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Results About Harm Caused by Consensual Sexual Experiences

In this file we collect scientific results about the thesis that consensual sexual experiences cause lasting damage to the child. Such damage may be caused by the persecution process, real sexual abuse, and the general sexual repression in our society, but usually not by consensual sexual relations.

See also a detailed discussion of accidental possibilities for harm.

See also the following references: Baurmann, Bender, Landis.

Finkelhor, in his response to Bauserman, has not mentioned anything which proves that consensual relations are harmful. He only tries to describe them as having a "very high risk", based on studies which consider "sexual abuse" without differentiation. Be there a study showing harmful consequences of consensual sex with children, I think, Finkelhor would have mentioned it in this response. Thus, we can conclude that at least up to 1990 there simply are no such results.

Contents

Baurmann 1983,p.169-70,176,195,484,486

 [1983,p.169-70,176,195,484,486] Baurmann in his analysis for the West German Ministry of Justice of 8058 criminal cases, wrote that the prevailing view of the dangers to children of sexual contacts with adults has simply been copied by one author from another without any empirical base. What is advanced as scientifically established is in reality no more than individual prejudiced opinion. Or, as in the case with Geisler, the whole sample was taken from a selected, disturbed group so that the outcome was determined in advance. (Brongersma,p.22)

Bornemann 1978,p.1011

 [1978,p.1011] In 1978 the distinguished Austrian psychiatrist Bornemann wrote, "The negative effects of youthful sexual intercourse with adults have been exaggerated by the press. The results of research by youth psychologists, forensic physicians and sexologists are almost completely the reverse of what the layman takes as truth. (Brongersma,p.21)

Constantine 1981,p.220-225,259

 [1981,p.220-225,259] reviewed 30 independent investigations on this subject. Only five of the researchers concluded that there could be some long-term negative effects, but in these cases the subjects had been juvenile delinquents and psychopathic and it was therefore difficult to distinguish between cause and effect. Where the sample studied was selected from the general population, no mention was made of negative results. Six of the researchers commented on positive long-term effects. (Brongersma,p.22)

Constantine 1983

 [1983] Among the findings of this major literature review:

"The most important determinant in the outcome of childhood incest or adult-child sexual encounters is the child's perception of freedom of choice in participating."

Among the observed implications:

"The research to date points to the child's subjective experience as the central concern. If it is the child's person which is to be protected from being violated against the child's will, then it is the child's will which governs the determination."

Graven 1975,p.289

 [1975,p.289] Philippe Graven, Professor of Law at the University of Genua: "Disastrous short-term or long-term consequences of non-violent contacts - in reality by far the most common form - are unsubstantiated. As far as we can tell at the present time, any later disturbances which may occur cannot be blamed, either in whole or in part, upon the sexual activities." (Brongersma,p.21)

Hauptmann 1975,p.42-43

 [1975,p.42-43] The Austrian criminologist Dr. Walter Hauptmann mentioned several examples "of the common absence of serious psychological troubles after paedophile contacts". The "commonly accepted fiction of nearly omnipresent 'lasting damage' and 'aftereffects' from sexual experiences" has "for long time now no longer been acceptable." (Brongersma,p.21)

Lempp 1968,p.2267

 [1968,p.2267] Prof. Reinhart Lempp, a doctor of medicine at Tübingen, personally examined 97 [victims of non-violent sexual criminality]. He observed: "if we take into account the positive attitude of the children at the beginning of the indecent activities, this alone makes primary traumatisation by the activities themselves highly improbable. It becomes even more doubtful when we recognise the frequency with which such indecencies occur." After emphasising their frequency he continues with his conclusions, "Most of the contacts remain undiscovered and thus the frequency of these indecent assaults must be assumed to be very high. This makes it impossible to claim as self-evident that children involved in these activities will always be psychologically traumatised. We can in no way asume that such a large number of people have been permanently and considerably hurt in their psychic evolution. My own investigation of 97 children involved in 93 criminal affairs did not establish clearly in any single case that traumatisation of the child had been directly caused by the sexual activity.. (Brongersma,p.18-19)
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Möller 1983, p.98-99

"Neither scientifically nor statistically has the harmfulness of paedophile relations been demonstrated."

"No relation is in itself either beneficial or harmful, regardless of whether it is between adults, as in professional or married life, or children, or between adults and children. Sexuality in itself, or whatever kind, does not render a relation between people desirable, undesirable, good or bad. The people themselves are of more importance that what happens between them. They define the atmosphere in which the events occur, their respect for their partners and their willingness to love one's neighbour as themselves." (Brongersma,p.22-23)

Potrykus & Wöbke 1974,p.70-71

 [1974,p.70-71] wrote in their book that "it has become imposible to substain the assumption that negative consequences generally occur.", adding "Among the authors who claim that the sexual activity itself has negative effects, not a single one presents the slightest empirical base for his assumtion. They generally produce their allegations uncritically, as premises, moralistically, without mentioning conflicting data and arguments." (Brongersma,p.20-21)

Sandfort 1994

 [1994] Young people who had consensual sexual experiences at a young age now have more desire for sex, they are more easily sexually aroused, and have less fear of sexual contact. These results are the same, for both girls and boys, whether the partner was an age-mate or an adult. In addition, boys who have such experience are, in comparison with other boys, now more satisfied with their sexual lives. (Sandfort 1994)

Schorsch 1974,p.24

 [1974,p.24] Dr. Eberhard Schorsch after analysing the relevant literature, made this summary: "There is no evidence of a direct causal link between such experiences and a misdirected evolution of the personality. Empirical research forces one to accept the fact that permanent damage does not occur." (Brongersma,p.20)

Ullerstam 1964,p.56-57

 [1964,p.56-57] Under contract from the Swedish government, child psychatrist Elsa-Brit Nordlund studied between 1944 and 1949 hundreds of cases of sexual contacts involving children which had resulted in criminal trials. She came to the conclusion that the sex itself didn't cause any harm to the child, providing the adult partner didn't use any violence. (Brongersma,p.12)

Wilson & Cox 1983,p.129

 [1983,p.129] Wilson ans Cox, although adverse to legalizing paedophile activity, conclude, "Numerous empirical attempts to demonstrate that lasting psychological harm is done to a child through sexual contact with adults (e.g. changing his sex orientation, or making him impotent) have generally failed to adduce any such evidience. Most researchers seem to agreed that except in the case of physical assault against an unwilling child (tantamount to rape), no lasting harm to the sexual or social development of the child 'victim' can be detected." (Brongersma,p.22)