My name is Tina, I am a sexuality educator based in Zurich, and most importantly, a new member of this group – so hello to you all
A few weeks ago, I completed my diploma thesis on the topic “When adolescents are attracted to children.” However, this topic is far from finished for me. On the contrary, I remain deeply committed to educational and awareness work in this field.
In this context, I have developed the idea for a book project. What I have in mind is a series of portraits of (ideally younger) individuals who would be willing to share their personal stories and experiences of living with a paedophilic sexual preference. Participation would, of course, be completely anonymous and without any identifying images.
I strongly believe that such a book could contribute, at least in a small way, to reducing stigma and fostering a more nuanced understanding of this subject.
To make this project possible, I am looking for people who would be willing to take part. As you can imagine, reaching potential participants is not easy, which is why I am reaching out here and hoping for your support.
If you are a young person yourself and would be open to sharing your experiences, or if you are able to connect me with someone who might be interested, I would be very grateful.
If there is interest in my diploma thesis, I would also be happy to share it here.
Sounds like an interesting project. Where can we find your diploma thesis?
tinatina wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 12:36 pm
[...] What I have in mind is a series of portraits of (ideally younger) individuals who would be willing to share their personal stories and experiences of living with a paedophilic sexual preference. [...]
Is there any methodological reason why participants could not include older individuals with a clear recollection of their paedophilic preference in their youth? As you are probably aware, there are many child lovers whose paedophilic orientation emerges in youth/adolescence, but it often takes many years to process and understand this orientation, especially given the lack of freely available info and support material around this orientation. The early stages of this orientation are often muddled with a confusing mix of repression, self-denial, fear, and anxiety that may be hard to express if it's all a person has ever known. So for that reason, I wonder if it would be an advantage to specifically include some older individuals who have a clear recollection of their paedophilic preference from youth, but who have also had the time to process it, to better understand and express what they were going through at the time.
In the absence of a clear blueprint, a good imagination is essential.
I'm not sure what ages you're looking for, but I'm currently 26 and knew I was attracted to children younger than me by the time I was 12 or so. So I have a fair amount of experience being an adolescent pedophile. I'd be happy to participate in a project like this.
You might also consider sharing your thesis in the research sub-forum on this website.
Also, if you're looking for other places to find participants, you could consider reaching out to the staff at B4U-ACT and talking about your research with them. They should be able to put you in touch with people who would be interested in talking about their experiences.
OnionPetal wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 7:56 pm
Sounds like an interesting project. Where can we find your diploma thesis?
[...]
Is there any methodological reason why participants could not include older individuals with a clear recollection of their paedophilic preference in their youth?
Same questions.
When society judges without understanding, it silences hearts that yearn for connection.
OnionPetal wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 7:56 pm
Hi Tina, and welcome.
Sounds like an interesting project. Where can we find your diploma thesis?
tinatina wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 12:36 pm
[...] What I have in mind is a series of portraits of (ideally younger) individuals who would be willing to share their personal stories and experiences of living with a paedophilic sexual preference. [...]
Is there any methodological reason why participants could not include older individuals with a clear recollection of their paedophilic preference in their youth? As you are probably aware, there are many child lovers whose paedophilic orientation emerges in youth/adolescence, but it often takes many years to process and understand this orientation, especially given the lack of freely available info and support material around this orientation. The early stages of this orientation are often muddled with a confusing mix of repression, self-denial, fear, and anxiety that may be hard to express if it's all a person has ever known. So for that reason, I wonder if it would be an advantage to specifically include some older individuals who have a clear recollection of their paedophilic preference from youth, but who have also had the time to process it, to better understand and express what they were going through at the time.
Thank you very much for the warm welcome, your appreciation, and your interest in my diploma thesis and my book project.
Unfortunately, I’m not able to upload the thesis here in the forum, as I can’t attach a PDF. However, I would be happy to share the foreword, the abstract, and the conclusion here as plain text.
