Inside the Moral Matrix: Understanding and Influencing Public Attitudes Surrounding People with a Sexual Interest in Children

Abstract

The rampant conflation between having a sexual interest in children and engaging in acts of sexual abuse contributes substantially to high levels of stigma directed towards people living with a sexual interest in children. Stigmatization and societal punitiveness surrounding people living with these interests can impact their wellbeing, obstruct help-seeking, and potentially increase risk of offending behavior. The stigmatization of people with pedophilia was previously identified as a “blind spot” in stigma research. Part One of the current research comprises of a systematic review, which aims to understand (i) factors contributing to stigma towards people with sexual interest in children, (ii) experiences of stigma, and (iii) how stigma can be challenged and reduced. Thematic synthesis was used to analyze data from 35 international, mixed methods studies. Findings highlighted substantial prevalence of stigma towards and amongst people with sexual interest in children, and methodological limitations of extant research, which are addressed in Part Two and Three. Previous research employing stigma intervention strategies have shown promising results in reducing stigmatizing attitudes towards this population, particularly regarding presentations of lived-experience narratives. Part Two (incorporating Studies One and Two) sought to examine the effectiveness of humanizing narrative (lived experience of an individual with sexual interest in children) and informative (fact-based information about sexual interest in children) anti-stigma interventions on members of the general public. Study One used a repeated measures experimental design; participants (N = 694) were randomly assigned one of two intervention videos as part of an anonymous online survey. Attitudes towards people with sexual interest in children (including cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses) were assessed pre- and post- intervention, using scales modified for valence framing effects and researcher developed items. Both interventions were associated with reductions on all measured aspects of stigma, with the exception of perceptions of controllability, which neither intervention influenced. Although effects between interventions were similar, the informative intervention was associated with greater reductions in perceptions of dangerousness and increased understanding that sexual interest in children is not a choice. Study Two investigated the cognitive and affective responses to the intervention material through a mixed methods analysis of two open-ended survey questions. Part Three (incorporating Studies Three and Four) sought to expand on quantitative research findings by qualitatively exploring the impact of intervention material, and facilitators and barriers to understanding and accepting people living with sexual interest in children. Thirty participants were interviewed following completion of the online stigma intervention study. Participants were asked about their attitudinal responses to the earlier study, and how personal and professional experiences contributed to shaping their attitudes surrounding people living with a sexual interest in children. Utilizing thematic analysis, Study Three found mixed cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to the intervention material. Study Four found the significance of exposure to alternative narratives emerged across several themes which facilitated understanding and acceptance of people who have a sexual interest in children. Themes which reflected barriers to understanding included difficulty comprehending alternate narratives, parental concern, and reinforcement of current stereotypes. Together, findings from the present research advance our understanding of the efficacy of antistigma interventions, as well as the cognitive, affective, personal characteristics and experiences which underpin attitudes surrounding people with a sexual interest in children. Moreover, findings offer important insights into how future research and interventions can be designed and developed more effectively.