The Potential for Anti-Stigma Interventions to Change Public Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted Persons: A Replication and Extension of Jara and Jeglic's Study

Nadine McKillop; Stephanie Price

doi:10.1080/10538712.2023.2204864

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The Potential for Anti-Stigma Interventions to Change Public Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted Persons: A Replication and Extension of Jara and Jeglic's Study

Journal article

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The Potential for Anti-Stigma Interventions to Change Public Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted Persons: A Replication and Extension of Jara and Jeglic's Study

Nadine McKillop and Stephanie Price

Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, Vol.32(6), pp.694-714

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2204864

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Abstract

Crime prevention

minor-attraction

anti-stigma

prevention

early intervention

sexual abuse

public attitudes

From a public health perspective, ensuring access to, and uptake of, support services for people concerned about their sexual thoughts and behavior is essential to the prevention of child sexual abuse. However, public and fiscal support for these services can be adversely affected by negative preconceptions regarding minor-attracted persons (MAPs); negative stigma may also limit MAPs’ engagement with such services. Using a randomized-control design, the present study replicated and extended a recent US study to test effects of different modes of educational messaging to reduce negative attitudes toward MAPs in Australia. Participants were recruited nationally via a Qualtrics XM online survey platform. The final sample (n = 178) were aged 18–84 (M = 47.57 years, SD = 17.34; 49% male). Participants completed the Attitudes Toward Minor Attracted Persons (ATMAP) scale prior to being randomly assigned to one of four conditions (written text [facts only]; written text [myth and facts]; info-video [myths and facts]; and control). Following intervention (or control) the ATMAP was readministered; those in experimental groups also completed a comprehension test. Mixed between-within subjects analysis of covariance revealed significant reductions in pre-post scores on the ATMAP scale, but no significant differences were found across intervention types, or the control. Scores indicated that older participants were less negative in their attitudes compared to younger participants, both before and after intervention. Findings suggest that educating the public may improve attitudes toward MAPs, but more knowledge is required on how to best disseminate messages to maximize impact.

Details

Title: The Potential for Anti-Stigma Interventions to Change Public Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted Persons: A Replication and Extension of Jara and Jeglic's Study
Authors: Nadine McKillop (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Stephanie Price (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Publication details: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, Vol.32(6), pp.694-714
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2023.2204864
ISSN: 1547-0679; 1053-8712
Copyright note: © 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Organisation Unit: School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99718098302621
Output Type: Journal article