The main reason Iâm pushing for people to stop using the term âpedophileâ and instead use the term âchild sexual abusersâ, is because since all discussions of child sexual abuse focus on this idea of an evil person who is just out to get kids because they are sexual attracted to them, it makes it hard for kids who where sexually assaulted by people who donât fit that description to realize they were sexually assaulted.
It didnât register for me until recently that my experiences of being forced to strip naked multiple times at the mental hospital to be âcheckedâ when I was 14 was sexual assault, because the people who did it were nurses/doctors who clearly didnât find me sexually attractive but instead used it as a form of humiliation and control towards children they deemed as âunrulyâ and âuncooperativeâ (ie. children who asked to be treated like people). I thought only people who fit into this idea of a child attracted pedo could be child sexual abusers, so I thought my experience didnât count.
Stepping away from the idea that there is a pedophile boggieman and instead highlighting that anyone can be a child sexual abuser will help more people realize that their experiences are sexual assault.