Conversion Therapy Research Paper

Professional medical and mental health association has banned conversion therapy because they deemed it as “unnecessary, ineffective, and dangerous”. Most studies suggest that sexual orientation cannot be changed. In fact, in 2000, the American Psychiatric Association published a statement concluding that: “Over the last four decades, ‘reparative’ therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure” in fact, “there is no sound scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed”(UK Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2009). Another study that supports the ineffectiveness of conversion therapy is that of psychologist George Rekers when he treated a 5-year-old boy in the 1970’s that illustrated

In this instance, Rekers considered his treatment methods to be successful whereas, Murphy felt otherwise as he attempted to take his life as a teenager and later committed suicide as an adult. From this study and these academic journals, it is clear that conversion therapy does not work, yet, it is pretty ironic that non professionals are encouraging the continuation of it when professionals are banning it due to the harmful effects it has on children. Harmful situations such as using authoritative figures like parents to coerce or force impressionable children into a situation where the outcomes are only desirable by this said authoritative figures, which can only cause harm and confusion in the minds of young and easily persuaded children. This incredible irony lies flat out in the knowledge that professionals are concerned about not only the methods used in conversion therapy but also the harmful outcomes. Whereas, non professionals have almost no regard the amount of mental damage done to their patients or the possible physical self-harm and tragically