CIRCUMCISION INFORMATION NETWORK Formerly CIN CompuBulletin Volume 2, Number 32, 3 October 1995 THE NEW YORK TIMES, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1995, Pg. C1 Thanks to typist Barry Ellsworth, BarryBE@aol.com Edited for Brevity (Title) Early Violence Leaves Its Mark on the Brain (Subtitle) Adolescent violence is traced to abuse and neglect in childhood. (Subtitle) Early Violence Found to Be Etched in the Brain By DANIEL GOLEMAN WITH rates of violence among teenagers risxing precipitously, the argument over the causes of violent behavior has never been more charged. Nature got a hearing last month at a University of Maryland meeting on possible genetic influences on violence. Last weekend, nurture had its day, at a meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences on the childhood causes of violence. Several strands of findings presented by researchers at the weekend conference pointed to the same conclusion: brutality and cruelty to children can leave a clear mark on the chemistry of the brain. And those changes in brain chemistry may be the route by which a brutalized child becomes a violent adult. The conference also offered some glimmers of hope for changing an established inclination to violent behavior. One animal study that was particularly telling showed that normally mild-mannered golden hamsters that were threatened and attacked when they were young, and that grew up to be cowardly bullies, had lasting changes in the brain circuitry for two neurotransmitters that regulate aggression. And parallel data from several long-range studies of large groups of children show that those who were childhood victims of abuse or neglect were the most violent as teenagers. Several studies presented at the conference showed that children who were abused or otherwise severely stressed in childhood were far more likely than others to be violent as teenagers or adults. And, again, some of the data implicated changes in serotonin or related neurotransxmitter systems. A VICTIM SPEAKS Contributor wishes to remain anonymous, but speaks for many with similar experiences, including the editor. Recently by good fortune I came across the book "The Joy of Uncircumcising" by Dr. Jim Bigelow. After reading it, I finally had the real facts about circumcision. Despite being generally very well educated at University and having a Masters' degree in a scientific discipline, there were still so many basic things about male sexuality, penile function and development that I had been completely ignorant of! It is now clear to me that circumcised men are, whether they realize it or not, incapable of experiencing sex as it is truly meant to be. In my own case, as I have now discovered, I am (relatively) unseverely genitally damaged, having been the victim of a "successful" American-style infant circumcision. I always knew I had been circumcised, but it was never a big problem for me until recently. I had not had sex, but just always expected it would be indescribably wonderful. (Neither had I realized that my difficulties meeting women might have been the result of circumcision-related feelings of phallic inadequacy!) Recently I did meet a wonderful lady. When we made love, it was the biggest disappointment of my life. I told her it was wonderful, but of course she could sense that I was deeply dissatisfied with the experience---she probably thought that I felt there was something wrong with her! At this point I am fairly certain that my penile disability was the reason why the relationship failed. But at the time I didn't really know what could be wrong. I had guessed it might have been because of the circumcision, but didn't think that really was it, because such a large proportion of American men are circumcised and (so I thought) never complained about it! Since reading Bigelow's book, I have decided to try some of the restoration techniques. Being only 24 years old and not too severely circumcised, I am hopeful and optimistic that I can achieve some results in a reasonable length of time, and eventually have a normal, satisfying sexual life, the way it was meant to be. Circumcision is a cycle of ignorance. North American society and doctors do not even know many basic facts about the male anatomy and the way it is meant to develop and function! It should therefore be the job of every informed person to inform others, in the hope that eventually we will stop circumcising our little boys and leave them whole, just as is now accepted in Europe and most of the rest of the world. It is so good to know I am not alone in this. Thanks for listening! UPCOMING EVENTS On Saturday morning, 7 October, Tim Hammond and Steve Scott will present a workshop entitled "Recognizing and Healing the Wounds of Sexual Mutilation" at the Sixth World Interdisciplinary Conference on Male Sexual Victimization to be held 5-7 October in Columbus, Ohio. Rick Martin of Dallas will also staff an exhibit tale at the conference being sponsored by the National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization. For registration information contact: Learning Alliance, 324 Lafayette, New York, NY 10012 (Voice: Contributed by albfie@ix.netcom.com (Albert Fields) NOHARMM-Philadelphia will be meeting 8 Oct. 1995, 18:00, at the 401 Diner for a dinner/coffee meeting. The 401 Diner is located on Fayette St., Conshohocken (bonus points if you can pronounce it correctly), PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. All intactivists or potential intactivists welcomed. For additional information contact Miles at: witt1000@ix.netcom.com.