Don't become a perpetrator

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The project “ Don't become a perpetrator” is a therapeutic offer at the Charité in Berlin that has existed since 2005 for the prevention of child sexual abuse in the dark field . It is aimed at people with sexual fantasies directed towards children, who fear they will commit sexual assault, and who would like to seek therapeutic help.

history

The therapy and research project "Don't become a perpetrator" was launched in 2005 under the direction of Klaus Michael Beier . In contrast to existing therapy offers for people who have already committed criminal offenses, so-called brightfield offenders, the Berlin project was the first in the world to offer an offer specifically aimed at people who have not yet committed criminal offenses or those who have already committed child sexual abuse and / or abuse images (so-called child pornography), but are not known to the judiciary, so-called undisclosed offenders . Participation is also open to people who have already been reported or convicted of such offenses and who may have fully served their sentences. Participation is free and protected by confidentiality .

The project is now also offered at locations in Kiel, Regensburg, Leipzig, Hanover, Hamburg, Stralsund, Giessen, Düsseldorf, Ulm and Mainz. In addition, there has been a branch at the Regensburg office in Bamberg since 2015. The locations have joined forces in the prevention network "No perpetrators will" and work according to common quality standards. Further locations are planned. The aim is to build up and expand a network to establish the primary prevention of sexual trauma in children and adolescents nationwide . Since 2009, the therapy has also been offered to consumers of abuse images (so-called child pornography ).

The project was financially supported in the first few years by the Volkswagen Foundation Hanover and the victim protection organization Stiftung Hänsel und Gretel , which continue to support the project. From 2008 to the end of 2016, the Berlin location of the project was financed by the Federal Ministry of Justice . The Berlin Senate has taken over the bridging financing for 2017 . The other locations are funded by the various state ministries. In January 2018, a model project started, with which the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies was commissioned by the legislature to finance a model project for the anonymous treatment of pedophiles for a period of five years. At the same time, a network advisory board was established with the support of the Hänsel + Gretel Foundation . It has the task of "increasing the transfer of knowledge in the media, politics and society and thereby increasing transparency and acceptance of this important form of preventing sexual violence". The spokesperson for the advisory board is Monika Egli-Alge, head of the Forensic Institute in Eastern Switzerland.

In 2005 the project received the Political Award , 2006 the Bscher Media Prize and in 2007 the German Crime Prevention Award .

background

According to scientific research, around one percent of men have sexual fantasies directed towards children. This means that they have a partial or exclusive sexual inclination in the sense of pedophilia. According to this, around 250,000 men between the ages of 18 and 75 in Germany feel sexually attracted to children.

The causes of pedophilia are largely unknown. The fact is, however, that many of those affected - the vast majority of them men - have considerable difficulty in living with their sexual preferences. As a rule, uncertainties or fears arise when they first notice their inclination. Many of those affected recognize the occurrence of sexual thoughts in children as a problem and know that their implementation is taboo. At the same time, they find it difficult to deal with this knowledge. The tendency strains relationships with (sexual) partners or often makes them impossible. One thing is certain: a wide variety of problems can arise in normal life. Many fail to permanently control their inclinations. They use abuse images on the Internet or commit sexual assault on children. These acts have serious physical and psychological consequences for the victims and are also criminal offenses that have significant social consequences.

The following self-observations give reason to suspect that pedophilia is present:

  • Sexual arousal from looking at or contacting children
  • Sexually arousing fantasies in which children play a role
  • Consumption of abuse images on the Internet

The prevention network “Don't become a perpetrator” offers free and confidential treatment for people who have a sexual tendency towards children and are looking for therapeutic help. Anyone wishing to participate must have an awareness of the problem with regard to their sexual impulses directed at children and be willing to seek therapeutic help on their own initiative.

Therapeutic approaches

The primary goal of therapy is to prevent child sexual acts and the consumption of abuse images. In individual and group therapy, the participants learn to accept their sexual preference as well as to control their impulses and to avoid behavioral patterns that favor sexual abuse. Further goals are the detection of errors in perception and interpretation of the participants with regard to the behavior of children and the strengthening of empathy .

The manual used for therapy, the "BEDIT - The Berlin Dissexuality Therapy Program", is an adapted version of the Sex Offender Treatment program used in Hellfeld .

