“Why I Don't Become a Perpetrator”: The Life Story of Individuals Seen As “Potential Perpetrators”

This paper focuses on individuals labeled as “potential perpetrators” who, nonetheless, do not commit harmful acts. Specifically, non-offending pedophiles' narratives in Japan are examined to explore how sociological biography can critically engage with “perpetrator identity” discourses. Despite being confined to the dominant narrative of being “destined offenders,” they create counter-narratives. By exploring life stories of “not becoming a perpetrator,” the potential and challenges of biographical research on violence are discussed from a contrasting but complementary perspective.

Although pedophilia has been widely studied, most research has targeted criminal perpetrators. Additionally, some recent discussions in Japan have misleadingly suggested that pedophiles' sexuality, including that of non-offenders, essentially arises from patriarchal culture. However, misogynistic culture has no inherent link to pedophilia as an innate orientation, and many child sex offenders are not actually pedophiles. As labeling theory indicates, deviant behaviors are shaped through various social interactions, not a single ideology. This paper thus explores how non-offending pedophiles struggle to articulate a non-offending identity, especially during youth, in a social space dominated by the potentially self-fulfilling prophecy of “destined offenders.”

The discussion focuses on a female informant attracted to young girls, supplemented by other male cases. The study examines how she navigates among discourses like “masculinity as violence,” “femininity as victimhood,” and “lenient local culture toward sex crimes.” Considering how some Foucauldian arguments defending male (offending) pedophiles often overlook the suffering of rape survivors, I address whether this study unduly emphasizes an exceptional female case, potentially reinforcing societal leniency toward offending. Significantly, however, her narrative aims not only to empower non-offending young pedophiles labeled as future perpetrators but also to prevent its misuse as a pretext for offending by others. This is why biographical research has an important role in making her complex story visible, while carefully weighing related ethical and political considerations.