Humanizing Pedophilia as Stigma Reduction: A Large-Scale Intervention Study

The stigmatization of people with pedophilic sexual interests is a topic of growing academic and professional consideration, owing to its potential role in moderating pedophiles’ emotional well-being, and motivation and engagement in child abuse prevention schemes. Thus, improving attitudes and reducing stigmatization toward this group is of paramount importance. Prior research has suggested that narrative humanization—presenting personal stories of self-identified non-offending pedophiles—could be one route to doing this. However, this work has only been conducted with students or trainee psychotherapists, meaning the public generalizability of this method is still unknown. In this study, we compared two stigma interventions to test whether narratives reduce stigma toward people with pedophilic interests more effectively than an informative alternative (scientific information about pedophilia). Using a longitudinal experimental design with a lack of non-intervention control (initial N = 950; final N = 539), we found that narratives had consistently positive effects on all measured aspects of stigmatization (dangerousness, intentionality), whereas an informative alternative had mixed results, and actually increased perceptions of pedophiles’ levels of deviance. These effects were still present four months after the initial presentation. We discuss these data in relation to ongoing debates about treating pedophilia as a public health issue requiring a broad societal approach to well-being and child abuse prevention.

Toward Community Control of Child Welfare Funding

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act mandates reporting, investigation,and prosecution of allegedly abusive and neglectful parents. Commonly known as child protective services (CPS), this family policing system uses the government’s police power to disrupt, surveil, control, and destroy hundreds of thousands of Black families based on conditions of poverty framed as neglect. Centering a Black mother’s five-year long ordeal with New York City’s family policing system, we examine the carceral roots of CPS and its destructive impacts on Black families. We call for abolishing the CPS family policing system; diversion of the billions invested in the foster industry to investment in quality-of-life resources de-linked from so-called “child protection”; and monetary reparations for generations of CPS violence against Black families.

Assessing the Effects of Childhelp’s Speak Up be Safe Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum for High School Students

Purpose This study examined the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe (CHSUBS) child abuse prevention curriculum for high school students and addressed a gap in evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs. CHSUBS is grounded in theory and was developed to 1) provide students with the skills they need to prevent or interrupt child abuse, bullying, and neglect, and 2) increase student knowledge about safety related to abuse. Methods Utilizing a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, the three high schools were randomly assigned to participate in the CHSUBS curriculum or the control group. Survey items measured the efficacy of the curriculum in grades 9 through 12. Surveys were implemented at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and after 6 months for a follow-up. Analyses included exploratory factor analyses and a paired samples t–test to determine whether increases in child maltreatment knowledge and resistance skills were gained. Results Findings showed positive significant results that child maltreatment knowledge and resistance skills were significantly different from pre to post for the CHSUBS group and showed no significant control group changes. Conclusions High school students in the CHSUBS group appeared to gain both child maltreatment knowledge and resistance skills. Future studies on prevention programming for high school students might show results that lead to a reduction in child maltreatment and an increase in better health outcomes for adolescents.

Comparing Elder and Child Abuse Prevention Approaches in Japan: Strategies for Reducing Elder Abuse

This paper examines trends in elder abuse cases (types of abuse, traits of abusers, victims and their relationships, levels of disabilities and dementia of victims, etc.) by using longitudinal data (2012-2018) collected by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since its enforcement. Considering these trends, this paper then compares the Elder Abuse Prevention Law to the Child Abuse Prevention Law to assess differences in policy and program provisions and how those relate to successful prevention outcomes. For example, while reports for both elder abuse and child abuse cases have been increasing, governmental actions taken in response have varied. The Child Abuse Prevention Law has been modified 6 times since its enactment based on abuse cases, but no amendments have been made for Elder Abuse Prevention Law based on case or evaluation data. Moreover, there have been many public awareness campaigns for child abuse prevention, but none for elder abuse prevention. These efforts appear to have positive outcomes including increased reporting of child abuse to police. This analysis aims to compare abuse data, abuse laws and public health efforts for children and older adults in Japan. Findings seek to identify disparities and areas where the public approach to child abuse can inform and strengthen elder abuse policies and programs.