The following are included in the therapy program: People who have not yet committed any criminal offenses (sexual assault, consumption of images of child sexual abuse, etc.), but who fear to commit them in the future; Persons who have already committed crimes but are not (yet) known to the law enforcement authorities, as well as persons who have already committed crimes and have been reported and / or legally convicted for them, provided that they have served their sentence in full, are no longer supervised by the judiciary is in place and all legal matters are closed.

The therapy program does not include people who are currently being investigated for possible criminal offenses, who have not fully served their sentence and / or whose judgment includes conditions or probation.

The entire therapy is free and subject to confidentiality.

The aim of therapy is to cope with problems related to sexual orientation. This includes, in particular, controlling one's own behavior in such a way that there is no sexual assault on children.

In the course of the therapy, the participants learn how to perceive and assess their sexual desires and needs appropriately, how to identify and cope with dangerous developments and strategies to prevent sexual assault and / or the consumption of images of child sexual abuse.

The therapy takes place weekly in groups and, if necessary, in individual discussions and with the involvement of relatives. The treatment follows a structured therapy plan, but takes individual needs into account and takes place in consultation with the participants. It integrates psychotherapeutic, sexual science, medical and psychological approaches as well as the possibility of additional medication support.

Results

In spring 2018, the prevention project announced current figures. The use of the therapeutic offer is still high: 9515 people from all over Germany had sought help by the end of March 2018. 2894 people presented themselves at one of the locations for diagnostics and advice, 1554 of them were able to offer a therapy. A total of 925 participants started the therapy and 360 successfully completed it. 345 are currently in individual and group therapeutic treatment, around 90 are taking part in aftercare at one of the locations. A survey of 56 therapy participants showed that 98% had achieved behavior control and thus “significantly prevented child sexual abuse”.

criticism

In October 2006 in the program Menschen bei Maischberger, Norbert Denef described the project as basically necessary, but played down the term "pedophilia"; he recommended "taking the victims on board"; the area that perpetrators were often victims of sexual abuse themselves should not be excluded. In 2007, Denef criticized the television program Johannes B. Kerner for the fact that the Charité even spoke of "love" in connection with pedophilia and that too much was kept silent about the harm suffered by the victims.

In November 2014, representatives of the networkB affected people's association , together with experts, criticized the approach, advocated by the prevention network "Keine Täter werden", that pedophile 'tendencies' manifest themselves in puberty - see also Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- 5) the American Psychiatric Association (APA) - being too superficial. They are of the opinion that “the appearing sexual preferences in most cases can probably have a coherent and in many cases a traumatic history including dissociative reactions, which are only inadequately dealt with with behavioral therapeutic working models and hardly or even at all in cases of trauma can not be resolved. "These cases therefore required" in addition to a comprehensive anamnesis including trauma anamnesis most likely an adapted psycho-trauma therapy to deal with trauma-related internal dissociation-splitting processes. "

The forensic psychologist Andrej König from the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Thomas Schlingmann, founder of the Tauwetter association , analyzed the figures presented by project representatives and expressed themselves critically about the effectiveness of the therapy. According to König, positive effects on participants who had not committed sexual assault before the therapy were not seen. Also questionable is the negatively formulated therapy goal (“don't become a perpetrator!”), Which would contribute to the stigmatization of men with disorders of sexual preference and thus possibly lead to a lower willingness to participate. Schlingmann pointed to a high drop-out rate and noted that the majority of patients commit sexual offenses again or continue to do so during therapy. In addition, the target group's interest in therapy is relatively low despite generous financial support from foundations and public funds.

Sexologist Sophinette Becker expressed detailed criticism of the prevention program in 2016. She rejects the title: “In the land of perpetrators, no project should be called that.” She shares the basic idea, namely not to “condemn” sexual orientation because one such does not mean that action is taken. And those who are at risk have to do something to control their behavior. With that it stops "but already".

