Cognitive and Affective Impacts of Antistigma Interventions Surrounding People with a Sexual Interest in Children

Abstract

Prevalent conflation between having a sexual interest in children and engaging in sexually abusive behavior contributes greatly to elevated levels of stigma directed at people living with a sexual interest in children. Contemporary quantitative research employing stigma intervention techniques has produced promising results in decreasing stigmatizing attitudes toward this population. This study aims to expand on this research by qualitatively analyzing the impact of two antistigma interventions. Content and thematic analysis were used to examine N = 460 responses to two open-ended questions featured in an anonymous online survey, which explored the cognitive and emotional impact of the interventions, respectively. A total of nine themes were identified. Four themes pertained to positive/supportive views and emotional responses reflecting the challenging of stereotypes, gaining new perspective, personalized reflections, and recognizing the impacts of stigma. Three themes reflected negative views and emotional responses, which concerned minimization and normalization, adverse personal experiences, and disbelief and mistrust. Finally, two themes reflected mixed views and emotional responses, specifically the difficulty in reconciling emotional and cognitive responses. The data indicated that both interventions showed potential to impact participants’ viewpoints positively. Findings offer insights into how future research can be designed and interventions can be developed more effectively.