Questionable Relationships / Question
Published: April 17, 2003
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am a bit worried, because I think I am occasionally slightly attracted to young kids (although nowhere near as much as I am sexually mature women). Is it just some hormone-high phase or what?
Signed: Worried About Occasional Attraction To Young Kids
Dear Worried About Occasional Attraction To Young Kids,
TeenHealthFX wants you to know that people are aroused by a limitless variety of things. We can respond sexually to all sorts of stimuli, and never fully understand why. This is even more the case during adolescence, when hormones are at high levels. It is important to know when it is and is not appropriate to act on sexual feelings. It is absolutely not okay to act on your attraction to young kids and it is illegal. The fact that you asked this question shows that you have an understanding of that.
Your attraction to young kids is something that you need to work on with a trained professional to make sure that you do not act on them. You need to find a mental health professional that deals specifically with sexual behavior. A person trained in this field can work with you so that you can learn to deal with your attraction to young kids so that no one will get hurt. You can find a trained therapist in your area by contacting the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers(ATSA) at 503-643-1023.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.
