Should pedophiles be given “virtual” child pornography to help reduce their real life sexual urges? It may sound unsavory, but that’s what two sexologists-- Erik van Beek and Rik van Lunsen—argue in Monday’s Dutch newspaper Trouw.
“It is a safe way, for both pedophiles and children,” van Lunsen is quoted as saying regarding the distribution of virtual porn that doesn’t use real children subject to abuse.
“You offer it to the group that doesn’t want to hurt kids and they don’t hurt anyone with this stimulus. You let them play in their part of the garden of lust, to put it that way,” he says.
“It is a small group convinced they shouldn’t act and have enough control not to,” counters Jules Mulder, a psychotherapist from Utrecht’s de Waag outpatient clinic who, like van Beek and van Lunsen, works with pedophiles.
While virtual pornography may help them, he says, “it is quite difficult to find that group…and pornography is still part of the problem.” In his work he focuses on adult relationships, not necessarily sexual ones, and on emotional loneliness.
Dark secrets
Serving up virtual pornography to those with pedophilic tendencies is no doubt controversial. But to van Beek and van Lunsen, it’s all about giving such men a safe outlet for their desires, what van Beek calls “space for forbidden fantasies without it being hurtful for others.”
“We tell people you are not responsible for your preference…, for the things you think or for your fantasies,” van Lunsen told Trouw. “Take it from me, every person has sexual fantasies that he would never ever like to do. There’s only one thing that you are responsible for we say: your behavior. And it is to up to you make sure that you don’t damage kids.”
Van Beek and van Lunsen say academic studies show that banning child pornography has led to an increase in abuse. They want the virtual porn to have a disclaimer saying no children were hurt in its production, and they’re hoping that virtual pornography would make traditional child pornography less popular.
But Mulder paints a different picture of your average child pornography downloader.
Girls vs. boys
“Most men who download pornography are not pedophiles,” he says. “They’re collectors or engaged in the thrill of illegal downloading. They’re interested in adult women but can’t make a connection with them.”
And Mulder points out that the “majority of pornography downloads is of girls, where in real life, the majority of pedophile acts are with boys.”
With such a diverse group of downloaders, Mulder says virtual porn is not the answer and won’t help diminish the amount of child pornography on the internet. And for most pedophiles, like those not in treatment, he says, “it’s an extra.”
It’s believed that one percent of the world’s male population between the ages of 20-70 has pedophilic tendencies. In the Netherlands, that’s about 50,000 men. With one-quarter of those acting on their impulses, there are an estimated 16,000 pedophiles in the Netherlands.
Virtual child pornography was banned in the Netherlands in 2002.
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Pedophilla will always create fierce debate however it needs to be discussed without the hysteria that surrounds it at the moment.
Graham JOhn is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Graham JOhn, he did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand???
Pedophiles should be euthanized by intravenous injection.
Anonymous is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Anonymous, he did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand??????
This is a two way thing, both sides have to do what they have to for there to be a resolution to this problem, otherwise this could drag on for years, its really only the arrogance and obstinacy of one side that is preventing along term solution
Mt Florida Glasgow is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Mt Florida Glasgow, he did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand??
People have choice.. Pedophiles CHOOSE to be pedophiles. FACT.. Virtual porn is like giving someone cigarettes because they choose suddenly to smoke and therefore suddenly cannot prevent it, weakness is believing you 'are' something, when CHOICE CAN CHANGE IT.
@ Someone Who Knows the Truth, I think you mean puerile, not "purile" ;)
gjohnw is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to gjohnw, he did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand???
Graham WOodruffe is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Graham Woodruffe, he did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand???
Dear "someone who knows the truth"
We have taken action on this issue sometime ago. If you actually read the posted comments the only reference to "Graham Woodruffe" is your own post. We are not prepared to censor readers who simply mention "Graeme"as there is no way now of knowing who they are referring to.
Regards
RNW
Justice has been seen to have been served, but how long will it last? It takes two tango, the choice is yours, just as things appear to have improved, it can happen again. They need to Just Do It ✓ otherwise 2013 will be just the same.
Carla van Verseveld is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Carla van Verseveld, she did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand???
