>

I've met my fair share of pedos at work, I had to evaluate them to know if they could get out of prison early. Almost all of them justified their acts with traumas they had, but very few actually told me they needed help. 
It was : I did this because someone did it to me. That was it. No real remorses. Only regrets of being caught. And I don't even talk about the ones who blamed their victims or the ones that assaulted defenseless people in jail.
Viewing most of them as victims is an error and it's putting people at risk. To get help, you actually have to realize you NEED help. Otherwise, they're just people that we must isolate.
I could get behind that. I’d choose to prevent all pedophiles from harming children over punishing them after the fact all day. >

It’s not like that is an option that we are rejecting >

Society itself does though >

Yeah, fucked up shit like pedophilia would most likely occur from someone going through some fucked up shit. They need some serious therapy. >

Treat mental problems?  That's simply not the American way.  Suppress the urges, drown your feelings in booze, and eventually indulge in secret.
/s (that's obv, right?) >

I was going to say this isn't an unpopular opinion, just a logical one. But based on the comments, boy, was I wrong!
Carry on. >

I knew it would be. I see the “Kill Your Local Pedophile” stickers all the time. It’s easier to hate than solve. >

I assume they’re being ironic. Any person I’ve seen wearing that, always looks like they’d be pedos. >

Absolutely not. These are the people in the rural area who would love to be the ‘hero’. >

I absolutely agree. I’m a survivor myself, and this is what I always advocate for. Whenever I point out it’s a psychiatric disorder that we should treat before children become victims and survivors, I’m accused of being a pedophile or being a pedophile apologist. Then, when I explain that I’m a survivor of child sexual abuse, I’m told that I’m a liar who’s making up stories. 
People don’t understand that wanting pedophiles to get psychiatric treatment isn’t the equivalent of having sympathy and empathy for people with disorders like depression or anxiety. They say shit like “the only cure for pedophilia is a bullet”, because they want to take a moral high ground and act as if being against pedophilia is a rare, special personality trait that they should be put on a pedestal for. When in reality, it doesn’t help survivors. They constantly speak over us, get aggressive with us when we have actual solutions that we would like to see and play blind and deaf to how they’re harming us and potential victims. 
The bullshit “save the children” hashtag did nothing. Like okay, you proclaimed your disproval against pedophilia. That’s the bare minimum. “I wanna murder pedophiles” doesn’t do shit for us either. Because at the end of the day, the same exact people who say this don’t bother to offer any real solutions, aren’t involved in any real advocacy, look down on survivors who have stigmatized disorders like BPD, HPD, NPD, etc., and all that they can say that they’ve done is post a hashtag on Facebook and said “if you don’t share this delete me”. It’s performative as fuck and if it’s all they have to say, we’d prefer it if they’d just shut the absolute fuck up. 
There’s a program in Germany where pedophiles are given therapy and medication. Studies show that it is actually working. But nah, let’s just keep claiming that we hate pedophilia and keep insisting that pizza gate is real and that dark makeup around the eyes is proof of satanic rituals involving kids. Because that’s easier than becoming volunteers, educating children about internet safety, holding pedophiles in families accountable, going to college to pursue careers that’ll actually help and actually listening to the exact people who have actually been hurt by these people. 
I’m sick and tired. >

Can't really put it more concisely than this. >

The problem with abuse is that it leads to more abuse. Many (if not most) of those people have been abused themself when they were younger. If the trauma doesnt get worked on properly (and soon enough) in therapy chances are they become an abuser. 
So what we need in the first place is proper therapy for the victims and awareness so that it can be stopped earlier if it occurs. 
But yes we also need treatment/therapy for the part of pedophiles who know how bad it is and really are willing to change that >

This isn’t that unpopular of an opinion. In fact, there are legal scholars and academics that would like to be able to do more research into pedophiles, but the subject is so taboo that it’s never going to get approved for funding. Same with any sort of prevention/treatment/rehabilitation programs. I would also assume that therapists are mandated to report if one of their patients talked about it, too complicating the situation all the more >

It sucks because ultimately this could help prevent so many atrocities happening to children. >

I agree with the crux of this although it isn’t true that pedophilia is caused by a history of CSA. Pedophiles fall roughly into five groups and therapy requirements depend on risk of offending and/or whether or not a pedophile is having significant distress: 
1) Child sex offenders. These obviously need therapy and almost all are court ordered to receive it.
2) Non offenders that are at high risk of offending. These need to be in therapy yesterday. 
3) Non offenders who are at moderate risk of offending. These also need to be in therapy but barriers are high and the supply of therapists is limited. This group is key as therapy can be the difference between offending and not offending.
4) Non offenders who are not inclined to act on their attractions to children but who are experiencing significant distress related to the attractions. These need and deserve therapy and it’s possible that some will slip into group 3) if they don’t get it. Barriers are high and very few therapists are trained to treat the needs of non offenders.
5) Non offenders who are not inclined to act on their attractions and are coping reasonably well. These don’t meet the criteria of pedophilic disorder and don’t require an intervention. 
Most of those in groups 4) and 5) have strong empathy for children and normal impulse control and they make up the majority of pedophiles. It simply isn’t feasible to think we could train enough therapists to serve millions of pedophiles, especially when a large fraction of them may not even require therapy. We have to focus our therapy resources on groups 1) to 4). Group 1) is mostly taken care of. Groups 2) and 3) are critical for CSA prevention and Group 4) is critical for mental well-being and to help with coping skills.
For those who say “it’s pointless, there’s no cure” that’s not how therapy for pedophilic disorder works. It’s largely about accepting reality and developing coping skills that are consistent with the prime objective of not harming children. If we are serious about reducing CSA, then there has to be a public policy initiative to train thousands more therapists who can treat both high risk non offenders and those not inclined to act on their attractions but who need help with the other mental health aspects of pedophilic disorder. >

They absolutely deserve treatment.
That treatment does not however involve “normalizing” or accepting them. It isn’t telling them they’re just different than everyone else. And as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t involve giving them a second chance if they act on their thoughts. 
It should be made absolutely clear to anyone undergoing therapy for pedophilic thoughts that if you have a lapse in willpower and do something bad, we will not forgive you.
I don’t believe that’s unpopular at all, so unless you’re suggesting something different I don’t think this is actually unpopular. >


I don’t believe that’s unpopular at all, so unless you’re suggesting something different I don’t think this is actually unpopular.

