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Stigmatization of People with Pedophilia: Two Comparative Surveys

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Abstract

Despite productive research on stigma and its impact on people’s lives in the past 20 years, stigmatization of people with pedophilia has received little attention. We conducted two surveys estimating public stigma and determining predictors of social distance from this group. In both studies, pedophilia was defined as a “dominant sexual interest in children.” The survey was comprised of items measuring agreement with stereotypes, emotions, and social distance (among others). Responses were compared with identical items referring to either people who abuse alcohol (Study 1), sexual sadists or people with antisocial tendencies (Study 2). Study 1 was conducted in two German cities (N = 854) and Study 2 sampled 201 English-speaking online participants. Both studies revealed that nearly all reactions to people with pedophilia were more negative than those to the other groups, including social distance. Fourteen percent (Study 1) and 28 % (Study 2) of the participants agreed that people with pedophilia should better be dead, even if they never had committed criminal acts. The strongest predictors of social distance towards people with pedophilia were affective reactions to this group (anger and, inversely, associated, pity) and the political attitude of right-wing authoritarianism (Study 1). Results strongly indicate that people with pedophilia are a stigmatized group who risk being the target of fierce discrimination. We discuss this particular form of stigmatization with respect to social isolation of persons with pedophilia and indirect negative consequences for child abuse prevention.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was realized within the MiKADO project (Osterheider et al., 2011) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. We would like to extend a special thanks to Sylva Friedrich, Kathleen Philipp, Carolin Zettler, Konrad Rädlinger, and Wenke Kummer (all Dresden) for their help in the data collection and to Agustín Malón and Maximilian Geradt and for their continued support.

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  1. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Hohe Straße 53, 01187, Dresden, Germany

    Sara Jahnke & Juergen Hoyer

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Roland Imhoff

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  1. Sara Jahnke
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Jahnke, S., Imhoff, R. & Hoyer, J. Stigmatization of People with Pedophilia: Two Comparative Surveys. Arch Sex Behav 44, 21–34 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0312-4

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