For Devon's Sake

Before we get started, let us make something perfectly clear. I am not sexually attracted to minors.  I do not think sex between minors and adults is okay. I do not think child pornography is okay, and when sexual abuse does occur, I think it is a reprehensible tragedy that damages lives.

However, the demonization of these offenders has done nothing to mend this problem, and in fact, has made things worse.  Rather than hysterically casting pedophiles out of society, we need to provide these offenders with treatment.  Harsh punishments and housing restrictions are not effective and single out the mentally ill, while pedophiles who can function in society remain free to perpetrate their abuses.

Recently, a student at Eastview Campus misplaced a flash drive containing a video of an eight or nine year old girl performing what has been described as "lewd, sexual acts."  The flash drive also held the student's resume and so, luckily, he was quickly identified and arrested.  The student is not suspected of personally doing anything sexual with children, but nevertheless, the discovery of child pornography provokes feelings of horror, revulsion, and hatred. 

Sentiments run the gamut from, ‘That's disgusting,' to some expletive laden version of ‘That guy should be taken out in the street and shot!'  Such commentary is natural considering the strong cultural taboo against pedophilia and the fear mongering of tabloid-like TV news programs. These attitudes may feel righteous and justified, but in fact they are part of a vicious cycle that hurts everyone and helps no one.

For a long time in this country, sexual molestation was a dirty secret that adults were loathe to admit existed.  Children who spoke out against their priests, teachers, fathers and neighbors were often admonished for telling lies and punished further.  This cultural denial trapped victims in a world of guilt and isolation where they believed this was only happening to them and was in some way their fault.

Over the last few decades, more and more victims of abuse have come forward to tell their stories, breaking through this veil of silence.

Blaming the victims of sexual abuse, be it rape or pre-pubescent molestation, for what happened to them is almost as ghastly as the crime itself, but our effort to put an end to these crimes has gotten too caught up in paranoia and retribution.  Media, eager for viewers, and politicians hungry for votes understands that fear is an effective motivator, and recently both parties have used it to capitalize on every parent's worst nightmare: molestation.

Despite overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of child sexual abuse is "Acquaintance Molestation," wherein the pederast is someone the child, and perhaps even the parent, knows this witch hunt has ignored the clear and present danger in favor of chasing after fictitious bogeymen.  The mustachioed man in the white van is a thin sliver of the pedophile population whose presence has been grossly exaggerated by biased media coverage.  When uncles and stepfathers are arrested for child rape, it rarely makes the front pages nationwide, but when the suspect is some anonymous creep, it triggers a media blitz.

The reasons for this inaccurate portrayal goes back to the original culture of denial that pervaded over this issue for so long.  Parents do not want to believe that they might have been culpable in their child's abuse.  When the alleged molester is a spouse, a family friend, or someone else in the adult guardian's circle of trust, accepting the truth means dealing with guilt over their own ignorance or inaction.  An unknown monster, a stranger with candy, is a lot easier to hate, to despise, and to punish unmercifully.

This lack of compassion has actually created more problems than it solves.  Politicians have succeeded in enacting residency restrictions, registration programs, and other drastic, punitive measures to deal with child molesters because no one objects, due to fear of being labeled pro-pedophile.  While these laws might be made with the best intent, many of them have serious side effects and need careful revision.

Residency restrictions, such as denying housing or stipulations limiting proximity to churches, schools, playgrounds and other areas, have driven pedophiles underground and made them more of a liability than before. 

Thanks to the broad application of the term sex offender, minors themselves have been accused of possessing child pornography over consensual pictures they have taken of a girlfriend or boyfriend.  Even public urination can land you on this list, making the rest of your life hell as you become a pariah and target for irrational hatred.

Mahatma Ghandi once said, "Hate the sin, love the sinner," and perhaps that is the approach we need.  Many pederasts were once the victim of sexual abuse themselves who, unfortunately, were never given the means to deal with their trauma in a healthy manner.  By focusing on punishing the accused, rather than rescuing the victims, we are creating an endless cycle where yesterday's victim becomes tomorrow's evil incarnate.  The taboo is so strong that there is nowhere for these people to turn for help before they slip up and give in to their unacceptable desires.

Human sexuality is still far from being understood, but we do know that these lusts are powerful forces. Sex offenders have the highest recidivism rate of any criminal and presenting them with a harder existence as a social outcast does not help things one bit. A controversial option is to allow offenders, or people who have yet to offend, to register for voluntary chemical castration. By taking drugs they could neuter their sexual impulses and, with the help of an understanding community, live an ordinary life.