This is a message for those inclined to seek sexual gratification with children!

Stop It Now! Australia is a child sexual abuse prevention program that works with adults concerned about their own, or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviours towards children. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse identified a gap in preventative interventions for potential perpetrators. Stop It Now! was highlighted as a potential model to adopt in the National Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Strategy and this has been reflected in the Strategy released in September 2021.

Stop it now offers an anonymous and totally confidential helpline for those troubled about their thoughts and/or behaviours toward children.

I know of many in the victim-survivor community who have no sympathy for those struggling with these proclivities, as a result of the trauma they have experienced. Still on a pragmatic and moral basis, offering services to child abusers to stop their offending has to be an important part of our strategy to avert the next generation of victim-survivors.

Paedophilia is “a psychosexual disorder, generally affecting adults, characterised by sexual interest in prepubescent children”. It helps explain why some people abuse children but it in no way excuses it. Child sex offenders cause lifelong harms to children and this is why you need to be stopped!

Please get the help you need!