Pedophiles Support Each Other Via Online
Communities
June 27, 2008
Pedophiles use online virtual communities to support each other, justify their
sexual behavior and foster an "us and them" mentality.
This is one of the findings of Ms Elaine O'Halloran from University College Cork
who presented her research on Wednesday 25 June 2008 at the British
Psychological Society's Division of Forensic Psychology's Annual Conference held
at the Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University.
The study aimed to analyze the types of justification used by pedophiles to
account for their deviance. Posts made to an online support forum for "boy
lovers" were examined over a one month period; specifically posts from 23
self-identified pedophiles.
The strongest reason they claimed was 'Condemnations of Condemners'. Pedophiles
try to transfer blame to other groups such as law enforcement, parents and
educators and anti-pedophile website users by claiming that these groups engage
in behaviors that are more harmful or dangerous than adult/child sex.
Other justifications included denial of harm, denial of victim (i.e. the
children wanted to be sexually involved with adults), the claim that sex with
adults is beneficial for children and the appeal to higher loyalties (i.e. that
the website users are campaigning for higher principles like children's' right
to freedom of sexual expression etc.). All of these were used to minimize the
stigma attached to pedophiles from general society.
Ms O'Halloran commented "Pedophiles are typically a marginalized group;
however technological advances are helping online pedophile communication. The
same study was carried out in 1999* and since then there has been a ten-fold
increase in users of this website. Support sites like this are obviously
fulfilling some important functions for pedophiles and there is evidence that
they create a sense of community for themselves by offering support &
information to each other, and by creating an 'us versus them' mentality towards
the other anti-pedophile users."
*Study was undertaken by Durkin & Bryant
British
Psychological Society
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