How To Be Antipedophile
A guide for critical consciousness.
To be antipedophilie means to become consciously aware of systems that harm children and seek to avoid, dismantle, or transform them.
Pedophilia is a systemic issue. This means that to be antipedophile, we must not merely treat children well ourselves, but critically examine the systems we participate in. Every system, belief, institution, or aspect of culture can either contribute to protecting children or not.
It is not enough to simply be “not a pedophile.” While someone might personally be kind to children, if they participate in systems that harm children, give money to or support those systems, or support those systems through their language and cultural beliefs, they are still participating in systemic pedophilia by indirectly contributing to the harm of children.
How does one become antipedophile?
Develop A Critical Consciousness
To become antipedophile, you have to develop a critical consciousness, which means to see how the systems you participate in impact others and the whole of society. This includes examining your language, beliefs, and the institutions you participate in.
Developing a critical consciousness requires commitment. It requires questioning previously unexamined behaviors, language, or norms. It might even require major life changes or transforming the way that you see the world.
Many people become defensive or fragile when asked to see the role they play in harmful systems. To develop a critical consciousness, you will have to put protecting children above your own ego and be willing to actually look at how the systems you and others participate in impact children.
Critically Examine The Systems You Participate In
Every system you participate must be examined, including seemingly “neutral” ones.
For example, one common way that people participate in systemic pedophilia is through social media. While social media use might seem unrelated, big tech companies have failed to take down child pornography, had employees caught in pedophilia stings, and actively worked with pedophile-apologist organizations. While using big tech social media companies might seem like a “normal” or “neutral” act, it is actually a common way that many participate in systemic pedophilia.
Every system can be evaluated this way. Do the companies you buy your food from contribute to the health of children or exploit their bodies to sell processed sugar and seed oils? When you need medical help, do you give your money to someone who protects children or harms them through genital cutting and hospital birth? Does the language you use support children or not?
Once you’ve examined the systems you participate in, you have two options: 1) You can withdraw from those systems or 2) transform them and participate in them with a critical consciousness.
Withdraw From Negative Systems
One simple way to become more antipedophile is to just stop participating in systems engaged in systemic pedophilia.
Homeschool rather than sending your children to compulsory government schools. Find a health professional who does natural birth rather than traumatic hospital birth. Use alternative social media platforms rather than systemically pedophile big tech platforms. Buy from companies that actually support children.
While this helps on an individual basis, it is not enough to end systemic pedophilia. Many of the systems that harm children are so hegemonic that we cannot avoid participating in them. For example, even if you do not personally send your children to government schools, the government will force you to participate in those schools by collecting your money in taxes and giving it to these harmful systems.
Systemic pedophilia currently constitutes a hegemony. A hegemony is a power so dominant that it controls all major aspects of society including cultural assumptions and norms. The only way to end the hegemony of systemic pedophilia is to radically transform society to be more antipedophile through Children’s Justice.
Transform The Systems You Participate In
Once we’ve identified the ways that dominant systems are engaged in systemic pedophilia, we can begin to transform those systems to become more antipedophile.
One simple way you can make an institution more antipedophile is by getting to adopt a statement condemning pedophilia and supporting the survivors of pedophilia. Most institutions already have a statement on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or a statement supporting racial justice movements or condemning racism. Why not also adopt a statement condemning pedophilia? This would allow survivors to feel more included in the organization and make the organization’s stance on this issue clear.
Put it another way - what is the argument against having a statement against pedophilia? If the organization already has statements on other social justice issues, there is none. If the organization is engaged in systems that contribute to systemic pedophilia, then it is crucial for them to re-evaluate this with a critical consciousness and a statement affirming their commitment to do so is the first step.
Every organization or aspect of society can become more antipedophile. If they oppose systemic pedophilia, they can change their language to reflect that. They can acknowledge how certain behaviors or ways of relating might reflect emotional patterns learned from childhood trauma or the collective trauma of a systemic pedophile society. They can ensure that they contribute and work with other organizations that support Children’s Justice. There is always more work to be done on social justice issues.
Engage In Activism
If an organization refuses to make a statement against pedophilia or continues to engage in systemic pedophilia, it’s time to engage in activism. There is already a whole host of techniques that activists use against institutions that refuse to support social justice causes. All of the tools and tactics available to other social justice movements are available to you as well.
Many adults might become triggered or defensive when activists show the role they play in systemic pedophilia, a reaction known as pedophile fragility. Fragile pedophile-apologists often attempt to use their discomfort to shut down discussions of systemic pedophilia. Yet which is more important - adult comfort or protecting children from systemic pedophilia? Being antipedophile means continuing your activism even if it makes perpetrators fragile.
At the same time activists must be effective. Just as every aspect of society can participate in systemic pedophilia or not, every action you take can further your cause or harm it. Social justice activism is judged by outcomes, not your intentions. If your actions do not result in the reduction of systemic pedophilia, then they are not antipedophile. To be antipedophile, you must succeed in your activism.
Do The Work On Yourself
While it is easy to see the shortcomings of others, we must focus the same critical consciousness on ourselves. In what ways do we participate in harmful systems? How could our language be better? Are there ways we relate to others that come from being socialized in a systemic pedophile culture, rather than the wholeness of who we are?
As we commit to doing the work in the world, we must also do the work on ourselves. These two are mutually beneficial, rather than exclusive. As you do one, the other will become easier. Becoming more whole makes activism easier, and as you do activism, you will become aware of the areas in which you could become more whole. Creating a better world for the next generation benefits us as well as them.
Doing the work on yourself includes educating yourself on social justice issues. To make this process easier, I wrote an entire book called Children’s Justice, exploring the treatment of children as a social justice issue. If you are interested in protecting children, reading that book should be your first step. You can do so here.
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“ Doing the world on yourself includes educating yourself on social justice issues.” —> Doing the WORK on yourself includes educating yourself on social justice issues.
“ If the organization is engaged in systems that contribute to systemic pedophilia, this” —> unexpected EOL