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| Author | Tom O'Carroll |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Paedophilia |
| Published | 1980 (Peter Owen) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 0-7206-0546-6 |
Paedophilia: The Radical Case is a 1980 book about paedophilia by pro-paedophile activist Tom O'Carroll, former chairman of the defunct Paedophile Information Exchange.
Summary
The book is partly autobiographical, and the first part is devoted to O'Carroll's life history. The second is about the concept of paedophilia and the the third concerns the activities of the Paedophile Information Exchange. "I am not interested in why I am a paedophile," he writes "any more than others are interested in why they are 'normal'".
O'Carroll advocates the normalization of adult-child sexual relationships. He states his belief that each stage of the sexual relationship between an adult and child can be 'negotiated', with "hints and signals, verbal and nonverbal, by which each indicates to the other what is acceptable and what is not... the man might start by saying what pretty knickers the girl was wearing, and he would be far more likely to proceed to the next stage of negotiation if she seemed pleased by the remark".
Reception
Reviewers were sharply divided, their reactions ranging from the scathingly dismissive to strongly supportive of the author, if not entirely of the "radical case" he had set out. The gay press was broadly sympathetic. Sociologist Jeffrey Weeks called the book "the most sustained advocacy of the subject", but nevertheless believed that there were powerful arguments against O'Carroll's views about the possibility of children consenting to sex. Criminology lecturer Kieran Mccartan uses the book as an example of "how sex offenders justify themselves".
Criminologist Richard Green included O'Carroll's book as recommended reading for his students at Cambridge University. In 2000, he invited O'Carroll to speak at the annual meeting in Paris of the International Academy of Sex Research.
References
- ^ Wilmers, Mary-Kay (4 December 1980). "Young Love". London Review of Books. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 1 March 2017. (subscription required)
- Tom O'Carroll, Paedophilia : The Radical Case, Peter Owen Ltd, London, 1980 (hardback); Alyson Publications, Boston, Mass., 1982 (paperback). ISBN 0-7206-0546-6
- Charles Rycroft "Sensuality from the start", Times Literary Supplement, 21 November 1980
- John Rae "Suffer little children", Times Educational Supplement, 17 October 1980
- Maurice Yaffé "Age of Consent", New Statesman, 7 November 1980, p.31
- Eric Taylor "'Too young to love?", New Society, 30 October 1980, p.246
- Ken Plummer Gay News, No.202
- Hubert Kennedy Books, The Advocate, March 1982
- Wallace Hamilton "Honor Thy Son", Christopher Street, February 1981, pp.55-7
- Jeffrey Weeks, Sexuality and its discontents, Routledge, London, 1993, pp.225-226
- Henley, Jon (3 January 2013). "Paedophilia: bringing dark desires to light". The Guardian.
- Mega, Marcello (23 November 2001). "If no rules have been broken, perhaps the rulebook requires some attention?". Times Higher Education Supplement. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
External links
- Paedophilia : The Radical Case - Online version. IPCE