Human beings are complex and the sexual desires of a person directed toward a child are just as complex. If you are looking for a neat and clean answer, you will not find it. People who sexually abuse children are deeply confused. There is confusion around what they need and in thoughts around having the right to use a child for sexual needs. When it’s a child abusing another child, they do not think about how the abuse will affect the other person. They are driven by their own misunderstandings and experiences.
Here are some of the keys to understanding why a particular, complex person has sexually used or abused a child (to the extent this is possible, and in many cases, one simply can’t get enough information even to come close):
- What are the confusions they have about their needs, especially why they believe they “need” to be sexual with a child?
- How have their own life experiences – especially but not only sexual experiences – and how they have responded to those experiences, contributed to such massive confusion?
- What is the unique combination of (confused) beliefs, motivations and rationalizations that made it possible for them to sexually use a child?
- How have their own life and experiences (again, not only sexual), and how they responded to those experiences, helped to bring about such beliefs, motivations and rationalizations?
- Which internal and external barriers to sexually abusing a child were overcome, and how (e.g., use of alcohol, use of child sexual pornography, extreme stress or other circumstance that contributed to their “giving up’ on resisting their sexual fantasies or impulses toward children)?
This information was used from (1in 6 a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) Website: https://1in6.org/get-information/common-questions/why-do-people-sexually-use-or-abuse-children-2/
It is very important to understand that trying to understand why someone acted harmful is not about making excuses for the behavior. It is also not about denying or minimizing what occurred to the victim. Excuses are reasons why the person is not responsible whereas understanding can shed light on the conditions and circumstances as to why someone would conduct the act. It is always in everyone’s best interest that sexual abuser be held accountable.
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