shut it down.

I just feel sorry for the few on there who I believe sincerely came for support to not offend, but honestly, in my opinion, those who were dedicated to not acting on their desires were in the minority. Guard your children and grandchildren, and be on the alert for these sly predators.

 

[glamourkitty1922]

Pedophiles are as easily rehabilitated and as trustworthy as serial killers. The need to be kept locked away for the safety of the community.

 

[youngsters]

if its just fantasy in your mind that you feel sexually attracted to children and no harm is done then thats fine, but it's different when you actually harm and molest a child for real as the child will be traumatized for life.

 

[Miss Kitty]

I don't know how to vote. This is an interesting topic.

I don't think a person can be "cured" from their sexual orientation and I think pedophelia is a sexual orientation.

Certainly everything I know and read about molesters tells me that they do it over and over again, leaving a path of pain in their wake.

Still, I am a big believer in hope, change and redemption, so it's difficult for me to dismiss the possibility for some people.

I also believe pedophilia is a sexual orientation but believe circumstances in life change sexual orientation which includes pedophilia. There are also pedophiles who never act on their desires and who shouldn't be punished .

 

[mickey2942]

This may not be a popular post. As a former teacher, I have always been interested in teachers who get involved with students.

I believe that if a teacher begins to have feelings for students or a particular student, he or she should have a non judgmental opportunity for therapy, to process these feelings, understand that they are not healthy, and help that teacher/adult learn to develop skills to have healthy relationships with other adults. Some sort of hotline, free, to process the damage that relationship would be to the student and the teacher.

If there was more help for people who are tempted to be with children, there may be less problems. The issue with many perpetrators, is not having skills or confidence to have relationships with adults. Not always, but sometimes. But people are afraid to go seek out help with these feelings.

 

[Mark111]

No way. Speaking as a representative of the male species, I would say castration after the first offense is a good start to preventing future offenses.

 

[Irmese]

No. Even castration will not prevent all erections because it is done on adults. The sex drive is not completely eliminated. I think most people who would opt to castrate pedophiles say that out of revenge, hoping to cause the pedophile pain equal to what they inflict on their victims, not really out of a desire to rehabilitate the criminals.

Sexual desire is mental as well as physical. They will still want to perform sexual acts on children, of which intercourse is only one choice.

I had a friend who was molested by her dad from about the age of nine until she was grown. Police were never told. I told my parents and the counsellor at school. My friend didn't want her father to go to prison. She only told her mom after she was grown. Dad and mom got a divorce, he married a woman with a ten yo daughter, molested that child, but she told and he went to prison for TWO years.

They can't be rehabbed. They should be put to death.

 

[Reverie]

I say no from my own experience. An older sibling ruined my childhood by doing this to me. From 3 on, I felt a sort ‘guilt of allegiance’ to him...like I belonged to him in a horribly uncomfortable way. I convinced myself it was my fault. I tucked it deep into my psyche and didn’t let it surface until one day at 26, when the fading light of day cast a certain hue on the ceiling. I knew then, that his narcissism would prevent me from ever having a satisfactory resolution to the issue. He was/ is a gaslighter who always tells me I must’ve dreamt it.

 

[Kaley Smith]

I am so sorry for your pain Reverie. A child pedophile, my uncle, also tried to get at me when I was around 12, but I managed to escape. Long story. He was never punished adequately for any of his crimes. Worst he ever got was paying for a court case and having to get counselling.

 

[celticthyme]

There have been a lot of studies done on this, especially with incest. Parents and eventually siblings molest children who go o to molest their children etc. It is a very destructive and insidious cycle. Lots of studies done in the Catholic church and as much as they try and rehabilitate the offenders, they re-offend. In speaking with some of these offenders, they say it is such a driving force in their psyches, they can not stop. They lose family, friends, jobs and nothing seems to have the power to make them stop. So very destructive.

 

[Reverie]

Because of the nature of my experience I grew up fast and ultra aware of dangerous situations. I unfortunately became a hyper vigilant child, thus seeing clearly as a nefarious situation unfolded. I knew when/ what to do to quell inappropriate behaviors. There were so many times that I had to act quickly even just for my younger sister’s sake. I learned at age 3 that Mom and Dad didn’t believe me so was on my own. I found out only recently that most of my sisters had similar things happen.

I read books and sought help from other relatives. I don’t know why some repeat this crime. The thought utterly repulses me.

 

[iailwa]

I believe only those that wanna be rehabilitated can be. There's a proportion of paedophiles that do not act upon their attraction to children, because they have scruples. If these people can get access to services, then the less likely they will end up f@cking up during times of duress. On the other hand, those that don't care & are abusing children for their own desires, are unlikely to be rehabilitated. MOO

 

[Ausgirl]

if its just fantasy in your mind that you feel sexually attracted to children and no harm is done then thats fine.

Omg no-- no, it really isn't.

 

[Ausgirl]

I also believe pedophilia is a sexual orientation.

I think it's a serious mental sickness that leads to compulsively committed, horrific crimes against children.

Pedophiles love for people to use terms like 'sexual orientation' because it offers them a smidgeon of an excuse, and pedos just love excuses that legitimise their foul desires.

There are also pedophiles who never act on their desires and who shouldn't be punished .

But they should be -watched- very carefully. How much agony and misery, how many lives, how many grieving and wounded families might be spared, if they were?

 

[iailwa]

Omg no-- no, it really isn't.

if no harm is done, ever, then that's better than harm. Some pedophiles never act upon it, just like - say - bisexuals or homosexuals - never act upon it, or heterosexuals for that matter. But of course, sexual behaviour between consenting adults is fine> Paedophila is a sexual orientation - just like any other - & only those who act upon it cause harm.

'In July 2010, the Harvard Mental Health Letter of July 2010 stated that "paedophilia is a sexual orientation and unlikely to change. Treatment aims to enable someone to resist acting on his sexual urges".

Paedophilia is a 'sexual orientation' like being straight or gay, expert claims

 

[Bob4444]

burst into flames!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[sholmes33]

Personally I think child molesters should (at least) be locked away for life with no opportunity to re-offend ever again.

Having said that, here is some food for thought from a clinical perspective. Terminology used in this area is often confusing and can even be misleading. Pedophilia and child molestation are used in different ways, even by professionals. Pedophilia usually refers to an adult psychological disorder characterized by a preference for prepubescent children as sexual partners; this preference may or may not be acted upon. The term hebephilia is sometimes used to describe adult sexual attractions to adolescents or children who have reached puberty.

Whereas pedophilia and hebephilia refer to psychological propensities, child molestation and child sexual abuse are used to describe actual sexual contact between an adult and someone who has not reached the legal age of consent. In this context, the latter individual is referred to as a child, even though he or she may be a teenager.

Pedophilia and hebephilia are diagnostic labels that refer to psychological attractions. Not all pedophiles and hebephiles actually molest children; an adult can be attracted to children or adolescents without ever actually engaging in sexual contact with them.

Child molestation and child sexual abuse refer to actions, and don't imply a particular psychological makeup or motive on the part of the perpetrator. Not all incidents of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by pedophiles or hebephiles; in some cases, the perpetrator has other motives for his or her actions and does not manifest an ongoing pattern of sexual attraction to children.

Thus, not all child sexual abuse is perpetrated by pedophiles (or hebephiles) and not all pedophiles and hebephiles actually commit abuse.

Excerpt from Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation
Bolds are mine.