Preventive Strategies for Pedophilia and the Potential Role of Robots: Open Workshop Discussion

It is currently unclear whether or how robots and technologies such as virtual child pornography can be used to develop preventive or treatment strategies for child sexual abuse. The notion that pedophilia can be conceptualized as “being stuck in an earlier phase” of normal psychosexual development raises an interesting research question: Is a delayed development of the body schema a possible predictor of pedophilic behavior and/or of the acceptability of robot partners? The discussion provides suggestions on how to study this question from a humanoid research perspective and illustrates how robots may be employed as research tools in this context. Basic principles from the psychology of learning (reinforcement theory) suggest that virtual child pornography may potentially be effective in the treatment of pedophilia although previous attempts using negative reinforcement/aversion therapy in clinical practice in the UK and Sweden have been unsuccessful. Clinical insights concerning the relation between pedophilia and fantasy, or the ability to imagine, are discussed with regard to non-pedophilic and pedophilic sexual offenders and the social and developmental aspects that may contribute to their conditions. Psychopharmacological aspects such as the use of drugs in the treatment of pedophilia and some characteristics of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are also elaborated. Finally, based on both empirical evidence and clinical insights, the potential for developing prevention strategies for pedophilia as well as some related challenges are discussed. In conclusion, the open discussion highlights several challenges with regard to the development of preventive and treatment strategies for pedophilia and the potential of robots as a promising alley for future research in this context.