Where do they stand? A post-structuralist examination of offense-supportive narratives constructed by men convicted of child sexual abuse

Abstract Decisions to engage in child sexual abuse (CSA) are not motivated solely by sexual interest in children. Given the complex interplay of personal, relational, and societal factors involved, we explored the narratives men constructed around their subjective motivations for offending, situated within the post-structuralist constructs of desire, power, and ethical subjectivity. Interviews were conducted with 25 men charged/convicted of CSA. Offenses were often contextualized as attempts to satisfy sexual and/or emotional desires. While some participants reported a persistent interest in children, others attempted to satisfy these desires through CSA in response to negative experiences with adults, including sexual overregulation, sexual objectification, and demoralization. Participants’ subversion of social and ethical norms was aided by offense-supportive narratives that stemmed from their interactions with/interpretations of the world. Interventions to prevent CSA may benefit from a post-structuralist perspective of the social and cultural mechanisms by which men’s decisions to engage in CSA are shaped.