One in ten men have carried out sex offences against children

[HelenFisksBrownSuit]

Have you seen this item?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/one-in-ten-men-have-carried-out-sex-offences-against-children-says-survey-fjhd59fhn

Is paedophilia really this common?
I once heard a man (a psychologist I think) say on Radio 4 that he thought most men look at very young teens or even children inappropriately. It's a very disturbing thought.

Anyway...

Whatever the number, I am glad to see some research focusing on the offenders.

We always talk about sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence and sex trafficking in terms of victims and numbers of offences committed but hardly ever in terms of offenders...

Everyone knows the stats on domestic abuse victims...but what about how many men (and women) have committed domestic abuse?

Sex trafficking discussion focuses on the crime gangs and pretty much ignores the fact that it only happens because men have created a massive market for it.

I believe this prevents us from fully addressing the problems simply because it's too 'awkward' to realise the truth of how many 'normal men' are involved in various types of crime against women and children.

An old “friend” had been found guilty of pedophilia. Many of us cut him straight out but there were some excusing him because the girl was 15 so it’s not like she was young. He was over 40!!!

I've seen 'Clockwise' and I think it's reflective of the social values of that era. Times have moved on, but I am still convinced that nothing much has changed, it's just moved onto the Internet. I can easily believe that 1 in 10 men fantasize about children and some go on to molesting them, but that still means that 90% of men don't.
Before anyone jumps, no, I don't think that 1 in 10 is acceptable.

I think you are right.

I suspect that "1 in every 10" is a statistical average based on the number of victims, not the number of abusers caught.

Are people aware that as recently as 1974, in the Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, incest was suggested to offer benefits such as reducing psychosis and being better adjusted for the outside world.

I think this has been a problem forever; it's just the internet making it worse.

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's important as it affects the stats. In academic research, "paedophilia" usually means attraction to pre-pubescent children. Hebephilia means attraction to children of the age of puberty.

This makes it important to understand the frame of reference when comparing studies/prevalence.

It's a crime of opportunity. That's why familial sexual abuse is believed to be more common in families in crowded housing (although an alternative explanation would be that middle-class families are more adept at evading police/SS attention).

The internet is the greatest opportunity for abusers of all time.

I also worked for the police years ago and l was horrified by the amount of child sexual abuse cases. This is why l raised my kids on my own after husband died, it's too high risk.

You see I have a big issue with the idea ‘it’s a minority of men’.

First because it seems to say that it’s not such a huge issue as it affects so few men. So no need to make effort in changing the general attitude/culture within.

Second, it denies the reality for women (and men) when 1 out of 4 GIRLS have been sexually assaulted.

Men should be horrified at those stats. Men should be all over telling other men that that sort of behaviour disgusting.
But it’s not all men…. So they can happily wash their hands of it.

Just like so many are happy to shame Rape victims and defend RB atm.

@Iwasafool I bet he was, that’s absolutely vile!

If they could get away with it!

So the only thing stopping him / them is the repercussions for themselves, not the victims.

Btw I don’t think the internet making it worse.
I think it’s simply better known and victims are starting to talk whereas the pressure of being a virgin at the point of marriage etc… meant no child/teen/woman would have dare talking p. See too the assumption that she must have lead him on, wanted it anyway, being a slut etc….. or as we can read now - if she didn’t say anything at the time, she can’t have been raped.

You are using the wrong verb. The teachers and David Bowie were raping the girls.

It was a moment of sweet revenge. I was walking along a main road, saw this car which I recognised as it was quite distinctive so when he pulled over I thought my classmate was in the car and then he asked the question. I was so shocked I just walked off. Of course I knew who he was and waited for my opportunity to embarrass him. He must have been terrified of me saying anything.

I can't find the study itself, does anyone have a link?

@Iwasafool so glad you were able to get your revenge and hopefully made him squirm!!

Does not surprise me but does disgusts me. My husband used to tell me he absolutely hates the male sex because his mother used to serial date while he was growing up and would constantly bring home strange men and some of the things they said and tried to do to him left him speechless.

Over the top crude sexual comments that weren’t age appropriate. Talking about young teen girls in a gross sexual way. Watching porn right in front of him. Trying to fight him to prove whose the bigger man ect and so on. These experiences have left him completely jaded.

I did mention part of his negative experiences seem to also have something to do with his mother’s absolutely negligent parenting and the fact that she seems to be attracted to perverts. But he said that fact doesn’t change how he feels now that he knows there are so many sick men out in the world like that.

Btw I don’t think the internet making it worse.

Did you see the points in the item about the nature of the porn people are watching (on the internet)? And the way in which the internet facilitates easy access to children?

I am curious about this idea that it might be being used to help gain access to our data. I saw Braverman's criticism of Meta the other day, and she's not someone I trust to have honest intentions.

True, regrettably.

I've always known this about CSA prevalence - my dad was a cop. I know psychologists are taught this (they're actually taught it's more like one in five). It far predates the internet.

When I hear about a man who isn't interested in sex, I always wonder if he's just not that interested in sex with adults.

Thinking about the motivations for this preference, it suggests there are far too many men for whom sex is power. It should be discussed more in the other areas of MN, always, though I can understand why it isn't.

And yet Scotland is wasting millions on hurty feelings.

Presumably not children or women's hurty feelings or trauma or physical harm though.

Yes I did @HelenFisksBrownSuit .
And I’m also aware that porn often shows scenes that seem to be a rape (or actually are, seeing that sites such as PornHub simply don’t remove films where they KNOW the woman was underage and raped as the hen were found guilty in court and put in prison).

But I’ve yet to see stars showing an increase of rapes due to the Internet etc….

It does make it easier fir some men to groom children but then the higher risk if sexual assault of children is still within the house….

Basically what I’m trying to say is that looking at the internet is a way to deflect tte much bigger issue that we have of rape and assault from family members and close friends. And let’s be honest, 1 in 10 men means we all have within our close family one man who has sexually assaulted a child. Maybe one if our own children (it’s one 1 in 4 after all) or a niece…
I don’t think many people are ready to face that reality.

@RedAndWhiteCarnations , thanks, yes, I see your point.

I doesn't make any difference, though. Most of us were importuned and/or assaulted while wearing non-scanty school uniform.

I don’t know as every family has a sex offender in its midst. I imagine there is very sadly some kind of clustering effect.

I had countless experiences from older men when I was a teenager. Once was physical.
It's frightening as I have two daughters with one who has a learning disability. Disabled people are twice as likely to face abuse.
The culture needs to change but where do we start?