People often say ‘get help!’ to pedophiles. When we started this website, there were very few therapists openly advertising they would work with pedophiles. That has changed, but not completely.
There are two main reasons that pedophiles might look for help:
- To talk to someone about loneliness, secrecy and unhappiness.
- They worry about their sexual behaviors (in real life or online) and need help to change them.
Pedophiles who don’t offend mainly need the first kind of support, but there is still very little for us. Most of what is aimed at pedophiles is intended to support those at risk of behaving illegally.
It’s understandable if you’re nervous about approaching a therapist.
We won’t lie: we have heard from pedophiles whose therapists have refused to treat them, reported them because they are a pedophile, or hurt rather than helped their sense of self-worth. These things can happen, and there are reasons to be very careful.
But many pedophiles do tell us they benefited from therapy. There are good stories, too. Alongside other organizations, we have guidance for you if you are looking for a one-to-one therapist.
Our full list of online and in-person resources
The resources we list range from government-funded, professional prevention efforts to resources by MAPs about peer-support and which do not focus on potential offending.
Listing does not imply VirPed’s endorsement, but we share this information so that pedophiles can have maximum choice.
Resources created by and for pedophiles are marked with 🅿️.
Online help in English
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
HelpWanted, from 🇺🇸 WhatsOK, from 🇺🇸 pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 CTRL, from 🇩🇰 Troubled Desire, from 🇩🇪 Troubled Desire Chat Study, from 🇩🇪 Prevent It, from 🇪🇺 | 🅿️ ASAP International, from 🇺🇸 for non-offending pedophiles seeking therapeutic support 🅿️ MAP Resources, from 🇺🇸 🅿️ MAP Support Club, from 🇺🇸 MAP Friendly Therapist, from 🇦🇺 🅿️ B4U-ACT, from 🇺🇸 |
Online help in other languages
Here are the online resources we know of in each international language (largest number of speakers to smallest). Although they are very large language groups, containing millions of pedophiles, we know of no resources in Chinese, Bengali, Russian, Indonesian or Japanese. Write to us on [email protected]
if you have information about additional resources.
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| Troubled Desire, from 🇩🇪 Troubled Desire Estudio por chat, from 🇩🇪 pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 | 🅿️ MAP Support Club, from 🇺🇸 live chat community for MAPs 13+ who are committed to never having sex with a child. Most channels in English but has a Spanish language channel. [mapsupport.club](https://mapsupport.club/index.html#sign-up) |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 information and resources for those attracted to children | L'Ange Bleu, from 🇫🇷 for those who feel sexually and/or romantically attracted to children without being able to speak to anyone about it 🅿️ Basket of Puppies, from 🇫🇷 |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 information and resources for those attracted to children | no known resources |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| Troubled Desire, from 🇩🇪 Prevent It, from 🇪🇺 pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 | no known resources |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| Troubled Desire, from 🇩🇪 Troubled Desire Chat Study, from 🇩🇪 Prevent It, from 🇪🇺 pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 | 🅿️ Schicksal und Herausforderung e.V., from 🇩🇪 presents the concept of a non-offending pedophile, informs about pedophilia and primary prevention and furthers peer-support 🅿️ Wir Sind Auch Menschen, from 🇩🇪 |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 information and resources for those attracted to children | no known resources |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| pedo.help, from 🇫🇷 information and resources for those attracted to children | no known resources |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| 🅿️ Pedofilie.nl, from 🇳🇱 there for and by people with pedophile feelings who understand that sexual contact with children is not allowed. |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| Troubled Desire, from 🇩🇪 | 🅿️ CEPEK, from 🇨🇿 provides information to people who have just found out that they are sexually attracted to children or adolescents, to help them not to think of themselves as monsters |
| Troubled Desire Studie Chatu, from 🇩🇪 offers anonymous therapy for those involved in CSAM/IIOC use. The program operates in Germany, where there are no mandatory reporting laws |
| Focused mainly on sexual harm prevention | Focused mainly on mental health |
| Prevent It, from 🇸🇪🇪🇺 for those who are worried about their sexual urges involving children. This includes those who have offended, are offending or those who are concerned they will offend | no known resources |
Targeted prevention help by country
Note
The resources in this section are aimed at people living in specific countries. All of them are structured around preventing offences, so are aimed at those who are at risk of offending. You are unlikely to be chosen to participate if you don’t live in the relevant country, and some programs are known to terminate therapy with pedophiles who do not show sufficient risk of committing a crime, leaving them without support for their other issues.
