New research could clarify whether art and fiction help or harm the fight against child sexual abuse

San Francisco — December 30, 2020 — A new scientific research project could help to resolve a contentious question: what impact does pornography on taboo themes have on child sexual abuse in the real world? Anti-pornography campaigners claim that fictional works with themes related to child abuse, such as stories, cartoons, dolls, or role-play, could lead to real sexual abuse by inflaming the desires of individuals with pedophilia. But a competing hypothesis, put forward by sex scientists, suggest that the opposite might be true—that having a victimless outlet for their feelings could help some people who are attracted by these themes to safely manage that attraction without offending in real life.

A new research project to help uncover the answer was announced this week by child protection organization Prostasia Foundation, and Dr. Gilian Tenbergen, an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience from the State University of New York at Oswego. Dr. Tenbergen will serve as its Principal Investigator who will begin by drawing up a detailed plan for the remainder of the study. 

Jeremy Malcolm, Executive Director of Prostasia Foundation said, “This is a tough question to research, due to the heavy taboo around minors and sex. But fictional explorations of minors and sex exist all around us, from TV shows like Euphoria, to novels like Lolita, to teacher-student role-play in the bedroom. The claim that these are associated with real child sexual abuse is often invoked by those who would like to see them banned—but this claim has never been properly tested. This project aims to do that, so that policymakers can make a more informed decision about how to treat these materials and activities.” 

Dr. Tenbergen said, “I am honored to be entrusted by Prostasia Foundation and the greater scientific community to lead this project. Understanding what role different sexual outlets have on both first- and repeat-offending is one of the pressing scientific questions in this field with vital implications for the successful prevention of child sexual abuse – in all its forms." The research will aim to discover and quantify the impact of other coping or abatement mechanisms, while also investigating what safeguards may be indicated for their use.

The legality of fictional representations of minors and sex varies throughout the world.  In February 2019, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child made a non-binding recommendation that countries should criminalize the the possession of sexual depictions of minors, even in written or drawn form. In the United States, a currently pending bill called the JUSTICE Act which has 42 Congressional co-sponsors would criminalize sex dolls that resemble minors, claiming that "they cause the exploitation, objectification, abuse, and rape of minors.” In Canada, the Quebec Superior Court ruled in September that an author was not guilty of producing child pornography for writing about child sexual abuse—but the government of Quebec has appealed the ruling.

Malcolm contests that these moves are unsupported by current research, and that they could be harming those whom they aim to protect. “Some people find works that explore childhood and sexuality distressing, and caution is certainly needed in how such works are distributed. But if there is any evidence that such works could lower the risk of offending by some people with a sexual interest in children, we have a moral responsibility to investigate this. When complete, the research that we’re announcing today will allow lawmakers and clinicians to make a fully informed choice about how best to protect real children from harm, without unduly restricting freedom of expression.”

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For further information:

Jeremy Malcolm (Executive Director)
+1 415 650 2557 – [email protected]
Prostasia's website: https://prostasia.org