MAP Facts

Quick answers and reputable info about MAPs and related topics

Each bullet point below links to a source that backs up the claim. Click on any "infographic" link to download a sharable image. Our full collection of infographics can be found here.

General

Community

Child Sexual Abuse

Professional Support

Wellbeing

General

MAPs

Up to 5% of people are estimated to have pedophilia
"MAP" is an umbrella term that was popularized by mental health experts
The average age at which a MAP discovers their attractions is 14 years old
66% of MAPs are minors when they discover their attractions
MAPs can have long-term romantic and sexual relationships with adults
36% of MAPs have never told any non-MAP in their personal life about their attractions

Minor Attractions

Pedophilia is not a mental disorder
Minor attractions are not illegal
Experts consider pedophilia an age-based sexual orientation
Experts consider minor attractions to be queer identities
Minor attractions function like peer attractions

Community

Activism

Child protection and mental health experts support MAP activism
The MAP community has led the effort to make support for MAPs more widely available
There is no mainstream effort to include minor attractions in the LGBTQ community (infographic)

Peer Support

Peer support for MAPs is promoted by experts (infographic)

Child Sexual Abuse

Offenders

Up to 85% of MAPs never offend (infographic)
Less than half of all child sexual abusers are MAPs (infographic)
Experts warn that conflating MAPs with abusers could increase rates of sexual abuse
Anti-predator vigilantes cause increased abuse
Predator hunters cause suicides and make prosecuting abusers harder
Law enforcement agencies oppose anti-predator vigilantism
False reports of CSAM make it harder for real abusive content to be identified (infographic)

Risk

Stigma can increase a MAP's risk of offending (infographic)
Anti-MAP stigma enables abuse
MAPs are as capable of self-control as non-MAPs
Non-offending MAPs have a higher level of empathy for children than non-MAPs
MAPs who interact with children are less likely to view sex with children as acceptable

Professional Support

Access

Most MAPs are interested in seeking professional support (infographic)
MAPs face numerous barriers when seeking professional support (infographic)
Stigma prevents MAPs from seeking therapy
24% of mental health professionals would report a MAP who had never offended and did not want to (infographic)

Treatment

Therapy for MAPs should be centered around self-acceptance (infographic)
Conversion therapy for MAPs is harmful and ineffective (infographic)
Treatment programs that imply MAPs need help to not offend can be counterproductive
35% of primary care providers experience at least 1 disclosure of minor attractions
Some MAPs seek professional support for reasons unrelated to their attractions

Wellbeing

Mental Health

MAP-related stigma is linked to increased isolation and mental disorders (infographic)
Thought suppression can be counterproductive (infographic)

Suicide

Over 1 in 3 MAPs experience suicidal thoughts (infographic)
The most common age for a MAP to first attempt suicide is 14 years old (infographic)

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