I think what qualifies this as unpopular is if there was a post of someone saying that they have the urge to have sex with children, hasn't acted on those urges and is looking to get help to get rid of them, the comments and DMs on that post would be full of hate and vitriol. 
I think removing some of the stigma around the issue, while still punishing those who act on their urges, would allow those struggling to get treatment without fear of persecution. >

Well why would this hypothetical person feel the need to share their feelings online? What’s the point of that if not to try and make some sort of “I’m as normal as the rest of you” point?
For me, it should go like: you have these thoughts and you don’t act on them. You know they’re wrong and you seek professional therapy immediately, but that doesn’t mean you should tell people about it. What do you expect when you tell people “yeah I’m sexually attracted to children”, hugs and kisses?
Ideally the therapy helps you move beyond it and that’s that. But the societal component of shame is a motivator to get better; if we remove that by “destigmatizing it” then there’s no reason outside of someone’s own morals to change their thought patterns. >


But the societal component of shame is a motivator to get better;

The thing is, with this issue is not shame, it's a legitimate fear for their lives even if they haven't acted on these urges. Other comments in this post show that. 

You know they’re wrong and you seek professional therapy immediately,

In an ideal world, this would happen. However, even though that therapy is supposed to be confidential there is always the chance it gets out. If that happens, you're now subject to the violence outlined above. 

What do you expect when you tell people “yeah I’m sexually attracted to children”, hugs and kisses?

I'm not saying they should be celebrated, but not instantly demonised for having urges they can't control, and are actively trying to stop. 
This is of course only for those who don't act on those urges. >

I can get on board with this >

I can get behind that title tbh. Should be a new slogan >

they can control whether or not they act on it. >

Most pedophiles aren't abused as children and their victims don't become pedophiles.  The actual cause in unknown. We definitely need to figure how what causes pedophilia.  No one sets out and consciously decides they want to be a child molester.  Some studies say their brains are wired differently.  It's well known that treatment doesn't work except chemical castration.  They can't be around children. >

The cause can be from our history of humanity , when men use to date young ladies ( you were consider a woman when you first get your period ). This can heavily be an underrated cause . I can’t even imagine being attracted to someone underage >

Oh, that's the cause? I guess that explains why young boys are molested/raped then, right? >

It can go either way, I can very well be wrong . Just an opinion.. the cause is unknown so I’m just participating >

Outside of children acting out their abuse, people don’t become child molestors because of abuse they experienced. There have been government programs in many countries that have tried everything they can think of to fix pedos, for decades. Everything from allowing them to carry select child porn, to giving them surrogate dolls, talk therapy, chemical castrations, literal castrations. If you think you’ve thought of something to help treat them, you can virtually guarantee organizations like the FBI have already experimented with it. They aren’t curable. >

I was just about to say this. Almost every issue ever in America has, in some way, been studied or given tax payer dollars. Solutions were and are  being implemented in society. Still pedophiles exist globally and bad things still happen.
Millions of dollars spent on anti smoking ads, but people still smoke. Millions of dollars to social welfare programs and government housing and people are still homeless and poor. TRILLIONS of dollars into education and science globally, but we still go to war >

Unfortunately, research into the subject is illegal, because people don't think about the implications of laws against "conversion therapy" in any form. >

Citation needed >

People who experience sexual abuse DO NOT turn into pedophiles. >

Absolutely, not every abused child becomes an abuser. >

I worked with a guy back in high school who admitted that he was sexually attracted to children but he hated himself for it and swore he would never act on it, not sure if he was in therapy or not. Always kinda felt bad for him tbh >

Realistically, what can you do to alter what someone is attracted to? Are you suggesting hormone replacement therapy or shock therapy? 
What is the obvious answer that we are just missing but is sure to fix things? >

Therapy. A lot of therapy that is actually open to truly helping these people. 
I truly think a lot of pedophiles have a multitude of trauma and pain. There has to be a safe place to talk so they can heal and protect others. >

That’s assuming they are able to easily be identified first as well as the naive notion that all pedophiles are a result of trauma and pain. 
I’m getting the impression that you think that all or at least most pedophiles are the result of something traumatic and not just having something wrong with them that causes them to be attracted to children >

Is there a proven treatment?? >

The podcast This American Life has an episode about this called “Tarred and Feathered”. Host Ira Glass was interviewing someone with those inclinations who refuses to act on it (an anonymous person with their voice altered). They cannot get help because of the stigma. As a result they started an online support group so they can help each other and prevent any atrocities from happening. 
Pedophilia is obviously disgusting and horrible, but we can’t just cover our ears and eyes and just hope they go away. These people need treatment (believe it or not, they’re flawed people), and we need to understand how to prevent it if at all possible.
For the children if no one else. >

They are more than welcome to get help before they hurt a child. If they hurt a child all bets are off. >

Recidivism rate is sky high. >

If a person has those types of feelings and doesn't seek counseling to prevent themselves from acting on those compulsions that's kinda on them. There isn't any stigma in therapy surrounding abuse and trauma. You can't hold other people accountable for actions another person doesn't take. >

Where is it safe for these people to turn to?