To be clear, I meant other reasons than having a persistent sexual attraction towards children. Those other reasons can be: wanting to see physical abuse, seeing how abuse happens, finding a thrill in seeing something illegal, trying to see what gets you aroused, and many other reasons.
The Dutch rapporteur for sexual abuse summarized that it is estimated that about 20% of the people caught for possessing child pornography are actual pedophiles, meaning people with a persistent sexual attraction towards children: http://www.nationaalrapporteur.nl/Images/nationaal-rapporteu...
So the headline uses the word "pedophiles", but in the article the word is nowhere to be found. Maybe that's because this sting isn't necessarily about pedophiles, but about people watching and trading child pornography. Using "pedophiles" only serves to reinforce the stigma of a already heavily stigmatized minority.
The word "pedophile" should be defined as someone with a sexual attraction towards children. It doesn't describe behavior: people can choose to not act on the attraction, and many, invisible as they are, in fact do not. Also, the people operating and visiting that hidden service could have had other reasons for visiting. They are not necessarily all pedophiles.
Yes, I also find this really concerning.. I use Blendle to look up articles relating to pedophilia, to see how it's portrayed in the media. Now Blendle is giving away €2,50 on signup, so I can create new accounts as I go along... but I really wouldn't want to connect my regular account with it, and I would for my usage, but there really is no way to do it.
If you're wondering how the subject is portrayed... very badly. Almost always the molester stereotype, especially in British media. You might want to read up on these threads if you want to get a better picture:
Please don't use "pedophiles" as a synonym for "sexual predator". It's not the same, and it's very stigmatizing for people who are attracted to children but decide to not act on their feelings.
[I had posted this as a reply to #8532324, with obviously a new account, since this subject is too dangerous to post about under my regular HN account. My comment was killed. It might be a sign this subject is too much of a taboo. I don't think that should be a criteria for killing a comment though; it is very on-topic. I hope it doesn't get killed now]
Coming out is an important event for any minority -- at least in the cases where the membership of the minority can be (or has to be) kept a secret. Not being able to tell anyone your true feelings can feel like an enormous burden, driving some people even to the point of suicide.
And like you say, it takes courage to be who you really are. To not feel the weight of your mask every day. For myself, I think it would be false courage in this day and age to 'come out' as a pedophile. 'Pedophile' here means that I feel emotionally and sexually attracted to children, just as gays have that attraction to men. A lot of people are immediately repulsed by that word, and just assume you are a monster and a child abuser/rapist. I think those stereotypes mainly exist because pedophiles are invisible in our society. It is very likely that everybody knows somebody with that orientation, but because it is so risky to 'come out' nobody recognizes that pedophiles are very regular people too.
I have come out to some very close friends and my parents, who luckily all accepted that I am who I am (I live in a European country, so that might help). I'm a bit gay as well, and I have a 5+ year relationship with my boyfriend, who also is a pedo (and somewhat more gay than I am).
Still, every time when I receive a compliment or encouragement from someone, a thought flashes through my mind: what if they knew who I 'really' am?
Coming out is an important event for any minority -- at least in the cases where the membership of the minority can be (or has to be) kept a secret. Not being able to tell anyone your true feelings can feel like an enormous burden, driving some people even to the point of suicide.
And like you say, it takes courage to be who you really are. To not feel the weight of your mask every day. For myself, I think it would be false courage in this day and age to 'come out' as a pedophile. 'Pedophile' here means that I feel emotionally and sexually attracted to children, just as gays have that attraction to men. A lot of people are immediately repulsed by that word, and just assume you are a monster and a child abuser/rapist. I think those stereotypes mainly exist because pedophiles are invisible in our society. It is very likely that everybody knows somebody with that orientation, but because it is so risky to 'come out' nobody recognizes that pedophiles are very regular people too.
I have come out to some very close friends and my parents, who luckily all accepted that I am who I am (I live in a European country, so that might help). I'm a bit gay as well, and I have a 5+ year relationship with my boyfriend, who also is a pedo (and somewhat more gay than I am).
Still, every time when I receive a compliment or encouragement from someone, a thought flashes through my mind: what if they knew who I 'really' am?
The Dutch rapporteur for sexual abuse summarized that it is estimated that about 20% of the people caught for possessing child pornography are actual pedophiles, meaning people with a persistent sexual attraction towards children: http://www.nationaalrapporteur.nl/Images/nationaal-rapporteu...