Pedophilia and Sexual Offending against Children - Theory, Asessment, and Intervention - Second Edition - Quotes and Summaries

Seto, Michael C.
Abstract:
This new edition represents a critical review and integration of many active lines of research on pedophilia, hebephilia, sexual offending against children, incest, risk assessment, and treatment. My aim is to provide an accessible and scholarly book that summarizes the evidence to drive better research, policies, and practices, to prevent sexual offenses against children and to improve the lives of persons with pedophilia or hebephilia.

Some readers may be surprised that helping persons with pedophilia or hebephilia is part of my aim in this book. I ask you to imagine, whatever your sexual preferences are, that social norms and laws prohibited you from expressing your sexuality in the way you would like. Very serious consequences could result if you did express your sexual interest, including loss of employment; social ostracism; estrangement from family and friends; long prison sentences; and then a range of legal restrictions regarding residence, movement, and public notifications about you post sentence. Even if you never expressed your sexual interest, you would live in anxiety and fear because of the severe stigma associated with your sexual interest, so that it would be very difficult if not impossible to disclose to family members, friends, and others around you. That is the situation that persons with pedophilia or hebephilia currently face.

The field seems to have moved from a vigorous debate about whether sex offender treatment works at all to more fine-rained questions about what forms of treatment, for who, and under what conditions. This does not negate the many questions regarding assessment and treatment
for different populations, including non-offending persons with pedophilia, females, and juveniles.

I hope this book is a useful starting point for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in setting an agenda for further work on these important topics. I am looking forward to the next decade of progress.