My main goal is to show that a paedophilic sexual preference is one of many sexual preferences, and that—like other sexual preferences—it develops or becomes apparent during puberty. This is something that people out there generally don’t know, and even professionals are often not aware of it, at least not those working in sex education. This is also reflected in the findings of my diploma thesis.
I would like to challenge the stereotype of the “old man in the playground” and highlight that everyone was once young, and that adolescents, who are already in a vulnerable phase during puberty, are particularly affected.
At the same time, I am very open to your idea of including retrospective perspectives from mature adults who can reflect on their experiences with greater clarity and understanding. Perhaps a combination of both approaches would be possible.
I really appreciate your input and am grateful for any ideas and feedback!
I would be happy to participate. 23TF. I'm not sure my experiences would change much but I'd be glad to talk about them with someone. I did have the desires at a young age (11-12ish). I had a bit of trauma along with dealing with the stigma so I didn't recognize such feelings until later.
I have another friend who might be willing to talk. They would have much stronger experiences to talk about. I would need some form of contact info
tinatina wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2026 11:51 am
My main goal is to show that a paedophilic sexual preference is one of many sexual preferences, and that—like other sexual preferences—it develops or becomes apparent during puberty. This is something that people out there generally don’t know, and even professionals are often not aware of it, at least not those working in sex education. This is also reflected in the findings of my diploma thesis.
I would like to challenge the stereotype of the “old man in the playground” and highlight that everyone was once young, and that adolescents, who are already in a vulnerable phase during puberty, are particularly affected.
At the same time, I am very open to your idea of including retrospective perspectives from mature adults who can reflect on their experiences with greater clarity and understanding. Perhaps a combination of both approaches would be possible.
I really appreciate your input and am grateful for any ideas and feedback!
Kind regards,
Tina
Would hebephiles also qualify for this or only pedophiles and nepiophiles? I was surprsingly self-aware about my sexuality in my early and later teen years, partially as a consequence of my gender experience, and I'm currently still in my 20s, but my preference only for pubescent minors and adults with similar features. I've got a few anecdotes that I think are really insightful
Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not
Great, thank you so much for your interest and your trust! I am very interested in all of your personal stories and would really appreciate it if you would share them with me.
For everyone in this forum who is interested in my book project, I sincerely want to thank you for your interest and the trust you are placing in me. It truly means a lot to me that you are open to engaging with this project and possibly sharing your personal thoughts or experiences.
Because security and anonymity are very important to me in this context, I have decided to use a separate and more privacy-focused email service. I am using Proton Mail, which is known for its strong encryption and its focus on user privacy.
Please note that reaching out is completely voluntary, and you can of course choose to remain anonymous at any time or stop communication whenever you wish — there is absolutely no obligation.
tinatina wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2026 11:51 am
My main goal is to show that a paedophilic sexual preference is one of many sexual preferences, and that—like other sexual preferences—it develops or becomes apparent during puberty. This is something that people out there generally don’t know, and even professionals are often not aware of it, at least not those working in sex education. This is also reflected in the findings of my diploma thesis.
I would like to challenge the stereotype of the “old man in the playground” and highlight that everyone was once young, and that adolescents, who are already in a vulnerable phase during puberty, are particularly affected.
At the same time, I am very open to your idea of including retrospective perspectives from mature adults who can reflect on their experiences with greater clarity and understanding. Perhaps a combination of both approaches would be possible.
I really appreciate your input and am grateful for any ideas and feedback!
Kind regards,
Tina
Would hebephiles also qualify for this or only pedophiles and nepiophiles? I was surprsingly self-aware about my sexuality in my early and later teen years, partially as a consequence of my gender experience, and I'm currently still in my 20s, but my preference only for pubescent minors and adults with similar features. I've got a few anecdotes that I think are really insightful
If somebody is interested in my diploma thesis titled “When Adolescents Are Attracted to Children” (“Wenn Jugendliche auf Kinder stehen”):
Since I am unable to upload the full document to this forum, I have compiled the most relevant parts here: the abstract, acknowledgements, conclusion, and final personal reflection. These sections provide an overview of the research focus, methodology, main findings, and the broader contextual and ethical considerations of the work.
