At Brown, you can find students eagerly discussing the nuances of nearly any topic. Whether it’s Palestine, alcohol policy or the environment, it seems every student on campus always has an opinion to share.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, this is not the case when it comes to an issue as grave as the sexual abuse of children. According to a study by American sociologist and abuse expert David Finkelhor, a full 20 percent of adult females and 5 to 10 percent of adult males report having been sexually assaulted or abused as children.
But maybe the fact that few people are talking about this isn’t actually so surprising. After all, what is there to say? There isn’t any debate over the goal we all have in mind — namely minimizing the occurrence of sexual abuse of children.
Yet there exists an important issue to be discussed here. While there may be consensus regarding the desired moral ends, the means by which we currently pursue these ends is suboptimal and often even counterproductive.
The American Psychological Association noted in the 2013 publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that pedophilic disorder is not a “sexual orientation.” Rather, pedophilic disorder refers to those who experience an overwhelming compulsion to act on their attraction to children.
It’s difficult to appreciate just how awful it would be to suffer from pedophilic disorder. As your classmates become attracted to their similar-aged peers, you realize you have sexual thoughts about young children. After a few years it becomes evident this isn’t a phase, but something that will torment you every day for the rest of your life. Your sexual repression and shame will likely lead to depression.
There is little professional help for pedophiles in the United States, as mandatory reporting laws hold therapists responsible for reporting to law enforcement those they feel are a potential danger to the safety of children. As most pedophiles consume illegal child pornography — which could lead to prison sentences longer than those given for actual abuse of children — the possibility of discovery is terrifying. Policies such as these can have unintended negative consequences for pedophiles and victims of their sexual abuse alike.
While the sexual abuse of children is an unimaginably horrific reality in our society, so too is the affliction of pedophilic disorder.
For most Brown students — even those adamantly committed to compassion and tolerance in the face of mental illness — encountering a pedophile would engender feelings of disgust and contempt rather than sympathy and understanding. It’s a natural and visceral reaction. There are few things our culture perceives as more important than protecting the safety and innocence of children.
We find it wholly impossible to relate to what we view as the deviant attractions of pedophiles. But by dehumanizing them, we dangerously perpetuate a culture focused on condemnation and punishment rather than prophylactic therapy and rehabilitation.
There isn’t any method for predicting who will become a pedophile in order to put protective measures in place, and while not all child sexual abuse is committed by pedophiles, increasing penalties will do nothing to reduce rates of abuse by them.
Pedophiles don’t want to abuse children, but their mental illness compels them in the same way individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder feel compelled to wash their hands repeatedly despite conscious knowledge it is to their detriment.
Reducing the rate at which pedophiles sexually abuse children will necessarily depend on pedophiles voluntarily seeking help.
In countries such as Germany in which there are no mandatory reporting laws, pedophiles can seek treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy and medication to reduce sex drive — making them less likely to offend. These are pedophiles who would likely not come forward otherwise, so I’m skeptical that a policy of reporting such individuals is even marginally effective at reducing rates of child sexual abuse.
Relatively speaking, we do a pretty good job at Brown when it comes to understanding mental illness and those who are afflicted with its various manifestations. Increasingly, it’s something about which we’re willing to have difficult conversations. We often consider issues such as discrimination and what the University can do to help those who suffer. In this case, it’s important to keep an open mind not only for those who suffer directly, but also for those who are potential victims of their abuse.
Andrew Powers ’15 can be reached at andrew_powers@brown.edu.
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