"Don't become a perpetrator"

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Sexologists at the Berlin Charité want to prevent men with a pedophile tendency from becoming perpetrators. This is intended to protect children from potential abuse

A man is sitting in the subway; he actually looks very personable. A smile plays around his lips, but his eyes are covered by a metal bracket. Happy children can be seen in the background. "Do you prefer children to what they like?" stands underneath. The ad is part of a media campaign by the Berlin Charité. Behind this is the project "Prevention of sexual child abuse in the dark field". The motto is more catchy: "Do not become a perpetrator" is what it says. It is aimed at people with a pedophile tendency. To men who do not want to assault children. The therapy is free and is subject to medical confidentiality.

Not everyone becomes a perpetrator

Experts estimate that there are around 200,000 pedophiles in Germany, which corresponds to around one percent of the male population. "But not everyone has misappropriated a child," explains the psychologist Janina Neutze, who is involved in the prevention project. The sex therapists involved want to support pedophile men in their lifelong fight against temptation. Not only those affected benefit from this - those who help potential perpetrators also protect the children.

Pedophilia is a sexual preference disorder. Those affected - almost exclusively men - are only sexually attracted to children. The causes of this impaired sexual development are not yet known. Scientists believe that there is a combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors behind the disorder. The sexologists at the Charité regard pedophilia as a chronic disease. "The pressure of suffering is great," says Neutze.

Pedophilia is not curable, but treatable. "Above all, the patients learn to control their behavior so that they do not act out their sexual fantasies," explains the psychologist. Among other things, it is crucial to break down certain ideas about child sexuality that many pedophiles harbor.

Adjusted perception

This includes the idea that child sexuality is unjustifiably taboo in our society and that it is merely freed from pedophiles. "There is definitely no consensual sex between an adult and a child," says the sexologist. Although children are also sexual beings, they prefer to discover lust in themselves or with their peers. "But certainly never with a grown man," explains Neutze. If this is clear to the pedophile patient, there is no justification for sexual assault.

The same applies to viewing child pornography, which is now circulating en masse on the Internet. Many of the children are smiling in the pictures; that they are suffering is not easy to see for the distorted gaze of a pedophile. "Here we often first have to create an awareness that this must be just as taboo as abusing a child ourselves."

Cuddling is not an invitation to sex

The therapeutic focus is also on misinterpretations that many pedophiles succumb to. They misjudge the behavior of children. The normal childish need to cuddle is then misunderstood as an invitation to sex.

In the Charité project, patients also learn to develop more empathy for victims. Part of the therapy consists of writing a letter to a fantasy victim and a letter in which the pedophile himself slips into the role of the victim. It is in the child's skin that some get an idea of ​​how an abused child might feel for the first time.

In addition, the patients are given drugs that suppress their sexual drive. This makes it easier for them to resist the desire.

Stealth makes you lonely

Since the start of the project in 2005, the psychologists have looked after 84 patients; 59 of them have already completed the therapy. More than 100 pedophiles are on the waiting list. Participation in the project is a voluntary matter.

Around half of those seeking help live in a partnership, have a job and a social network. But even with them, the level of suffering is high: They cannot confide in anyone and therefore remain in a certain way isolated for life. The consequences are depression, anxiety disorders and psychosomatic disorders such as mentally conditioned chronic pain disorders.

How helpful the treatment really is is currently being scientifically explored. "We have achieved significant successes, but we still have to prove whether these are solely due to the therapy," says the pedophilia expert.

Gap in prevention

But it is already clear that the project closes a huge gap in prevention. There are projects that address children and their parents in order to identify and avert threatened abuse. For pedophiles themselves, however, therapy has only been offered until they have already committed a criminal offense and have been caught. For men who notice that their instincts are getting out of hand, there has been next to no help to date.

"Many of our patients have gone through an odyssey in search of help," reports Neutze. The problem is, treating pedophilia is nowhere on the curriculum. Most doctors and therapists therefore feel overwhelmed when they sit across from someone who has been affected and fight them off first. In addition, many are unsure about their duty of confidentiality. "What if my patient does become the perpetrator? Do I have to report it?"

"Quite clearly: no," says Neutze. The strict duty of confidentiality also applies here. Men who decide to go for therapy are anyway careful not to get that far. As part of the Berlin project, many a patient even allowed himself to be instructed for some time in order to escape the curse of the misdirected instinct.

A project goes to school

59 men out of 200,000 treated - that only seems like a drop in the ocean at first glance. But every child who doesn't become a victim counts.
In the meantime, "No Offenders Become" has already set the tone: There is another contact point in Kiel, and an offshoot in Bavaria is planned. "This is a good start," says Neutze. "I am sure that other federal states will follow suit."

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