John Bancroft

John Bancroft

John Bancroft, MD, previously Director (May 1, 1995 – April 30th 2004) of The Kinsey Institute, has been involved in various aspects of sex research. He was Clinical Reader in Psychiatry at Oxford University from 1969-1976; then leader of the Behaviour Research Group at the Medical Research Council's Reproductive Biology Unit in Edinburgh until 1995. Dr. Bancroft's clinical experience in the management of sexual problems spans more than 35 years. He made a great contribution to the rational discussion of child’s sexuality, conducting and collecting many studies which are summarized in his book Sexual Development in Childhood (2003). He defended Kinsey and his research into child sexuality when Reisman launched a campaign against him. He also conducted and researched aversion therapy for "sexual deviants", but ended up proving its uselessness (still, he was attacked for it in the media many years later).

Some important publications

• John Bancroft; Isaac Marks (1968). "Treatment of Sexual Deviations: Electric Aversion Therapy of Sexual Deviations". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 61 (8): 796–799. doi:10.1177/003591576806100827.

  A study that initially showed promising results but which Bancroft abandoned

• John Bancroft (1989). Human Sexuality and Its Problems. Churchill Livingstone

  “This is an updated multidisciplinary and scholarly account of the determinants of human sexuality including sexual development, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and endocrinology of sexual behaviour in addition to sociological and psychological aspects. It is considerably expanded to include physical investigation of sexual dysfunction, marriage, marital therapy, prostitution, ageing, AIDS, sexual abuse and sexual abuse survivors. There is also a section on hormones and sexuality and the development of sexual preferences which has been revised to give a clear account of theoretical possibilities for development of homosexual preferences.”

• John Bancroft, June Machover Reinisch (1990). Adolescence and Puberty. Oxford University Press

  “This wide-ranging volume presents an in-depth picture of adolescent sexuality and behavior. As perhaps the most vital period in human development, adolescence is a time of complex, often difficult interactions between diverse influences. Here, nineteen scientists representing ten disciplines explore the biological, psychological, and cultural factors involved in the onset of puberty and its associated emotional changes. Patterns of adolescent sexual behavior are viewed in cross-cultural perspective, psychiatric disorders are considered, and trends in adolescent sexual activity, contraception, and pregnancy are described. Key legal and social dilemmas are also explored. “

• John Bancroft (2000). The Role of Theory in Sex Research (Kinsey Institute Series)

  "The major goal of this paper is to propose a multidisciplinary approach toward our understanding of the development of human sexuality throughout the life course, with a particular emphasis on gender and the differences between women and men."

• John Bancroft (2003). Sexual Development in Childhood (Kinsey Institute Series) Indiana University Press

  “Approached with either "indifference" or "panic" in our culture, discussion of childhood sexuality remains submerged within political and moral debates that have historically impeded? its understanding. In contrast, Sexual Development in Childhood brings together respected researchers and clinicians to assess the current state of knowledge about childhood sexuality. The result is a comprehensive presentation of the latest research that is rational, balanced, and thorough. The wide-ranging essays in Sexual Development in Childhood seek collectively to answer many of the most vital questions in the field of childhood development. What is childhood sexuality, and why should it be studied? How should it be measured, and what research methods are most useful? What are the current empirical results of research, and in what direction do these studies intend to go in the future? The essays offered in answer to these questions propose to help us understand both the normal range of sexual development in children and the consequences of abusive sexual experiences—objectives that should make this volume an essential resource for teachers, advocates, and social policy professionals as well as for researchers and clinicians.”

External links

• The Kinsey Institute