John L. Randall

The author presents a general overview of childhood sexuality and sexual interactions and relationships between children and adults covering aspects such as: the language used to describe such relationships, children as sexual versus children as nonsexual beings, such relationships viewed through the lenses of religion morality and medicine (psychiatry), a western historical overview, the relevance of biology and evolutionary theory, the visual arts and literature, the confusion of child abuse and pedophilia, professional / legal intervention and children’s rights. The focus is on the western world (what has been traditionally called Christendom) but a chapter dealing with non-literate tribal societies is included.

The author makes an effort to seem objective and reasonable but make no mistake, he is in favor of decriminalizing and destigmatizing the great majority of adult / child sexual contacts (essentially all which are not obviously physically injurious or overtly coercive). In his opinion the 1970s marked the start of a continuing period of furious overreaction to adult child sex which has done far more harm than good. The phrase “Radical Christian Approach” in the subtitle is misleading. Christian ideas play very little role in the book. The author held the position of reader in the Anglican Church and worked for many years as a schoolteacher in England. He also wrote a handful of books dealing with parapsychology which were commercially published.

There is an index and a list of 248 sources (which are referenced by number throughout the text). In two (of three) appendices Randall presents the results of two surveys he himself conducted, one asked whom children would turn to if they felt that they needed to consult with someone about a sensitive personal problem, the other asked children about their sources of sexual information, what their parents had told them about sex, how old they were when they first wanted to know where babies come from, had they ever been punished for engaging in sexual play, and had they ever been approached by an adult with a view toward sexual activity. Randall is remiss in giving very little information about the methodology of these surveys, that is, nuts and bolts detail about exactly how the surveys were conducted (including the ages of the participating children, even though he says he collected that piece of information). A third appendix reprints a truly radical proposed bill of sexual rights for children put out by the now defunct Childhood Sensuality Circle (which consisted mainly of one American woman, Valida Davila, a student of Wilhelm Reich, ardent nudist, and alternative health enthusiast).

The publisher, Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc., is a self-publishing business. It has been in existence since 1920 and has an “A-“ rating with the Better Business Bureau. It makes no claim to selecting clients based on potential for commercial success. They edit and physically design the books for their client authors and did a good job with this one. The book is physically well made. It is hardcover with sewn packet binding (the best kind of binding) and a professional looking dust jacket.

To sum things up, I find the book to be well written and intelligent (except for the description of the surveys) but the potential reader should be aware that the author has a definite point of view / agenda. This does not come from a calm dispassionate search for truth.… (más)