Not Monsters: Analyzing the Stories of Child Molesters

by Pamela D. Schultz

In the wake of recent violence our nation has experienced, and the paranoia that has ensued, we've directed our attention to potential terrorists in our midst. Yet our children face more risk from people they know than from terrorists they have never met. An estimated one in five girls and one in ten boys in the United States experience some form of sexual abuse by age eighteen. What could possibly motivate a person to molest a child? Not Monsters documents the stories of nine convicted child molesters through one-on-one interviews, listening to what offenders have to say about their crimes and exploring the roots of these behaviors from a social constructionist perspective. Their words paint a compelling and frightening portrait of how sexual abuse works in Western culture to perpetuate a political and social system of dominance and control.

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is written by a remarkable woman who was molested as a child. she became a survivor, not a victim, and decided for her healing that she needed to better understand the psyche of child molesters. she interviews many convicted child molesters about their life and how they got to be where they are today...in prison. it is such a fast read and you cannot put it down because it is captivating. it tells the side of the story that we don't get to hear, the perpatrators, which of course as we all know we once victims themselves. the author makes these perps. own what they have done and she takes such a different approach to what we are used too. it is difficult at times because of the graphic details but it is so worth it if you can get through it. I highly recommend it to my coworkers at AVAP and anyone who is a criminal justice major or is interested in working in the sexual assault field. Due to the title you probably want to read it in closed quaters, i had to read it for a senior seminar in college and could be found reading it in the student union building or once at the airport. let me just tell you i got some horrible looks and some people would gaze down at what i was reading, read the title and then move away from me. This book was simply phenomenal!

[Stephen Cranney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading but not as revelatory or paradigm changing as I thought it might be.