Sometimes people have sexual attractions that worry them. It might even be illegal to act on them, like when a person feels attracted to younger children.
It’s important to remember that as you grow and change, the attractions you feel can change too. And remember that a thought is not the same as an abusive action.
If you’re concerned that you might act in a sexual way towards a child, you will need to take steps to make sure you don’t actually do this.
If you’re struggling, think about what boundaries you could put in place. For example, you could make sure that:
- you aren’t left alone with a child
- when you’re online, you only talk to people your age
If you’re struggling with your sexual thoughts towards children, it might help you to talk to us on our email service – you don’t have to tell us who you are. We’ll listen to your concerns, support you, and give you some specific advice. We can help you understand your thoughts a bit more and work out how you can manage them.
For now, there’s some information you might find useful on our page on what to do if you’ve had sexual thoughts or feelings about younger children.
Our sexual thoughts can be confusing and may leave us feeling upset, anxious or overwhelmed. Find out how to understand and cope with your thoughts and get advice on when and how to seek help.
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