“The diagnosis is far too short. The labeling is way too quick. One or two conversations, which are also often carried out by people who have no appropriate training and are still at the beginning of therapeutic training. "

- Sophinette Becker : (2016)

The patients are "told a lot very quickly" and then they get into this program, which is "really nothing new": "a mixture of medical guidance, behavioral control exercises and medication". The psychodynamics of the individual are neglected. Becker also refuses to make such "psychodiagnoses" on boys during puberty. She has the "concern that teenage sexuality as such is not properly perceived and respected, but rather problematized too much".

literature

  • Klaus M. Beier (Ed.): Pedophilia, Hebephilia and sexual abuse of children. The Berlin Dissexuality Therapy . Springer, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-662-56593-3 .
  • Jannis Engel, Mandy Körner, Petya Schuhmann, Tillmann HC Krüger, Uwe Hartmann: Reduction of Risk Factors for Pedophilic Sexual Offending . In: The Journal of Sexual Medicine . tape 15 , no. 11 , 2018, p. 1629–1637 , doi : 10.1016 / j.jsxm.2018.09.001 (English).
  • Constanze Jakob: Phenotyping of pedophile / hebephile test persons of the prevention project “Dark Field - Not Becoming a Perpetrator” using Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics 2 (OPD-2) . Dissertation Hannover Medical School. Hanover 2018.
  • E. Quendler, M. Kempf, J. Schreijäg, H. Gündel: Pedophilia. The prevention project “Don't be a perpetrator” at the Ulm location . In: Neurology . tape 36 , no. 4 , 2017, p. 275-280 , doi : 10.1055 / s-0038-1627016 .
  • Thomas Schlingmann: The emperor's new clothes? A criticism of the project "Don't become a perpetrator" . In: Child abuse and neglect . tape 18 , no. 1 , 2015, p. 64–79 , doi : 10.13109 / kind.2015.18.1.64 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Goals. ( Memento of the original from October 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on: kein-taeter-haben.de @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kein-taeter-haben.de
  2. ↑ Prerequisites for participation at: kein-taeter-haben.de
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h “Don't become a perpetrator” - prevention network presents research results, advisory board and a new commercial. In: kein-taeter-haben.de. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
  4. ↑ The project "Don't become a perpetrator!" In: Potsdamer Nachrichten. October 13, 2007.
  5. ^ Website of the victim protection organization Hänsel & Gretel
  6. ↑ Background ( memento of the original from March 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. keine-taeter-haben.de, accessed on January 3, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kein-taeter-haben.de
  7. ^ Website of the project “Don't become a perpetrator” at the Berlin Charité
  8. ↑ Sexuality "It's just fate". In: Der Spiegel. 40/2006.
  9. ↑ People at Maischberger, broadcast on October 10, 2006 ( online )
  10. ^ TV program Johannes B. Kerner , broadcast on October 2, 2007 ( online )
  11. ↑ Press release from netzwerkB dated November 7, 2014 ( online )
  12. ↑ a b Thomas Schlingmann: The emperor's new clothes? - A criticism of the project "Kein Täter werden" / The Emperor's New Clothes? - A review of the project “Don't become a perpetrator”. In: Child abuse and neglect. 18, 2015, p. 64, doi : 10.13109 / kind.2015.18.1.64 .
  13. ^ A b Andrej König: Psychiatric contribution. In: Forensic Psychiatry, Psychology, Criminology. 9, 2015, p. 117, doi : 10.1007 / s11757-015-0316-5 .
  14. ↑ Sophinette Becker , Julia König: Sexuality that disturbs. A conversation . In: Free Association. Journal of Psychoanalytic Social Psychology . tape 19 , no. 1 , 2016, ISSN  1434-7849 , p. 113–127 ( psychoanalytischesozialpsychologie.de [PDF; 315 kB ; accessed on July 9, 2020]).
  15. ↑ Sophinette Becker , Julia König: Sexuality that disturbs. A conversation . In: Free Association. Journal of Psychoanalytic Social Psychology . tape 19 , no. 1 , 2016, ISSN  1434-7849 , p. 123 ( psychoanalytischesozialpsychologie.de [PDF; 315 kB ; accessed on July 9, 2020]).
  16. ↑ Sophinette Becker , Julia König: Sexuality that disturbs. A conversation . In: Free Association. Journal of Psychoanalytic Social Psychology . tape 19 , no. 1 , 2016, ISSN  1434-7849 , p. 123 ( psychoanalytischesozialpsychologie.de [PDF; 315 kB ; accessed on July 9, 2020]).
  17. ↑ Sophinette Becker , Julia König: Sexuality that disturbs. A conversation . In: Free Association. Journal of Psychoanalytic Social Psychology . tape 19 , no. 1 , 2016, ISSN  1434-7849 , p. 124 ( psychoanalytischesozialpsychologie.de [PDF; 315 kB ; accessed on July 9, 2020]).