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Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Innocence Betrayed: Paedophilia, the Media and Society for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £1.75, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
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"No one has previously put the case so well for having an adult, rational debate about how we should respond to paedophilia. Nor have the counterproductive dangers of outing, naming and shaming with responses like Megan’s Law been so clearly discussed. A thoroughly researched and well argued study." Rod Morgan, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Probation Service for England and Wales
"Silverman and Wilson manage to achieve what many of us aspire to – a book that will appeal both to a specialised and lay audience. In the emotionally charged atmosphere of considering the threat posed by predatory paedophiles ... it is important that we have a text that is thoughtful and measured, while also recognising the deep emotions that the topic raises among the populace. ...[T]his is a well–written book that can be recommended to the interested layperson ... while, for the specialist, it draws the threads together of the recent painful scenario where the News of the World has largely orchestrated the terms of the debate." The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
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A large proportion of the book has developed from extensive research and interviews with offenders and victims, and with therapists, prison governors and other professionals working with paedophiles.
The interviews provide some of the most interesting parts of this book. A group of mothers from the Paulsgrove estate in Portsmouth - scene of the biggest paedophile riots in 2000 - talk at length about their experiences both as victims but also as concerned parents. Former sex offenders talk candidly about their offending and what 'made' them, or 'led' them to offend. The book includes an interview with the managing editor of the News of the World, the detail of which is reason enough to read this book. The book also gives a glimpse into the world of government dealing with the media, and examines in detail the pitfalls in calls for 'community notification' and 'naming and shaming'.
Perhaps the most important chapter of this book is the penultimate one, in which the authors detail 'Circles of Support', a community based programme designed to safely aid the paedophile's resettlement into the community after release from prison; a programme somewhat reliant on community awareness but also community tolerance. The chapter provides a clue as to the direction in which we should be heading, rather than continuing on the destructive course currently being mapped out.
It was indeed the answer to my prayers: covering all aspects of society's understanding of paedophilia, including quotes and comments from sex offenders themselves, Wilson and Silverman have produced a comprehensive, intelligent critique on this very sensitive subject. They bravely challenge common viewpoints on the 'hideous monster', enlighten readers with historical information and attitudes, and back up their words with factual evidence. Most importantly, they keep a steady eye on the serious nature of the crime itself, never reducing their criticisms to facetious sarcasm (as could so easily be done when reviewing tabloid behaviour). They are very open about the abuse they themselves have received for daring to speak out against the hysteria and over-sentimentality of many media and public figures, but justify their positions with strong, well-considered arguments.
Many academic texts try to impress (or distress) their readers with the use of obscure words or long, incomprehensible sentences, but Silverman and Wilson have ably conveyed their message without pomp and ceremony. Consequently, this book can be read and enjoyed by those other than students of social science. In fact, I would thoroughly recommend it to parents because above all, Innocence Betrayed says what very few people dare to: there is very little threat from 'stranger danger'.
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