|
|
Support Legislation to Reject the Conclusions
of the Controversial Research Study
on the Impact of Adult-Child Sex
Letters of Support
End of Page
May 20, 1999
To Alaska Representative Fred Dyson:
I am writing to relate my sincere THANKS for passing this resolution and bringing it to the attention of the Federal Government as well.
I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and have a website for similar survivors. It is frequented by hundreds of survivors from all over the world. We are all ages, religions, and colors -- both male and female. Many have published their stories onsite; they participate in the forum and chatrooms. The forum gets from 100 to 200 messages a day. My email box is filled daily, and half of it is from people seeking help in dealing with their survivor issues. I have well over a hundred more stories I haven't had a chance to post yet, sent by people who have all suffered the effects of sexual abuse. And my site is but one of literally hundreds on the web. This is NOT a "rare" phenomenon. And of all the people who have communicated with me, not ONE of them was molested by a "stranger". In most cases, unfortunately, it is a family member -- father, uncle, brother -- and, in some cases, mothers and other female relatives.
NONE have had an easy time of it. Some of us are pretty well past the trauma, but there is still some residue which affects us. Some are so damaged, they can barely function. And some don't survive the trauma -- they end up killing themselves. Not long ago, a 16-year old member of the forum succeeded in ending her life. And we have talked down all too many who wanted to die.
And the APA has the GALL to publish this so-called "study", and REFUSES to come out against the "findings" or to do a retraction?!!?
Unbelievable.
We need MORE states and government officials to be like you -- and we REALLY need to educate people about pedophilia -- that it is NOT rare, that it can happen to ANYone's child -- and DOES all too often -- and that the molester can be your trusted friend, father, husband, neighbor, wife, etc., etc. People are woefully unaware and uneducated about this problem.
My website has recently come under the umbrella of SOC-UM, a child advocacy organization which strives to educate people about the dangers and how to protect children. Debbie Mahoney, the founder of Soc-Um, spends most of her "spare" time trying to rid the internet of child porn and child molesters -- and she does a very good job of it.
I was sent the text of your resolution by Dr. Nancy Faulkner, another "mother lion" who works tirelessly to educate people about childhood sexual abuse. She has a wonderful, extensive site that is a real eye-opener.
There are many of us fighting this battle in our different ways.
I am so very glad to have you helping us in the battle to keep our children as free as possible from unnecessary trauma.
Thank you again,
Marlana Fury
Websites: Survivors and Still Waters Run Deep
"All that is required for the triumph of evil
is that good people remain silent and do nothing." ~ Edmund Burke
Top of Page ~ End of Page
Is it okay to have sex with children?
A child sexual abuse research study was published June 1998
in the American Psychological Association (APA) Bulletin,
a respected professional journal. The research publication
went relatively unnoticed by the media and general public
for six months. Then concerned parents, advocates, and
politicians, who might not normally read the APA Bulletin,
began to get wind of the study, -- a badly flawed study which
critics say could be used to legitimize pedophilia.
"A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of
Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples" authored by Bruce
Rind, Ph.D., Philip Tromovitch, and Robert Bauserman, has
recently become referred to in the media as just "the Rind
study."
The Rind study attempts to distinguish between child sexual
abuse and "a willing sexual encounter" of a child with an
adult -- an argument also promoted by pedophiles, who fail to
acknowledge that children are not capable of giving consent,
-- and who interpret a child's innocent vulnerability to
manipulation by an adult as "willingness."
Child advocates may have been a little slow to get the
drift of the study, but the North American Man/Boy Love
Association (NAMBLA) caught on immediately! NAMBLA promptly
thanked the APA for having the courage to publish the study
and expressed gratitude that an academic body had finally
attempted to reduce the taboo against man-boy sexual
relationships.
Initially the APA released a statement denying responsibility
for the research, indicating that it was merely published by
the APA, not authored nor endorsed by the nation's foremost
psychology organization. This did not do much to relieve the
concerns of politicians and advocates, who feared the research
would be used as a defense for child sexual abuse in court
cases. These fears came true this summer, with confirmed reports
of defense attorneys citing the research to clear sex offenders.
Prompted by unyielding pressure from concerned adults,
this week the APA delivered a stronger reaction to their
publication of the Rind study:
"We acknowledge our social responsibility as a scientific
organization to take into account not only the scientific
merit of articles but also their implication for public
policy. Some of the language in the article, when examined
from a public policy perspective is inflammatory. Clearly,
the article included opinions of the authors that are
inconsistent with the APA’s stated and deeply held position
on child welfare and protection issues. It is the position
of the Association that sexual activity between children
and adults should never be considered or labeled as harmless
or acceptable. Furthermore, it is the position of the
Association that children cannot consent to sexual activities
with adults. These inconsistencies between the conclusions
the authors suggest and positions of the Association should
have caused us to evaluate the article based on its potential
for misinforming the public policy process. This is something
we failed to do, but will do in the future."
Pressure from the Family Resource Council, Dr. Laura
Schlessinger, child protection organizations, pro-family
legislators, and criticism from the American Psychiatric
Association forced the APA to take a second look at their
mistake. The American Psychiatric Association issued a very
strongly worded press release rejecting the Rind study
conclusions. Alaska initiated a legislative resolution to
reject the study, which was passed and signed by the Governor
this spring. Other states are following Alaska's lead, in
an effort to continue providing protection for our children.
From all corners of the country the clear message is resounding,
-- we will not allow our children to become prey to the wolves
in sheep's clothing who attempt to promote pedophilia under
the guise of academic pursuit. Those who provide safeguards for
our children are not giving in to this veiled effort by the
Rind study researchers to persuade the public that adult-child
sex may not be all that bad!
We will not go quietly into the night,
Nancy Faulkner, PhD
Executive Director
Debbie Mahoney
Founder and Board President
Randal Hanna
Director of Volunteers
Safeguarding Our Children - United Mothers
Top of Page ~ End of Page
|