United States 🇺🇸
StopItNow!
provides free, confidential, and direct support and information to individuals with questions or concerns about child sexual abuse
stopitnow.org
Canada 🇨🇦
Talking for Change
aims to prevent child sexual abuse and the use of child sexual exploitation material (often called child pornography). Provides support and treatment to individuals to live a safe, healthy, and non-offending life
talkingforchange.ca
Guiding Good Choices
for individuals concerned they may be in a pre-offence stage to reach out for a non-judgemental environment to be able to talk and ask questions. The ‘Triangle’ is made up of a Peer (a graduate from the Circles of Support and Accountability program so can identify with the challenges being faced) and a volunteer from the CoSA program
Contact [email protected]
for details
Virtual Circles of Support and Accountability (Canada)
Support specifically for those already convicted of a sexual offence
virtualcosa.com
Germany 🇩🇪
Kein Täter Werden
a free and confidential treatment service for men and women, adults and young people throughout Germany who are looking for therapeutic help because they feel sexually attracted to children
kein-taeter-werden.de
Du träumst von ihnen
therapy for adolescents who experience sexual arousal toward children
sexualmedizin.charite.de/forschung/du_traeumst_von_ihnen/
France 🇫🇷
L’Ange Bleu
for those who feel sexually and/or romantically attracted to children without being able to speak to anyone about it
ange-bleu.com
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
StopItNow
Confidential helpline, live chat and secure messaging service for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse and its prevention – whether they’re worried about their own thoughts, feelings and behaviour, or about another adult or young person
stopitnow.org.uk
StopSO
aims to prevent harmful sexual behaviour through therapy. Anyone who is concerned about their thoughts or behaviour, or knows someone who is acting inappropriately, can ask for our help
stopso.org.uk
The Aurora Project
provides free group and 1:1 support, therapy & signposting service for individuals who want to understand and manage the sexual thoughts they are having
saferlivingfoundation.org
España 🇪🇸
Ângelblau
offers support and guidance to people who present pedophilia, and to people who have suffered sexual abuse in their childhood.
angelblau.com
Sverige 🇸🇪
Preventell
a national helpline for you who feel that you have lost control of your sexuality, who may be worried about thoughts and actions, or are afraid of hurting yourself or others.
preventell.se
Österreich 🇦🇹
Nicht Täter Werden
Pedophilia is understood as a person’s problem of being (sexually) attracted to children. The treatment does not consist in changing fixed fantasies, but in ways of thinking and behaving that can lead to a crime.
nicht-taeter-werden.at
Danmark 🇩🇰
Brydcirklen
provides information on where to get help if you have sexual thoughts and fantasies about children
brydcirklen.dk
CTRL
for young people - these are difficult thoughts, but there are things you can do.
ctrl.redbarnet.dk
Suomi 🇫🇮
SeriE
provides support to people with a sexual or romantic interest in children. It is possible to apply for SeriE’s free low-threshold support service anonymously
serie.fi
Redirection Self-Help Program
an anonymous rehabilitative program which aims to help you adopt a lifestyle without child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
mielenterveystalo.fi
Norge 🇳🇴
Det Finnes Hjelp
for people over the age of 18 with a sexual interest in children, who have a self-identified risk, and who want help to avoid acting on their sexual interest
detfinneshjelp.no
India / भारत 🇮🇳
Don’t Offend India
an initiative to provide treatment to people with a sexual attraction towards children and/or early adolescents. Have you been unable to talk about your sexual attraction towards children and/or early adolescents? Has your attraction made you feel ashamed? We are here to help.
dontoffendindia.org
Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿
Stand Strong, Walk Tall
a pilot programme providing specialist therapeutic services for adults in Aotearoa New Zealand who experience sexual attraction to children/young people aged under 16.
sswt.org.nz