Republican Alabama lawmaker Steve Hurst has recently proposed a bill which would require certain sex offenders to pay for their own (surgical) castration before being released from prison.
Hurst elaborated on the matter, saying, "I've often wondered what that child went through, physically and mentally, and what kind of shape he's in now. They (sex offenders) have marked these children for life. They will never get over it. And if they've marked children for life, they need to be marked for life."
Founder of a sexual disorders clinic at John Hopkins University, Dr. Frederick Berlin, came out against the measure, saying, "There are many sex offenders who aren't driven by intense sexual urges. Some of these folks have other mental health issues, so it could just lull us into a false sense of security."
He added: "Just to do it as a one-glove-fits-all is very unlikely to be helpful. I do think there is a role for medicines that lower sexual drive and enable people to be in better control. But this should be through a collaborative effort between the criminal justice and the scientific medical community."
Sadly, this issue hits home for me, as I was the victim of such abuse 27 years ago. I'd be lying if I said the experience hasn't impacted me throughout my life rather significantly, however, after I finally accepted the situation for what it was and no longer faulted myself for it, I have been able to make the best of things. Also, while my parents, especially my mother, wanted the perpetrator of the abuse to suffer dire consequences, I never wished for the man to be castrated nor to be seen as a lost cause, but to receive help, learn from his mistake, to find a way to turn the horrific act into a positive, and through this, make the most of his life.
Given all this, as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I tend to side with Dr. Berlin over Steve Hurst on the matter. We shouldn't be asking, "What form of punishment for sex offenders would make us feel best?" and should instead be asking, "How can we best prevent childhood sexual abuse from occurring, but when it does, how can we best help both the perpetrator and victim move forward in a positive direction and make the most of their lives?"
Like Dr. Berlin stated, it's impossible to paint all sex-related crimes in the same light, and if we try doing so, it will likely limit our progressions in the area. What we need to do is: Continue to fund scientific research in the area, reverse the direction of our decreased mental health facilities, not be hesitant about prescribing medications which lower testosterone/libido to those whom have difficulty controlling it, provide better education on the matter, and provide victims more affordable options to come to terms with the unfortunate event so they're less likely to blame themselves and more likely to live a healthy, happy life in the long-term. I sincerely wish there was no such thing as childhood sexual abuse (abuse of any kind), wish I hadn't have been a victim of it when I was growing up, and wish no one else had to suffer through such a traumatic experience, yet I think Steve Hurst is missing the forest for the trees with his proposed bill. While focusing on the surface of issues such as this one may be gratifying in the short-term, it's unlikely to make a significant dent in the frequency of such crimes, which would be anything but gratifying in the long-run.
For anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse or knows someone who has, you can get free help at the following site - https://rainn.org/get-help
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawmaker-introduces-sex-offender-castration-bill-in-alabama/
Hurst elaborated on the matter, saying, "I've often wondered what that child went through, physically and mentally, and what kind of shape he's in now. They (sex offenders) have marked these children for life. They will never get over it. And if they've marked children for life, they need to be marked for life."
Founder of a sexual disorders clinic at John Hopkins University, Dr. Frederick Berlin, came out against the measure, saying, "There are many sex offenders who aren't driven by intense sexual urges. Some of these folks have other mental health issues, so it could just lull us into a false sense of security."
He added: "Just to do it as a one-glove-fits-all is very unlikely to be helpful. I do think there is a role for medicines that lower sexual drive and enable people to be in better control. But this should be through a collaborative effort between the criminal justice and the scientific medical community."
Sadly, this issue hits home for me, as I was the victim of such abuse 27 years ago. I'd be lying if I said the experience hasn't impacted me throughout my life rather significantly, however, after I finally accepted the situation for what it was and no longer faulted myself for it, I have been able to make the best of things. Also, while my parents, especially my mother, wanted the perpetrator of the abuse to suffer dire consequences, I never wished for the man to be castrated nor to be seen as a lost cause, but to receive help, learn from his mistake, to find a way to turn the horrific act into a positive, and through this, make the most of his life.
Given all this, as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I tend to side with Dr. Berlin over Steve Hurst on the matter. We shouldn't be asking, "What form of punishment for sex offenders would make us feel best?" and should instead be asking, "How can we best prevent childhood sexual abuse from occurring, but when it does, how can we best help both the perpetrator and victim move forward in a positive direction and make the most of their lives?"
Like Dr. Berlin stated, it's impossible to paint all sex-related crimes in the same light, and if we try doing so, it will likely limit our progressions in the area. What we need to do is: Continue to fund scientific research in the area, reverse the direction of our decreased mental health facilities, not be hesitant about prescribing medications which lower testosterone/libido to those whom have difficulty controlling it, provide better education on the matter, and provide victims more affordable options to come to terms with the unfortunate event so they're less likely to blame themselves and more likely to live a healthy, happy life in the long-term. I sincerely wish there was no such thing as childhood sexual abuse (abuse of any kind), wish I hadn't have been a victim of it when I was growing up, and wish no one else had to suffer through such a traumatic experience, yet I think Steve Hurst is missing the forest for the trees with his proposed bill. While focusing on the surface of issues such as this one may be gratifying in the short-term, it's unlikely to make a significant dent in the frequency of such crimes, which would be anything but gratifying in the long-run.
For anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse or knows someone who has, you can get free help at the following site - https://rainn.org/get-help
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawmaker-introduces-sex-offender-castration-bill-in-alabama/
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