Does the distinction matter? Yes, so much that it could be the difference between child abuse and no crime.

People think of pedophiles as being "at risk of committing sexual crimes against children".

But pedophilia is just a risk *factor* for sexual crime (just as heterosexuality is also a risk factor for committing other kinds of sexual crimes).

Not only that but we also know >

> that [...] many [...] of those who commit sexual crimes against children are *not* pedophiles (surprising but true).

To me this means that sexual abuse prevention programmes shpuld be targeted at pedophiles *with multiple risk factors* AS WELL AS others at risk of offending. >

> This is separate from support efforts for those disclosing pedophile attraction only.

Those programmes are not predicated on crime prevention but on supporting people impacted by unfair stigma around presumed criminal intent. If policymakers could see >

> how these things are, and need to be different then there can be hope of a comprehensive and humane solution for situations like the current Menlo Church scandal and others like it. #MAPsAgainstAbuse

This thread has been edited to remove a factual claim (that more sexual offenders against children are non-pedophilic than are pedophilic). This claim, which has some support in the evidence base, nonetheless depends on a specific taxonomy of non-pedophiles and pedophiles. Other valid taxonomies could show a different picture.

This content was removed from Twitter in 2020 because the author's account was suspended.

the p word is a collection of 316 articles, blogs, podcasts and threads in the voices of pedophiles and others who oppose adult child sexual contact and sexual exploitation of children. Despite our mainstream views, this content is frequently removed from social media or blog sites because openly discussing pedophile attractions or avowing them are not tolerated. Our side of the conversation continues here.

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what we tried to say on bluesky and twitter

thread: mutual coming out is hard

bly

VirPed's accounts have been banned (twice) from Twitter and once from BlueSky. We had one main thing to say...

bly

It's hard to come out to regular people, but it can even be hard to come out to another pedophile.

VirPed's accounts have been banned (twice) from Twitter and once from BlueSky. We had one main thing to say...

It's hard to come out to regular people, but it can even be hard to come out to another pedophile.