Can pedophiles be reached for primary prevention of child sexual abuse? First results of the Berlin Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (PPD)

Abstract

The Berlin Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (PPD) aims to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) by targeting men who fear they may sexually abuse children, and who seek help without being mandated to do so. This article aims to demonstrate that a pedophilic or hebephilic sexual preference is very common among these men, to show how these men can be reached, and to document their determination to find help. The target group was informed of the project and encouraged to respond via a media campaign. A telephone screening was conducted over the first 18 months. Of the 286 who completed the screening (60.1% of the respondents), 84.3% (N ¼ 241) were interviewed by a clinician. Of the interviewees, 57.7% (N ¼ 139) and 27.8% (N ¼ 67) expressed a sexual preference for prepubescent and pubescent minors, respectively, and 10.8% (N ¼ 26) for mature adults. The remaining 3.7% (N ¼ 9) could not be reliably categorized. As (potential) child molesters with a respective sexual preference can be reached via a media campaign, efforts to prevent CSA ought to be expanded to target this group.

Stigma-Related Stress and Its Correlates Among Men with Pedophilic Sexual Interests

“…Although a large number of people with pedophilia who see themselves at risk of committing sexual offenses can be reached for preventive measures (Beier et al, 2009), it can be hypothesized that many do not dare to contact mental health experts, because they anticipate negative reactions from the treatment staff. In fact, practitioners in a recent Finnish sample (Alanko, Haikio, Laiho, Jahnke, & Santtila, 2014) and a sample of German psychotherapists (Stiels-Glenn, 2010) were reluctant to work with this group and, in some instances, reported corresponding negative attitudes.…”

“…In recent years, it has been established that having a pedophilic disorder, that is, a paraphilic disorder with a sexual interest in prepubescent children as its key feature (American Psychiatric Association, 2013;Beier et al, 2009), is among the most despised mental disorders (Feldman & Crandall, 2007;McCartan, 2010). A rich body of research on diverse stigmatized groups shows that stigmatization is linked to a multitude of negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes (for an overview see Hatzenbuehler, 2009), including high-risk sexual behavior (Smolenski, Stigler, Ross, & Rosser, 2011) that have so far not been studied among people with pedophilia.…”

Non-offending Pedophiles

“…Treatment programs for self-identified pedophiles at risk for offending have also begun to emerge. Examples of these include the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld in Germany [1] and the "Help Wanted" program, a prevention-focused project based in the USA [2]. As well, a small body of empirical research examining the prevalence of pedophilic sexual interests in the population, the correlates of pedophilic interests, the characteristics and experiences of nonoffending pedophiles, and the stigma has begun to accrue.…”

Applying moral foundations theory to understanding public views of sexual offending

“…For example, the German Project Prevention Dunkelfeld (from here, 'the Dunkelfeld Project'; Beier et al, 2009Beier et al, , 2016 offers anonymous therapy to people who self-identify as having pedophilic sexual interests. The Dunkelfeld Project aims to offer early intervention (via psychological and psychiatric treatment) in an attempt to prevent child sexual abuse before it occurs.…”