The Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (PPD) is an effort founded in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to provide clinical and support services to individuals who are sexually attracted to children (

pedophiles Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

and hebephiles) and want help controlling their sexual urges, but are otherwise unknown to the legal authorities. The term "Dunkelfeld" is German for "dark field". The project began in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in June 2005 with a large media campaign to contact pedophiles and hebephiles who wanted help from clinicians to manage their paraphilia. The campaign pledged medically confidential treatment free-of-charge. It was initially funded by the

Volkswagen Foundation The Volkswagen Foundation (German: ''VolkswagenStiftung'') is the largest German private nonprofit organization involved in the promotion and support of academic research. It is not affiliated to the present company, the Volkswagen Group. It wa ...

, and has been financially supported by the German government since 2008. The project's slogan is "You are not guilty because of your sexual desire, but you are responsible for your sexual behavior. There is help! Don't become an offender!" By 2010 a total of 1,134 people had responded. Of those 499 had a completed diagnosis, and 255 had been offered a place in therapy. More than half had previously attempted to find therapy without success. The therapy offered has three main components. Patients are encouraged to accept the fact that they have such sexual inclinations, integrate it into their

self-concept In the psychology of self, one's self-concept (also called self-construction, self-identity, self-perspective or self-structure) is a collection of beliefs about oneself. Generally, self-concept embodies the answer to the question ''"Who am I? ...

, and involve relatives or partners in the therapeutic process.

Cognitive behaviour therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (su ...

is used to improve coping skills, stress management, and sexual attitudes. Drugs that reduce general sex drive, such as

serotonin reuptake inhibitor A serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) is a type of drug which acts as a reuptake inhibitor of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) by blocking the action of the serotonin transporter (SERT). This in turn leads to increase ...

s and

anti-androgen Antiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists or testosterone blockers, are a class of drugs that prevent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from mediating their biological effects in the body. They act by blocking the ...

s, may also be offered. The PPD and the individuals who join the organization have been the subject of several research studies.Beier, K. M., Neutze, J., Mundt, I. A., Ahlers, C. J., Goecker, D., Konrad, A., & Schaefer, G. A. (2009). "Encouraging self-identified pedophiles and hebephiles to seek professional help: First results of the Prevention Project Dunkelfeld". ''Child Abuse & Neglect'', 33, 545–549. .Neutrz, J., Seto, M. C., Schaefer, G. A., Mundt, I. A., Beier, K. M. (2011). "Predictors of child pornography offences and child sexual abuse in a community sample of pedophiles and hebephiles". ''Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment'', 23, 212–242.

References

External links

Prevention Project Dunkelfeld website (German)

Prevention Project Dunkelfeld website (English)
{{Pedophilia Crime prevention Pedophilia Child sexual abuse in Germany Sexology Healthcare in Germany

See also

References

External links