Question About Child Sexual Abuse

[Esruc]

I read an article that said any physical contact between a child and a pedophile, even non-sexual contact, is still considered sexual abuse. Is this true?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I don't know about that. I think one would need to know some details about the type of contact.

 

[Esruc]

The article wasn't specific, it's just said that any contact between a child and pedophile was abuse.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That just seems like far too general a statemenmt to have any meaning.

It may well be illegal for a convicted pedophile (they are usually prohibited from any contact with minors) but I don't think you can call ALL contacts abuse. If a pedophile takes a lost child to security in a mall, is that abuse? If a pedophile stops a child from walking into traffic, is that abuse?

 

[Cat Dancer]

That doesn't make any sense to me. How can non-sexual contact be sexual abuse?

 

[Esruc]

How can non-sexual contact be sexual abuse?

That's what I'd like to know. I guess it's because the contact is being made by a pedophile, who has sexual thoughts of children, so they must be having the thoughts about the child.

 

[Dragonfly]

I read an article ....

Esruc - can you please let me / us know where you found this article? It would help me if I could see this comment in context of the entire article. Many thanks.

 

[Esruc]

I don't remember where the exact article is, but I saw it on psychcentral.com in the "Ask The Therapist" section.