CIN (Circumcision Information Network) 2:32

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.
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