# What should be Done with Nonviolent Child Molesters?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [July 5, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119 "2016-07-05T12:49:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/41 "2016-07-06T22:26:53Z")
The same reason murder isn’t always punished with life without parole - there’s this notion hanging out there that one can commit a crime, serve a prison term, learn one’s lesson, and not commit the crime again. A certain number of people do, in fact, demonstrate this meme by leaving prison and never re-offending. A certain number get out and re-offend, leading to another round of incarceration or perhaps, then, life without parole.
Child raping is such a hot-button topic I doubt very much whether any real research has been done on whether or not there is anything to help these people not re-offend, how many get out of jail and manage to restrain themselves thereafter, and so forth. From the standpoint of making \*rational \*decisions on how to deal with pedophiles that is unfortunate. Of course, many people have no interest in dealing with them rationally.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/42 "2016-07-06T22:36:22Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> Since everyone agrees that pedophilia is an abhorrent crime
Not exactly. It’s not pedophilia per se that’s the crime; it’s the actions that pedophiles take.
> [@](#):
>
> why isn’t child molestation punished by life without parole?
Some people think they should be, but one possible argument against is that the stiffer the penalty, the harder it is to prosecute. If you know, or even just suspect, that Uncle Chester touched a kid inappropriately, would you be more, or less, likely to say something if you knew that it could get him sent to prison for life?
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/43 "2016-07-06T23:55:44Z")
There is no such thing. Even if there was no physical violence, there was violence to the psyche or the soul.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/44 "2016-07-07T00:14:59Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> I’m no expert, but it seems likely to me that a sexual attraction to children is biological
_Is_ it biological tho? I can’t wrap my head around how this could be true.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/45 "2016-07-07T01:46:12Z")
Men are attracted to youthful features for their mates, that usually seems to be true whether you’re discussing homo or heterosexual men and may well be based at least somewhat in biology. Think of it as an unhealthy extreme manifestation of that tendency.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/46 "2016-07-07T04:03:32Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> There is no such thing. **Even if there was no physical violence, there was violence to the psyche or the soul.**
By this logic, isn’t \*every \*crime “violent”, though? Embezzlement, libel, slander, fraud - all technically physically nonviolent - can all cause “violence to the psyche or soul.”
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/47 "2016-07-07T13:35:15Z")
Child molestation expert Andrew Vachss agrees that pedophiles cannot be fixed and those that act on their desires should be imprisoned.
FBI serial killer unit member John Douglas writes in one of his books that child molesters should be taught the proper way to act on their desires; i.e. using children’s clothing catalogs and toys for solo sex aids, talking to children in public if there is an adult present, etc. NOTHING involving child sex or the use of kiddie porn.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/48 "2016-07-07T14:01:47Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Child molestation expert Andrew Vachss
Imagine constantly being introduced like that. Man.
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### Author:  [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/49 "2016-07-07T14:06:36Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> So here’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask:
>
> Since everyone agrees that pedophilia is an abhorrent crime, why isn’t child molestation punished by life without parole?
Because then the molester wouldn’t have a reason to let their victim live, no sense leaving a witness behind.
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### Author:  [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/50 "2016-07-07T14:50:33Z")
Wow, the bias and presumptions on this thread almost hurt to read. These threads are usually home to such intelligent conversation.
First, child molester =/= pedophile. The vast majority of those convicted of child molestation are not solely, mostly or necessarily sorta attracted to children. There are an array of reasons this may occur. Perhaps the perpetrator feels genuine love or connection with that child, perhaps the perpetrator has an immense amount of other stress that leads them to something available.
Perpetrators nearly always know their victim and based on research, cognitive behavioral counseling and community supervision can be very successful.
Pedophilia is generally seen are a “biological” issue. People do seem to be born with ingrained attractions. Look at people who are homosexual. They will say they have always been attracted to members of the same sex. It makes sense that there are people with some level of sexual attraction to children. However they have little to no resources to treat that. Many people with pedophilia have reported trying to seek counseling and have been rejected or ridiculed for it.
This problem is very eclectic. It’s amazing the intermingled issues that come with this group. Bullets to heads will not help.
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Men specifically have always had an attraction to younger females or even children. While it’s easy to look at conventional morals now and be disgusted by such a thing, for decades it has occurred and was simply not talked about, for centuries it was common practice. How any girls are kidnapped from villages and forced into prostitution? I’m talking 10 year olds. The demand is huge because the desire is common.
> **[Is Sexual Attraction to Female Minors "Normal" Among Males?](https://www.academia.edu/4056908/Is_Sexual_Attraction_to_Female_Minors_Normal_Among_Males)**
>
> Is Sexual Attraction to Female Minors "Normal" Among Males?
