The issue of child safety and sexual violence in Latvia has gained new relevance after it became known how many people have taken the opportunity to anonymously participate in the self-help program in a very short time.
Since November of last year, 211 people in Latvia have used a website created to reduce the urge for child sexual abuse materials, reports "360TV Ziņas".
The Dardedze Center offers an anonymous online self-help program called "ReDirection," the main goal of which is to reduce the desire of individuals to seek out and view materials containing scenes of child sexual abuse. The program is specifically aimed at individuals who have had thoughts or tendencies towards such content, as well as those who have already come to the attention of law enforcement due to similar crimes.
The program is based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. This method encourages individuals to analyze their behavior and understand its causes. Dardedze Center representative Anda Avena points to a direct link between digital content and physical threat — data shows that nearly half of those who regularly consume child sexual abuse materials have considered contacting real children. Thus, reducing this trend in the digital space directly lowers the risk of physical violence in society.
Since the program is completely anonymous, it is impossible to obtain accurate data about its users; however, similar studies in Finland allow for a potential profile to be outlined. Most often, these are young people aged 18 to 24.
Experts explain that some of these individuals initially seek increasingly extreme pornographic content, as regular content no longer provides the expected stimulation. There are also users who themselves suffered from sexual abuse in childhood, leading to severe psychological consequences and disruptions in impulses.
According to the center, 211 users in just a few months is a significant number. It indicates that there is a substantial need for this type of support in society, and every step taken to reduce such tendencies is considered a victory in the fight to protect children in Latvia.
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