Mike Dickson wrote:

> Right, so you are saying that paedophilia never has any damaging > consequences to the target of the offence, is that right? No. In case of pedophilia, there is no "target of the offence", nor there is "offence".

Ok so far, but:

There is only love and mutual enjoyment.

Two problems: (1) like your "opponents" in these discussions, you seem to be equating the attraction with the actions, and (2) in some cases the love and/or enjoyment is entirely one-sided (unrequited love or passive attraction, for instance).

But yes, the undeniable fact is that sexual act can not cause any harm to anybody.

Wrong. Your "undeniable fact" is an unsupportable blanket statement. The relevant "undeniable facts" are (1) sexual acts CAN cause physical, psychological, and/or emotional harm, but (2) it is uncommon for them to do so. Your insistence that they "can not" do so only weakens the credibility of your other arguments.

And when you talk about pedophilia, you must remember, that there is seldom any sexual act involved.

Very true.

In all the cases I have studied or read or heard about, I have never heard that relation between a pedophile and a child had caused any harm to child. Even in the extremely rare case when actual sexual act is performed, no sign of harm can be found. Even less so in the typical case, where the "sexual act" is only embracing, kissing and caressing.

In the course of my psychotherapeutic practice (Clinical Social Worker), have encountered several cases where the harm DID come from the nature of the relationship or the associated activities. I have also seen cases where the harm came when the "child" tried to initiate an act or relationship, but was rebuffed. I have seen far more cases that fit your following pattern, however.

But when the pedophile hunters find out about it, the harm begins. Child is subjected to discusting medical examinations and horrible interrogations by the police and social workers. The torture of the child goes on and on until (s)he admits that there has been some sexual act (even if there really was not), and that the sexual act was unpleasant.

While that scenario is all too common when the "child" falls into "official" hands, similar harms come from the less structured (but often more emotionally intense) interactions when the "hunters" are parents/ guardians.

But the torture does not stop here. The child is brainwashed to think that she has done something wrong and disgusting. That she must feel guilt and shame. That guilt and shame then follows the child through her whole life. And all that is caused by pedophile hunters.

This is common to both the police and parent situations.

Deliberately.

While you apparently have reason to be angry and cynical, you give them too much credit/blame. In most cases, those parents, police, and Social Workers are making good-faith attempts to support the best interests of the child. They may be misguided, but the majority are not deliberately malicious.

Rhi Rhiannon M. Isles LCSW