Should I be concerned?

You might be here because you are worried about your own thoughts or behaviour towards children and young people.

To have these feelings must be very disturbing for you - but there is help and support available.

Try answering these questions:

• - Have you ever felt a sexual attraction to children or young people?  (under 16 or 18 if online)
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• - Have you kept secrets from others about your attraction to children or young people? 
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• - Do you use the internet to view sexual images of children and young people? 
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• - Have you ever secretly watched children or exposed yourself to children?  
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• - Have you bought children or young people gifts, or given them money, in order to get them to trust you so you can touch them sexually? 
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• - Have you shown pornography (or material of a sexual nature) to children or young people, or intentionally left it where they could find it? 

Still Unsure?

Answer these questions honestly.

• - Have you ever told yourself "he/she is mature for his/her age" or something similar to make yourself feel better about your sexual thoughts or behaviour toward children or young people? 
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• - Have you ever wanted to stop fantasising about or touching children or young people in a sexual way, or looking at sexual images of children under 18, but did it again? 
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• - Do you find that romantic/sexual fantasies about, or sexual behaviour towards, children or young people interfere with your relationships at home or work? 
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• - Has your sexual attraction to children or young people ever left you feeling worried, frightened, ashamed, hopeless, alienated from others or suicidal? 
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• - Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you were not sexually attracted to children?

Please seek help

If you answered "Yes" to any of the questions - then we urge you to seek support and information to help you manage your thoughts and feelings

Stop It Now! Scotland can offer direct counselling and support to individuals worried about their sexual thoughts and feelings towards and children. These services can be accessed by contacting the helpline.

Stop It Now! Scotland and its parent charity Lucy Faithfull Foundation have created online resources including Get Help and Get Support websites to help someone with these thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

	Get Help is a self-help website with a huge range of online resources, advice and support that will help you stop looking at indecent images of children
	Get Support offers advice on managing inappropriate thoughts about children and young people

You will not be asked for any details that may identify you, and the websites are completely anonymous

You can call the Stop It Now! free and confidential helpline.  Our trained operators will listen to your concerns and offer information and support.

If you prefer, please e-mail us on help@stopitnow.org.uk

The helpline offers ongoing support and information to all adults who are concerned about their own thoughts or behaviour towards children, including illegal internet use, or who are concerned about an adult or child who is close to them.