The study explores how professionals in school-based sexuality education in Switzerland address sexual attraction toward minors, including the challenges, uncertainties, and conceptual frameworks that shape current practice.
Abstract
This study examines whether and how professionals working in school-based sexuality education in Switzerland address sexual attraction toward minors. It investigates reasons for addressing or not addressing the topic, its perceived relevance for prevention, and self-assessed levels of professional expertise.
The study is based on a quantitative online survey with open-ended responses, analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate that addressing the topic is considered professionally relevant; however, in practice it is primarily handled in a situational and victim-centered manner. Preventive potential is mainly associated with protection, education, and strengthening coping and response capacities of potential victims, whereas integrative approaches involving adolescents with atypical sexual interests are rarely considered.
At the same time, respondents report uncertainty, limited knowledge, and a lack of educational materials as key challenges, alongside a clear need for training and professional exchange. Due to the self-selected sample and the exploratory design, the findings are not broadly generalizable. Overall, the results highlight the importance of a clear conceptual distinction between sexual interest and criminal behavior, as well as a reflective and differentiated preventive approach as key elements of responsible sexuality education practice.
Acknowledgements
I extend my sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to a more nuanced and open perspective on individuals with atypical sexual interests toward minors.
The shift in perspective—from an automatic association with criminal behavior toward a differentiated understanding of an unchosen pattern of sexual and romantic attraction—and the engagement with the question of what it means for a person to experience sexual attraction that cannot be lived in socially acceptable ways, formed the foundation of this work.
With this study, I hope to contribute in a small way to breaking the silence surrounding a socially highly stigmatized topic and to encourage a more informed and responsible discourse.
I would also like to thank the survey participants for taking the time to share their experiences and perspectives. Some of their personal remarks at the end of the questionnaire further highlighted the perceived importance of a factual and differentiated engagement with this topic.
I conclude with a quote by sexual scientist Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Klaus Beier:
“Sexual science starts from the recognition that we are confronted with a wide variety of sexual attractions, without which human sexuality would not exist. Cultures generally struggle with this insight: […] Nature loves diversity – and culture tends to reject it.”
Conclusion (Summary of Findings)
The findings of this study indicate a clear discrepancy between the perceived professional relevance of addressing sexual attraction toward minors and its actual implementation in school-based sexuality education in Switzerland. This gap appears to result less from explicit rejection of the topic and more from professional uncertainty, institutional constraints, and a predominantly victim-centered understanding of prevention.
The results suggest that current educational practice only partially utilizes preventive approaches that go beyond traditional frameworks focused exclusively on victim protection. Further development in this field requires increased professional confidence, differentiated knowledge, and structural support systems that enable sensitive yet clear communication.
A key element is the consistent distinction between sexual attraction patterns and criminal behavior, combined with a reflective preventive framework. Together, these form the basis for fulfilling the protective mandate of schools while also considering differentiated, prevention-oriented approaches.
In this sense, the present study aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of sexuality education in school contexts, integrating both child protection and differentiated preventive perspectives.
Final Personal Reflection
The extent of societal stigma surrounding atypical sexual interests toward minors became evident to me, as a non-affected researcher, as soon as the topic of this thesis was mentioned. Reactions ranged from irritation and silence to explicit rejection, often before any substantive discussion could take place.
The fact that such patterns of sexual attraction typically emerge during adolescence, rather than in later adulthood, is rarely acknowledged in public discourse. As a result, adolescents who experience such feelings—already navigating a vulnerable developmental stage—may face additional psychological burden due to stigma.
The internal process of recognizing and accepting one’s own atypical sexual interests can be significantly intensified by the perceived impossibility of disclosure. The resulting distress, including the experience of unattainable sexual desires, may constitute a relevant psychological burden.
Reducing stigma and opening space for differentiated discourse may therefore have potential benefits both for the well-being of affected individuals and for broader preventive efforts.
With this work, I hope to contribute to a more reflective and informed engagement with a topic that is often avoided in public discussion.