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### Author:  [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/51 "2016-07-07T14:52:25Z")
I have worked in probation for almost 10 years and about 3 years of that, I supervised sex offenders. Most can get treatment and will be fine. Some not so much. It depends on the situation.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/52 "2016-07-07T15:08:44Z")
> [@aag3981](#):
>
> Bullets to heads will not help.
Does away with recidivism, right?
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/53 "2016-07-07T15:19:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Does away with recidivism, right?
But what will people do to fulfill their violent fantasies once they murder all the child molesters? You’ve got that blood lust boiling now-who’s next on the kill list?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/54 "2016-07-07T15:35:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> But what will people do to fulfill their violent fantasies once they murder all the child molesters? You’ve got that blood lust boiling now-who’s next on the kill list?
Spammers.
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### Author:  [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/55 "2016-07-07T18:01:41Z")
As a number of others have mentioned, ‘nonviolent’ sex offense against children is basically a contradiction. Even in case of say conviction for possessing child pornography it’s mainly a tangential discussion whether the porn consumer committed violence or not. The principal is that demand for the product causes sexual violence to occur, so back to no such thing as a non-violent child molester.
The only relevant distinction in kind rather than degree is those who have such urges but don’t act on them (including not contributing to demand for porn whose production involves child molestation), v those who do.
I can’t imagine a human society in which I’d want to live, pretty much regardless of technological advance, where you could punish people for crimes they have an urge to commit but haven’t.
Going the other way, I can see technology causing an evolution in attitudes about punishment of criminals v protection of society in cases where people suffer from organic urges to commit certain crimes that most people do not. This does affect IMO the moral equation of punishment and to some degree perhaps the practical one of deterrence. But children have to be protected from sexual violence. That principal IMO cannot be compromised no matter what we think of those who commit such acts.
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### Author:  [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/56 "2016-07-07T18:13:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Does away with recidivism, right?
Only if they were going to offend again. Sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rates of all offenders.
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> But what will people do to fulfill their violent fantasies once they murder all the child molesters? You’ve got that blood lust boiling now-who’s next on the kill list?
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/57 "2016-07-07T21:05:36Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> I’m no expert, but it seems likely to me that a sexual attraction to children is biological, and incurable. If a person is attracted to children, but never acts on that impulse, he or she can function in society like the rest of us. Fine. People can live without sex.
>
> But what about those who act on their impulses?
>
> Okay, jail. But unless murder is involved, pedophilia is not a life sentence. Sex offender registry? Does that do anything except deny an offender a job? Have you run a check on the people moving in on your block?
>
> Is there a humane solution to this? Internment camps? Pedophiles spending their lives in comfortable camps away from society?
>
> If at some future date, pedophilia was discovered to be genetic, would genetic screening and automatic internment be feasible?
>
> Or, if pedophilia turns out to be genetic, would we have to rethink our attitudes towards pedophiles?
Are we talking about pedophilia in and of itself, or are we talking about someone acting out those impulses? If it’s the latter, I think it’s quite reasonable to argue that they should be permanently removed from mainstream society. I’m not a “throw away the key” kinda guy, either, but few crimes are as horrific as sexual assault, be it the rape of an adult or a child.
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### Author:  [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/58 "2016-07-08T03:30:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I can’t imagine a human society in which I’d want to live, pretty much regardless of technological advance, where you could punish people for crimes they have an urge to commit but haven’t.
big ditto. I had a strong urge to beat the clerks at the DMV to death with their own chairs the other day, but managed to smile politely instead.
However, I do think people who actually act on their sexual urges to harm people, such as rapists and pedophiles, should be treated quite harshly due to the horrific nature of the crime and what it reveals about their nature. What’s wrong with actual castration? You can’t use your equipment properly, you lose it.
Plus, what if a person plagued by anger issues or strange sexual urges sought help? We should encourage that. If someone plagued by strong urges seeks help in controlling them, that’s a good thing, and punitive measures based solely on urges rather than action will discourage that.
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### Author:  [@Giraffes\_Can\_t\_Dance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffes_Can_t_Dance)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/59 "2016-07-08T03:57:16Z")
Leave it to a leftist to qualify any child molester as being “nonviolent”, or to suggest that said molesters be put in “safe places”, instead of prisons.
Liberals are the religious right’s wacky, unsuccessful brother.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-done-with-nonviolent-child-molesters/759119/60 "2016-07-08T04:01:38Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#):
>
> However, I do think people who actually act on their sexual urges to harm people, such as rapists and pedophiles, should be treated quite harshly due to the horrific nature of the crime and what it reveals about their nature. **What’s wrong with actual castration?** You can’t use your equipment properly, you lose it.
Probably 8th Amendment - ‘cruel and unusual punishment.’
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