Innocence Betrayed: Paedophilia, the Media and Society / Edition 1

by David C. Wilson, Ian Silverman

Overview

Innocence Betrayed is the first sustained attempt to address the issue of how we can best protect children from the threat posed by predatory paedophiles. It asks all the difficult questions: Can paedophiles be treated? Do they change their behaviour? Does naming and shaming help protect our children or make matters worse?
Combining the skills of journalistic research and academic scholarship, this engaging and accessible book carefully untangles the News of the World’s ‘Sarah’s Law’ and presents, for the first time, the behind-the-scenes reaction to the newspaper. It contains an enlightening series of interviews with paedophiles, both in a penal setting and after release, in England, Wales and North America, as well as interviews with the victims of sexual abuse.

This important and timely book will be of interest to anyone who wishes to understand the complexity of the problem posed by paedophiles and how we can make our communities safer places for children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745628899
Publisher:	Polity Press
Publication date:	12/30/2002
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.07(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Jon Silverman is the BBC’s Home Affairs Correspondent.

David Wilson is Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central England in Birmingham, and is a former Prison Governor.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

1. A Short History Of Sex Offending.

2. Paedophiles.

3. Beyond Victimhood.

4. Dealing With Paedophiles Within The Penal System.

5. Protecting The Community.

6. Release.

7. Communities In Need Of ‘Community Notification'.

8. Named And Shamed.

9. 'Charlie's Angels' And How To Protect Our Children.

Bibliography.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

"We fear it and loathe it but if we want to protect our children we must understand it too. The authors use formidable research to put paedophilia in context. This book is uncomfortable reading – but essential." John Humphrys, 'Today', BBC Radio 4

"No one has previously put the case so well for having an adult, rational debate about how we should respond to paedophilia. Nor have the counterproductive dangers of outing, naming and shaming with responses like Megan’s Law been so clearly discussed. A thoroughly researched and well argued study." Rod Morgan, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Probation Service for England and Wales

"Silverman and Wilson manage to achieve what many of us aspire to - a book that will appeal both to a specialised and lay audience. In the emotionally charged atmosphere of considering the threat posed by predatory paedophiles ... it is important that we have a text that is thoughtful and measured, while also recognising the deep emotions that the topic raises among the populace. ...[T]his is a well-written book that can be recommended to the interested layperson ... while, for the specialist, it draws the threads together of the recent painful scenario where the News of the World has largely orchestrated the terms of the debate." The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice

From the Publisher