Meeting a person with pedophilia
Attitudes towards pedophilia among psychology students: A pilot study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21625492 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rebecca L Heron (0000-0001-7438-5669, University of Groningen, corresponding author), Lena Schwiekert (University of Groningen), Julie Karsten (0000-0001-5727-0245, University of Groningen) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 1022-1033 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12144-021-01384-5 |
| OpenAlex | W3132902396 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 34 |
People with pedophilia (PWP) are highly stigmatized. Public opinion is strongly pre-consolidated – it is often assumed that every PWP commits child sex offenses. This presumption not only affects PWP negatively. Research suggests that this stigmatization may cohere with PWP actually committing child sex offenses. Various recent studies have investigated different kinds of anti-stigma interventions and their effectiveness. Direct contact to a PWP has not yet been investigated. The present pilot study aimed at finding out whether a dichotomous anti-stigma intervention can change psychology students’ attitudes towards PWP regarding perceived dangerousness, intentionality, deviance, and punitive attitudes. In a one sample pre-post design, we presented 162 students of the University of Groningen with both an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP. Participants learned about child sex offending and pedophilia. Then, Gabriel, a PWP shared his experiences about growing up, coping, and living with pedophilia. Results of the one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significantly diminished negative attitudes towards PWP after the intervention. Students perceived PWP as less dangerous, having less intent, and being less psychologically deviant. Additionally, students’ punitive attitudes towards PWP diminished significantly. Also, a thematic analysis revealed that students were highly interested in the topic of pedophilia and greatly appreciative of Gabriel sharing his story. This pilot study was the first to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a combination of an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP as an anti-stigma intervention
Pedophilia · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Qualitative research · Suicide prevention · Thematic analysis · Applied Psychology · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Psychology · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology
Discursive representation of paedophiles in selected Nigerian home videos
Facilitators and Barriers to Understanding and Accepting People with a Sexual Interest in Children
YouTube Commenters’ Discourse of Paedophilia
Effects of a Digital Contact Intervention on Stigmatizing Attitudes and Willingness to Treat Towards People with Pedohebephilia in Future German Psychotherapists
The Effectiveness of Educational Interventions for Mental Health Professionals in Reducing Stigmatization Toward People with Pedophilia
Pedophile, Child Lover, or Minor-Attracted Person? Attitudes Toward Labels Among People Who are Sexually Attracted to Children
The psychology of attitudes
Pedophilia and sexual offending against children
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Pearson Correlation Coefficient
Gpower
Challenging the Public Stigma of Mental Illness
Controlling the False Discovery Rate
Thematic Analysis
Stigmatization of People With Pedophilia
Societal Reaction to Sex Offenders
Emotions and Cognitions Associated with the Stigma of Non-Offending Pedophilia
Punitive Attitudes Against Pedophiles or Persons With Sexual Interest in Children
Adults with Pedophilic Interests in the United States
Is Pedophilia a Sexual Orientation
Determinants of Punitive Attitudes Toward People with Pedophilia
Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency
Minor Attraction
Stigmatization of People with Pedophilia
Dimensions of Mental Illness Stigma
Intergroup Contact Theory
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |