Who we are

The program Troubled Desire is operated by the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine (IfSS) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and is supported by partners worldwide. It is an internationally leading institution in research, prevention, and therapy of sexual preference and behavioral disorders. With an interdisciplinary approach, we advocate for scientifically-based, effective, and ethically responsible solutions.

Our Story

Sexology has a long tradition in Berlin, dating back to the early 20th century, shaped by the work of Magnus Hirschfeld. After the destruction of the first Institute of Sexology during the Nazi era, the institute was re-established only in the 1990s after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Klaus M. Beier, the IfSS developed a modern, interdisciplinary research and therapy approach for cause-related prevention of sexual child abuse and the use of abuse imagery in the legal dark field, setting new standards in sexual medicine worldwide.

 

Our Projects – Prevention with Responsibility

Kein Täter werden (KTW) 

In 2005, the prevention project Dunkelfeld *Kein Täter werden* (KTW), which could be translated into English as "Don't Become an Offender," was launched. It offers anonymous, free, and confidential therapeutic support to people with pedophilia and/or hebephilia, with the goal of preventing child sexual abuse before it occurs. After a successful pilot phase in Berlin, KTW expanded into a nationwide network with 13 locations across Germany. Since 2018, the project has been recognized as an anonymous healthcare service within the framework of a pilot program.

Troubled Desire – Online Self-Help Worldwide

With the platform Troubled Desire, which went online in 2017, we offer a multilingual, anonymous online self-help service for people with a sexual interest in children. This service allows for risk-free engagement with one's own preferences as well as available therapeutic options. Within the first 30 months, over 7,400 people from 87 countries used the program—an indication of the high international demand, which has since continued to grow. On average, more than 100 people per day from almost every country in the world currently visit the Troubled Desire website.

STOP-CSAM – Prevention of the Consumption of Abuse Material

In 2023, we launched the STOP-CSAM project, which aims to prevent the consumption and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the project period, an interactive, appointment-based chat service was offered, operated by qualified therapists in multiple languages. This service helped individuals develop and maintain non-offending behavior. The project was funded by the European Commission, evaluated by us, and has expanded our therapeutic offerings by providing an easily accessible and effective intervention option.

Our Key Partners for Troubled Desire

Our work would hardly be possible without strong collaborations. We partner with a variety of universities, research institutions, and other partners from different fields to continuously improve our services, including:

• Universitat Internacional de Catalunya Barcelona, Spain
• Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
• Národní ústav duševního zdraví Prague, Czech Republic
• KEMHRC Pune, India
• Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse / Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, USA

Our Vision

Prevention instead of sexual violence and prevention before punishment. We are committed to further developing our services, expanding internationally, and integrating them into long-term healthcare provision. Through close collaboration with science, politics, and society, we aim to establish ethically responsible and effective prevention strategies to combat the spread of depictions of child sexual abuse and sexual child abuse.

 

If you are healthcare professional interested in contributing to helping people with a sexual preference for children, please feel free to contact us at (info@troubled-desire.com).

You will find more information on the subject on the youtube channel.