Paedophilia in the German Youth Movement. A cultural studies approach

During the last couple of years, cases of sexual abuse committed by members of the German youth movement have been made publicly known, causing distress on the local scene. It is becoming apparent that sexual relationships, especially those between pubescent boys and people shaped by the German youth movement, should not be understood as isolated individual cases in alternative cultural conditions. Some groups in particular represent erotic relationship ideas and everyday cultures that offer offenders self-legitimation and make it possible to conceal sexual violence, based on fundamental power, knowledge and experience gaps, within the group structure. This article provides an insight into a current doctoral project, within the field of European Ethnology, devoting itself to the process of working through the problem from a cultural studies perspective.