A Content Analysis of Posts to an Online Support Forum for “Girl Lovers”

ABSTRACT

The internet is an effective tool for studying the cognitive distortions among those with a sexual attraction to children. Identified through previous works, users of an online “boy love” forum were found to present a variety of justifications for adult-child sexual relations. The current study extends this line of inquiry, analyzing posts from an online “girl love” forum. We found that the most common justification to appear reflected a belief that societal attitudes and authority figures were to blame for the harms caused by adult-child sex. We also found that the forum provided users with support and reinforcement for such distorted beliefs. Overall, online forums provide a window into the cognitive life of individuals with a sexual attraction to children, and one that reflects beliefs that may be largely unexpressed in the confines of forensic treatment settings.

KEYWORDS:

• Internet sex crimes
• children
• clinical issue
• Offender/Perpetrator

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Standards and Informed Consent

This study accesses publicly available information. As a result, informed consent was not obtained. No identifiers were used in the reporting of this information.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Nicole Cantor

Nicole Cantor, Psychology Department, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ; Ebru Yucel, Psychology Department, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ; Damon Mitchell, Departments of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT; D.J. Angelone, Psychology Department, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Niole Cantor is now at the Center for Psychology, Naples, FL. Nicole Cantor, Ph.D, is a recent graduate of Rowan University’s Clinical Psychology PhD program. Her research has focused on intervention development for unique populations at risk of dating violence or sexual assault. Currently, Nicole practices as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Psychology, a private practice in Naples, Florida. Her current clinical and research focus is on using and successfully adapting evidence-based psychotherapies for unique populations.

Ebru Yucel

Ebru Yucel, MA, is a doctoral candidate in Rowan University’s Clinical Psychology PhD program. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind the act of sexual aggression, through the use of laboratory paradigms, and exploring potential approaches for prevention interventions. She is also interested in investigating the negative consequences associated with victimization, in addition to interventions for treating trauma.

Damon Mitchell

Damon Mitchell, PhD, received his doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Kent State University. He is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Central Connecticut State University. His primary teaching and research interests are in the assessment and treatment of antisociality, person and situational characteristics associated with perpetrating sexual aggression, and the factors involved in sexual assault victim blaming.

DJ Angelone

DJ Angelone, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Rowan University and a licensed clinical psychologist. He is the codirector of the Aggression, Substance, and Sexuality Research Team (ASSeRT) maintaining primary research interests in sexually violent behaviors and sexual risk. He has developed several laboratory analogs of sexual aggression and has used these paradigms to examine a variety of factors related to perpetration and victimization. His research also focuses on understanding the factors that can influence observer perceptions of sexually assaultive behaviors.