Self-help program

HOW CAN YOU CHANGE BEHAVIOUR?

It is important to learn to identify and challenge harmful thoughts and mental contents. This is especially important when you feel strongly tempted to engage in harmful or illegal activities.

Everyone can learn to recognise the emotions and thoughts that their own mental images contain. Even if the images related to children are strongly sexual in significance, you can try to change them.

Behaviour can be changed by changing thinking

Cognitive behavioural therapy is based on the view that thinking, emotions and bodily sensations influence behaviour. Behaviour, on the other hand, affects thinking, emotions and bodily sensations.

It is important to learn to recognise what kinds of things are included in your own sexual interest towards children at various levels. This understanding can help you manage your interest and related actions.

Thoughts

Emotions and bodily sensations

Behaviour

Examining thoughts and actions

In the exercises, you will consider what has caused you to switch from thoughts that sexualise children to sexual acts related to children. You will also consider how the activity has impacted your life.

You will review what kind of activity it is. You will make it clear to yourself what you are doing, what triggers you to take action, what thoughts you are use to give yourself permission to act, and what emotions and bodily sensations are associated with the action.

Change requires practice

Adopting new habits requires practice. The exercises in this section can help you manage your thoughts and the stimuli to act that they give rise to.

Remember

Practising reduces the risk of committing sexual activity that seriously harms a child and also constitutes a crime .

Often, the sense of control that exercise provide will also reduce the anxiety and fear associated with harmful sexual interest.