I'm starting a psychology degree and I'm considering researching the causes of child molestation, because I think we would have a better chance of preventing it if we could figure out what all happens in someone's brain to make them into that kind of person in the first place. People get mad when I say this, like I just looooove child molesters or something.
How would people get mad if you want to research how to prevent it ?!?! You’re not excusing the behavior, you want to find out on how to prevent it from happening...🤦♀️
Either way, thank you, please do that. I’m sure it’ll be hard and very disturbing work, but I think it would be an amazing contribution.
I feel like that area of research is so underdeveloped because, obviously, pedophilia is digusting and no one wants to sympathize with them at all, and no one wants to understand why it happens. But i feel like there’s some pedophiles that can be treated with proper mental help.
I saw something ages ago about how there are a lot of pedophiles who don’t act on their desires and don’t harm children because they know it’s something terrible. Yet I doubt they seek help because of their shame. Yet also, if it goes untreated, it’s more likely they would eventually act on it…🫤
Yeah, all of that is true, but I've already had several people tell me it's "suspicious" that I want to research it. And I'm a woman! I can't imagine how men in the field get treated.
I applaud you for wanting to pursue this. We need more people like you who are willing to do the research and find a better way of understanding how these people form these thoughts and how we can prevent them from acting on them or even if there is some possible way to "cure" them from the thoughts. I know people love to quote chemical castration as a solution but I remember years ago watching a documentary that was done in the UK about pedophile offenders and one man who was very open about his attraction for children and the fact that he was an offender said that the chemical castration could take away their ability to use a body part to offend but it didn't take away the desire to offend and that has always stuck with me.
With the high amount of child pornography charges we see in the news every day or every other day, I do not understand why people are not more supportive about putting more effort into research and study in people like this so we really can protect children. I wish you the best of luck, I know it will not be an easy task. Just make sure to take care of yourself and step away when you know you need it.
I'm all for you doing that. Suggested area to do some reading: Jung's concept of Puer/Puella Aeternus, plus in general the psychoanalytical explorations of life stages and how they can be left incomplete.
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u/chinchillazilla54 12d ago
I'm starting a psychology degree and I'm considering researching the causes of child molestation, because I think we would have a better chance of preventing it if we could figure out what all happens in someone's brain to make them into that kind of person in the first place. People get mad when I say this, like I just looooove child molesters or something.