If you’re someone who believes that MAPs are disgusting and need to “get help,” then you may be surprised to learn what “help” for MAPs is really like.
Professional resources for MAPs are actually focused on promoting self-acceptance and helping MAPs cope with the baseless societal stigma they face. Professionals teach MAPs to love themselves and be proud of who they are.
One motivation behind this self-acceptance is that MAPs who are healthy and who have high self-esteem are less-likely to have sexual contact with a child. In reality, teaching MAPs self-acceptance is one method of abuse prevention. It also helps the MAPs themselves lead healthy, happy lives.
If you’d like to view some professional resources for MAPs and see what “getting help” actually entails, view for yourself:
”If you are attracted to younger children, there are a few things we want you to know before you explore this site: •You are not defined by your attraction. •You deserve good health and happiness ...”
(https://www.helpwantedprevention.org).
”We are committed to helping people who are troubled by their sexual thoughts and feelings towards children or young people to lead positive, responsible, and fulfilling lives” (https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/[...]).
So, please, stop telling MAPs to “get help.” Telling them that undermines the efforts of professionals who are actually helping MAPs.
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u/TNF_13
I think a lot of times, minor attracted people try to seek help locally, through an inexperienced therapist, and it winds up either outing them, to their friends, family, or beyond, or the therapist refers them to someone else.
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In short, “help” is not all that helpful, or more accurately, your average minor attracted person looking for support does not know the right places to find it, or the right people to help them find it.
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u/miamiautumn
True and important point to bring up, and another reason why telling MAPs to “get help” is unhelpful.
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A lot of therapists have little to no training on working with MAPs. I’ll never forget reading Adam’s experience with his therapist (https://medium.com/[...]): being shamed, threatened, outed to his parent, and dropped as a patient. Obviously not very helpful for him.
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Sadly, it’s not an uncommon experience for MAPs who seek therapy. We now have a lot of organizations and resources for MAPs, but it is still difficult for MAPs to even find these resources.
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In the interest of spreading awareness (I should probably put these in the sidebar or automod or something):
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Self help
CSAPP (https://www.csaprimaryprevention.org/i-like-kids.html)
Help Wanted (https://www.helpwantedprevention.org)
Stop it Now UK (https://www.stopitnow.org.uk) Note: Warning about Stop it Now UK: https://aboutpedophilia.com/2019/12/05/alternatives-to-lucy-faithful-foundations-sex-negative-approach/
Stop it Now USA (https://stopitnow.org)
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Peer support
MAP Support Club (https://blog.mapsupport.club/msc/about)
Visions of Alice (https://visionsofalice.net) Note: Allows both pro-contact and anti-contact beliefs.
Virtuous Pedophiles (https://virped.org)
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Therapy & related resources
ASAPInternational (https://asapinternational.org/getting-help.html)
ATSA (https://www.atsa.com)
B4U-Act (https://www.b4uact.org)
CSAPP (https://www.csaprimaryprevention.org/i-like-kids.html#9)
StopSO UK (https://stopso.org.uk)
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MOD NOTES:
edit 7/26/20: archived from https://reddit.com/r/map_reddit