Anybody with HALF a BRAIN knows that the more you think about something and look at it, the more you WANT it. If I'm on a diet, is it going to HELP me NOT eat junk food if I stare at pictures of cookies, cakes, and pastries all day?? CHILDREN HAVE A RIGHT TO SOCIETY'S PROTECTION. This includes protecting individual children from predators, but protection of the very CONCEPT and DEFINITION of childhood. By definition, children are not sexual beings capable of consent; therefore, anything that promotes sexualization of children (like virtual child-porn) is a form of abuse, and should be ILLEGAL.
AnnInFL is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Carla van Verseveld, she did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand
After doing some research i find myself agreeing now with the topic. Pedophiles would benefit from virtual porn, and now that i look back at my comments i realize how idiotic i was sounding, and apolagise to all those that i mindlessly insulted.
saskia is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to saskia, she did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand????
This is BY FAR the STUPIDEST, most EVIL idea I have ever heard!!!!!! Whom are we trying to HELP here? Pedophiles? Why should they deserve help in satisfying their SICK desires??? Children are NOT sex objects to be used for your pleasure!! If these pedophiles felt sorry or guilty in any way for their perverted, wrong, evil desires, they would desire to be FREED from their disgusting, harmful lusts. If I wanted to torture and murder someone and eat their brains, should I DWELL ON THIS by looking at pictures of this activity??? NO!!! I would try to get my mind OFF of this evil, horrible thought. I would seek help, because it is WRONG. That is simple common sense! DO NOT ACCEPT EVIL. PROTECT CHILDREN AND THEIR INNOCENCE.
You know how to stop this so JUST DO IT ✓ Otherwise it will go on forever :cry:
No sympathy for those who are so stuborn that their arrogance prevents them from seeing and doing what is in their best interest.
Uluru Romper Stomper is not making these posts, he is being stalked online by a disgusting brainless predator who is trying to ruin his life by posting purile and clearly offensive paedophile related material.How sick is that.Don't bother writing to Uluru Romper Stomper , she did not post the material and never reads most of it, it does go elsewhere though where it is being correlated. Radio Netherlands, you have been contacted and warned about printing defamatory and false statements. Would an injunction help you to understand?????
Graham,You are not a helpless bystander, or a programmed robot,you have choices & you act on them . We all do .I read that you think otherwise & would like to receive some Virtual Porn & not get arrested ,but that proves my earlier point .Eventually people desire to act out their thoughts, you cannot separate your mind from the rest of you...it is a part of you .Everywhere your mind goes -you are there....you cannot escape it.It is more than disgusting that you want to fantasize about acts of pedophilia ,because you now believe you cannot help it & you want society to feed your fantasies by legalizing perverted thinking(pedophilia) .Perhaps one thinks a conscience will stop being a bothering when thoughts become acceptable & justifiable.Van Beek, van Lunsen are incorrect .
The true meaning of the word pedophilia cannot even be typed on RNW,it triggers a spam filter, but we all know what it means.
How ridiculous that I had to come up with ways to produce my comments so that the "spam filter' would not refuse them ,while it is allowable to admit to having tendencies to pedophilia here, but that also proves my point about the downward trend of Kleine Nederland & where it is headed & the types who now finds it so attractive . I know that " virtual porn" is currently illegal in ND,but the pressure to legalize it, as well as lowering the age of consent ,is strong & supported . But with real porn already everywhere...why is there a need to bother ? Because it never satisfies....& this country has been harmed...it is sick & dying . Dat is wel jammer.
Graham, preferences are choices & when you choose what you prefer,you are responding to that choice, therefore you are responsible.
If sexual fantasies of humans were openly exposed, we would be surprised of how many perverts among the puritans we would find.
Keep perversions to yourself. Don't feed the perversions by watching porn, and don't harm others.
No ...I don't think anyone would be surprised....that is silly talk.
Virtual child pornography is an EXCELLENT idea for those of us with pedophile tendencies, as it harms nobody and is only virtual reality. Erik van Beek and Rik van Lunsen are absolutely right when they say "you are not responsible for your preference…, for the things you think or for your fantasies,”.