I found myself talking to a person who is currently spending 30 years in prison as a sex offender. Judging by that fact alone, in addition to his whole biography before the things he was convicted for, he does struggle to figure out how an enthusiastically consenting person looks like. He may also tend to confuse general human care and empathy for romantic love or sexual attraction. However, through the months of talks, he seems to have some sparks of self-awareness for the first time in a lifetime, questioning if he was wrong. He seems to genuinely want to change his ways, but doesn't know what the "rules" are.
So, what are the books that could be suggested to him? Given that he will be released in several years from now, and he trusts me enough to listen, I think it's important to figure those out.
Topics that may be helpful to cover:
– Why children can't consent?
– How to tell if someone consents or doesn't?
– How to have discussions on boundaries and preferences?
– How do healthy romantic relationships look like?
– Bonus points for suggestions on books for ex-prisoners and sex offenders. How to help yourself after incarceration? Live after your crime?
by midnight_barista