Help With Sexual Thoughts & Behavior
If you are worried about your own sexual thoughts, urges, or behavior—or someone else has raised a concern—this page can help you find support before harm occurs.
Your concerns may involve children, force, coercion, violence, or sexual behavior that feels difficult to control. Having a thought or feeling does not require you to act on it. What matters now is choosing steps that protect other people and help you stay in control of your behavior.
You can begin with one practical step: read about a specialist service, use an anonymous or confidential helpline where available, or contact a qualified professional who works with these concerns.
If you think you may cross a boundary or hurt someone, move away from the person you are worried about and use the urgent-help section below now.
The organizations listed here provide different kinds of support, including prevention programs, helplines, self-help tools, and specialized treatment. Review the options and choose the one that best fits your situation and location.
Help is available before harm occurs.
If You Feel You Might Hurt Someone Right Now
Please put some distance between you and the person you’re worried about. Leave the room or the house, and don’t stay alone with them. Then call one of the lines below, or call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number. 988 is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a free, confidential line open 24 hours a day for anyone in emotional distress or crisis. Reaching out in that moment is one of the strongest things a person can do.
Help Wanted prevention program
Help Wanted, developed with Johns Hopkins University, provides prevention-focused support for people who are attracted to children and want to avoid harming anyone. The original version of the program is closed. A newer version is currently available through an evaluation study for eligible participants, and the site also provides alternative resources for people who cannot participate.
United States
If you want to talk to someone now
Stop It Now! Free. This confidential national helpline is for anyone worried about their own sexual thoughts or behavior toward children. That includes people who have already crossed a line they wish they hadn’t, and people who have looked at sexual images of children. You can call, email or chat, whichever feels easiest. Call 1-888-PREVENT (1-888-773-8368). The hours are Monday 12–8pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 12–6pm, Thursday 10am–6pm and Friday 12–6pm, Eastern time. stopitnow.org
If you’re young (14–21)
What’s OK? Free. This is a confidential line just for young people with questions about their own sexual thoughts, feelings or behavior, or a friend’s. Nobody there will judge you. You can call 844-WHATSOK (844-942-8765), or text WHATSOK to 1-888-532-0550. Chat and email are also on their site. whatsok.org
National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY) The website is free; each treatment program sets its own cost. NCSBY helps young people with sexual behavior problems, and their parents, find treatment that is designed for young people. Kids and teens are not treated like adults there, and help really does work. ncsby.org · Find treatment
If you’re ready to find a therapist
B4U-ACT The referral list and peer support are free; each therapist sets their own fee. B4U-ACT keeps a confidential list of therapists who understand attraction to minors, and its peer support lets you connect with others who get it. Write to findtherapist@b4uact.org for a therapist, or to support@b4uact.org for peer support, or call (410) 871-8156. b4uact.org
ATSA (Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse) The directory is free; each therapist sets their own fee. You can search by location for therapists who specialize in helping people with sexual thoughts or behavior they want to change. Search the directory · Anonymous referral form
Safer Society Foundation The list is free; each therapist sets their own fee. Safer Society keeps a list of therapists across North America who help people with sexual behavior problems. safersociety.org
If you’ve been hurting a partner
A Call for Change Free. This anonymous helpline is for anyone who has been controlling, frightening or hurting a partner, including sexually, and wants to stop. The people who answer will treat you with respect and help you learn how to be safe in your relationship. Call 877-898-3411 or email help@acallforchangehelpline.org. Translation is available. acallforchangehelpline.org
Emerge Paid, on a sliding scale based on income. Emerge was the first program in the US to help people stop abusing a partner. It runs weekly groups in person near Boston and online. Call (617) 547-9879. emergedv.com
If sex feels out of control
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) Free. SAA is a community of people who know what it’s like when sexual behavior takes over, and they meet in person, by phone and online every day of the week. Call 1-800-477-8191 (Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm Central) to find a meeting. saa-recovery.org
Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) Free. SA holds meetings around the world. Call 866-424-8777 (Monday–Friday, 8am–4pm Central) to find one near you. sa.org
Global
Troubled Desire Free. This anonymous self-help website in many languages is for people attracted to children or young teens. You can take a private self-assessment and find tools to help you, without talking to anyone. troubled-desire.com
Virtuous Pedophiles Free. This is an online community where people attracted to minors support each other in never harming a child. It’s a place to be honest without being judged. virped.org
Canada
Talking for Change Please check the website for current costs. Talking for Change helps people who are worried about a sexual interest in children or about acting on it. talkingforchange.ca
Europe
Germany: Kein Täter werden Free. This network offers confidential therapy covered by German health insurance, at locations in cities across the country. The Berlin number is +49 30 450 529 450, and you can find the location nearest you on their site. Switzerland has its own sites too. kein-taeter-werden.de · kein-taeter-werden.ch
Netherlands: Preventielijn Free. Preventielijn (formerly Stop it Now! Netherlands) is a confidential phone line and chat, open every weekday. Call 0800 266 64 36. preventielijn.offlimits.nl
Belgium: Stop it Now! Flanders Free. Stop it Now! Flanders is anonymous by phone, email or chat. Call 0800 200 50 or write to vragen@stopitnow.be. If you’ve been looking at sexual images of children and want to stop, their free self-help site Stoppen Is Mogelijk (“Stopping Is Possible”) was made for you, and a counselor can walk through it with you if you’d like. stopitnow.be · stoppenismogelijk.eu
Switzerland (French-speaking): DIS NO Free. DIS NO is a confidential listening line. Call 0800 600 400. disno.ch
Sweden: PrevenTell The call is free. PrevenTell is a national helpline answered by doctors, psychologists and nurses who understand unwanted sexual thoughts and urges. Call 020 66 77 88 on weekdays from 12:00 to 15:00, or leave a message any time. preventell.se
Spain: PrevenSI Please check the website for current costs. PrevenSI offers counseling and support in Spanish and Catalan. You can reach them through the contact form on their site. prevensi.es
United Kingdom: StopSO Paid; therapists charge per session. StopSO connects you with a therapist who has experience helping people who have offended or are afraid they might. Email info@stopso.org.uk or call 07473 299883. stopso.org.uk
Czech Republic: Parafilik Please check the website for current costs. Parafilik offers anonymous online counseling, a phone line and a path to treatment. Call the SexHelp line at 317 071 668. parafilik.cz
Asia
India: Don’t Offend India Free. Don’t Offend India offers an anonymous phone line and confidential therapy in Pune and Mumbai. The in-person therapy is for people who haven’t acted on their feelings. Call 1800-123-8905 (toll-free) or email contact.us@dontoffendindia.org. dontoffendindia.org
Oceania
New Zealand: Safe to Talk Free. Safe to Talk is open 24 hours a day, and that includes help for people worried about their own sexual thoughts or behavior. Call 0800 044 334 or text 4334. safetotalk.nz
We’re still searching for services in South America, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Eastern Europe. If you know of one, please tell us at info@stopallrape.com.
Listing an organization here is not an endorsement. We encourage you to confirm details directly with each service.