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A victims' rights group is rightly raising objections to a university research study in which sex offenders will be paid for looking at images of children.
In the joint study, to be conducted by University of Toronto and University of Lethbridge researchers, 250 sex offenders will receive $60 each to view computerized images of fully dressed children.
Responses to the images will be measured to give researchers some insight into pedophilia.
Shawn Howard, spokesperson for the Calgary-based Canadian Justice Foundation, said he just shook his head when he heard that sex offenders will be paid to take part in the study.
"I find it absolutely bizarre that we're even considering funding this," he said. "We already know what sex offenders and pedophiles are capable of. We know the types of images they react to."
Michael Seto, associate psychology professor at the University of Toronto, said the study is an effort to assess risk and to determine more effective treatment.
Offenders who have been convicted of downloading child pornography, but have not abused children, will be compared to offenders who have abused children.
Seto said he is not surprised that the study has generated controversy.
"I do understand why people are concerned about this, but I hope they don't lose sight of the fact that we're doing this research to understand pedophilia and sexual offending," he said.
Seto said it is standard practice to pay people to take part in clinical studies.
The study is being funded with a grant from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, an organization that receives provincial funding.
Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman said the province plans to claw back any money that the foundation spends on compensating sex offenders in the study.
"We're inherently uncomfortable with the idea that anyone that is serving time or indeed probation for a matter such as this would benefit in any way related to compensation," he said.
Your "perplexed, bothered and bewildered" scribe;
Allan W Janssen
A victims' rights group is rightly raising objections to a university research study in which sex offenders will be paid for looking at images of children.
In the joint study, to be conducted by University of Toronto and University of Lethbridge researchers, 250 sex offenders will receive $60 each to view computerized images of fully dressed children.
Responses to the images will be measured to give researchers some insight into pedophilia.
Shawn Howard, spokesperson for the Calgary-based Canadian Justice Foundation, said he just shook his head when he heard that sex offenders will be paid to take part in the study.
"I find it absolutely bizarre that we're even considering funding this," he said. "We already know what sex offenders and pedophiles are capable of. We know the types of images they react to."
Michael Seto, associate psychology professor at the University of Toronto, said the study is an effort to assess risk and to determine more effective treatment.
Offenders who have been convicted of downloading child pornography, but have not abused children, will be compared to offenders who have abused children.
Seto said he is not surprised that the study has generated controversy.
"I do understand why people are concerned about this, but I hope they don't lose sight of the fact that we're doing this research to understand pedophilia and sexual offending," he said.
Seto said it is standard practice to pay people to take part in clinical studies.
The study is being funded with a grant from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, an organization that receives provincial funding.
Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman said the province plans to claw back any money that the foundation spends on compensating sex offenders in the study.
"We're inherently uncomfortable with the idea that anyone that is serving time or indeed probation for a matter such as this would benefit in any way related to compensation," he said.
Your "perplexed, bothered and bewildered" scribe;
Allan W Janssen
Labels: offenders study, seto, sex offenders, u of t
posted by Allan W Janssen | 9:36 a.m.
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