Some “experts” claim that child sexual predators can be cured and can actually become part of the solution to keep children safe. While there may be some small truth in this, it’s mostly fantasy. Look at the following illustration.
As the diagram shows, most child molesters, are predators, but not all. Of those who fall outside the predatory category, most are children who sexually abuse other, usually younger, children as an experiment; or those who are merely mimicking behavior to which they have been exposed. Some mentally ill child molesters also might be considered non-predatory. With proper treatment, supervision and accountability, these child molesters in these three categories might be “curable.” Emphasis on might.
As the illustration shows, the vast majority of child molesters fall into the category of predator. The non-psychopathic predatory child molesters mostly are sociopaths. This group of predators will sexually abuse children if the opportunity arises, but they do not go out of their way to groom them into a sexual relationship. Although it may be possible for this group to change and to refrain from sexually abusing children, it’s highly unlikely.
In any event, these child molesters—the child experimenter, the child who mimics behavior they have observed, the mentally ill abuser, and the non-psychopathic predator—are responsible for abusing less than 15% of the total number of victims.
I can’t image any circumstance that any of these abusers would ever be able to contribute to the safety of any child at risk.
The vast majority of victims are sexually abused by the psychopaths. On average, each of these predators sexually abuse 150 children. Some of the experts claim that even these child sexual predators can be cured. I have seen no evidence that this is true. My experience has been that this group will never change. They will always remain dangerous.
Most of the claims of cure are based on recidivism rates. A low percentage of those who receive treatment are arrested again for the same offense within a specified period of time, usually within 5 years. But this is not surprising at all. There is a low recidivism rate for all child sexual predators. It should be expected given the general arrest rates.
The fact is that only 5% of all sex crimes are ever prosecuted. More telling, only 3% of child victims ever report their abuse to the police. Most child sexual abusers never get caught in the first place. The chance of being caught a second time for the same kind of offense is miniscule, with or without treatment. The idea that treatment cures the psychopaths is wishful thinking.
Treatment of the perpetrators will not solve the problem. Most of that effort is a waste of time and money. Increasing the arrest, prosecution and incarceration of the perpetrators may help some. If the predators are in prison, they can’t abuse children. The problem is that there are not enough police and too many predators.
The most promising solution is to educate enough people, particularly those who are involved in working with children, to learn how to recognize predators and to keep them away from the children. It’s possible to do that–to learn how to spot them–when you know what to look for and you are willing to invest some time and effort. We’re in the beginning stages of developing a program to teach these skills and we want to engage as many people as possible.
Become part of the effort to stop child sexual predators.
One thing you can do right now is help us raise $3,800 in the next 30 days. Visit our website (truthalliancefoundation.org) and click on the “donate” button to contribute using paypal, or mail your donation to the Truth Alliance Foundation, 869 East Schaumburg Road, Unit 139, Schaumburg, IL 60194. We are an IRS approved 501(c)3 charity. Consider becoming a regular, monthly, supporter.
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You are spot dead on target here again. Our prayers for Christ’s healing go out to the victims and their families.
Thanks, Tom, for this important post. We all need to be aware of this painful reality, that children will continue to be sexually abused until we take effective action to protect them.
I would like to believe that sex offenders can be treated, and become “safe” to be around children. Unfortunately there is no evidence that treatment has any effect on these predators. Perhaps a few children who molest younger children can be helped, but your analysis shows that this will have no impact on the safety of our children.
The only approach that has any hope of success, as you point out, is for everyone to be vigilant in creating safe places – our schools, our churches, our homes and our playgrounds – where predators are recognized and kept away from our children.
I applaud your efforts to bring truth and light to this issue, and I encourage everyone to contribute to your Truth Alliance Foundation.
If you can’t fix stupid, you definitely cannot fix evil. And that is exactly, first and foremost, what sexual predation is. Those who do it are or become evil. And there is decades of recent evidence, including brain scans, that seem to support the observation that the people who prey on children and young adults are “fixed” the wrong way for the remainder of their lives – they cannot change short of miraculous intervention by our Creator.
A therapeutic approach is ignorant and misguided at best. Stupid and arrogantly foolish, even complicit in the evil is probably closer to the fact. God doesn’t tolerate evil and seek to rehabilitate it (apologies to Rob Bell) so why should we as individuals and as a society?
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IMHO , every single American needs to read the Franklin Coverup by Senator John DeCamp.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-franklin-cover-up/
Sexual child molestation reaches into the highest political spheres in our nation and other nations around the world. It is, in most massive cases, a politically protected horrendous and financially hushed crime. Little to no coverage was given here to the thousands who hit the streets in Belgium during the Dutroux trial and investigations.
I realize we can start in are own local social networks, schools, churches etc., but wonder if anyone except for God Almighty ,is able to clean out the corruption within the entities that control and govern us amongst our religious, educational, medical and political leadership?
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/marc-dutroux-monster-belgium/
The late Fr Fitzgerald who formed the Paraclete Order to rehabilitate and treat clerics had obtained monies to purchase an island camp because he was convinced these people could not benefit from reparative psychological therapy alone. The Vatican refused his request .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_of_the_Servants_of_the_Paraclete
“In a 1964 letter to Bishop Joseph Durick of Nashville, Tennessee Fitzgerald expressed “growing concern” about the dramatic change in the nature of problems that were being referred to his order:
“May I take this occasion to bring to your attention what is a growing concern to many of us here in the States. When I was ordained, forty three years ago, homosexuality was a practically unknown rarity. Today it is rampant among men. And whereas seventeen years ago eight out of ten problems here [at the Paraclete facility, Via Coeli] would represent the alcoholic, now in the last year or so our admission ratio would be approximately 5-2-3: five being alcoholic, two would be what we call “heart cases” (natural affection towards women) and three representing aberrations involving homosexuality. More alarming still is that among these of the 3 out of 10 class, 2 out of 3 have been young priests”
Fitzgerald became increasingly convinced even then that such priests could not be cured, could not be trusted to maintain celibacy and should be laicized even against their will. Moreover, Fitzgerald opposed vehemently the return of sexual abusers to duties as priests in parish situations. Although some bishops refused to hire sexually abusive priests based on Fitzgerald’s refusal to recommend them for parish duties, others ignored Fitzgerald’s advice. In general, it appears that bishops chose to ignore Fitzgerald’s recommendations, preferring to rely on the advice of medical and psychological experts who asserted that treatment was feasible.”