Pedophile
A pedophile is an adult or adolescent who is 16 years of age or older, who is sexually attracted to children who have not reached puberty, generally those below 14. Some argue that a pedophile has a mental disorder called "pedophilia".[1][2] Some people with pedophilia have sex with children or use children in a sexual way. This is called "child sexual abuse". Most, but not all, children who are sexually abused, are abused by people who have pedophilia. Some adults have pedophile feelings but do not act by sexually abusing children.
[change] Is it common?
Medical researchers do not know how many people in the population are pedophiles.[3] This is because it is hard to study people's feelings and desires unless they actually show that they have those feelings. A second reason is that when an adult or teenager sexually abuses a child, people often call the abuser a "pedophile", but it is possible that the abuse happened for a different reason. A person is only a pedophile if they are sexually attracted to children.[4] If a person sexually abuses a child to frighten or punish them, for example, then it may not be true pedophile behaviour. However, most child sexual abuse is committed by pedophiles.[5]
Not all pedophiles feel or act in the same way. Since the 1880s, psychologists have studied and shown that different pedophiles might act in different ways.[6] Here are some of the ways:
- Some pedophiles are attracted only to children for sex.
- Some pedophiles are attracted to children and also to adults for sex.
- Some pedophiles are mostly attracted to adults, but sometimes become attracted to a child instead.
- Some pedophiles enjoy sexually abusing children. When a person enjoys cruelty it is called sadism.
Some studies have shown that those pedophiles who are attracted only to children, if they act on their feelings and abuse a child, often abuse many more victims than those pedophiles who also have sex with adults.[7][8]
The people who abuse children or teenagers are often known to them, and are not strangers.[9] Around half the adults who commit child sexual abuse against strangers also abuse their own children. [10]
[change] Treatment
As of 2008, most doctors believe that pedophilia cannot be cured.[11] The current approach to deal with pedophiles tries to change the behaviour of the pedophile. It does not change their sexual attraction. Using this treatment, some sex offenders can be prevented from offending again.[12]
[change] References
- ↑ "DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PEDOPHILIA" (PDF). APA STATEMENT. American Psychiatric Association. June 17, 2003. http://web.archive.org/web/20070629090023/http://www.psych.org/news_room/press_releases/diagnosticcriteriapedophilia.pdf.
- ↑ World Health Organization, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: ICD-10 Section F65.4: Paedophilia (online access via ICD-10 site map table of contents)
- ↑ Seto, M. C. (2004). "Pedophilia and Sexual Offenses Against Children," Annual Review of Sex Research, 15, 329-369.
- ↑ Barbaree, H. E., and Seto, M. C. (1997). Pedophilia: Assessment and Treatment. Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment. 175-193.
- ↑ HALL, MD, RYAN C. W.; AND RICHARD C. W. HALL, MD, PA.. "A Profile of Pedophilia: Definition, Characteristics of Offenders, Recidivism, Treatment Outcomes, and Forensic Issues" (PDF). MAYO CLIN PROC (MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH) 82:457-471 2007. http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/pdf%2F8204%2F8204sa.pdf.
- ↑ Krafft-Ebing, R. von. (1886). Psychopathia sexualis: A medico-forensic study (1965 trans by H. E. Wedeck). New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 1-55970-425-X.
- ↑ Abel, G. G., Mittleman, M. S., & Becker, J. V. (1985). "Sex offenders: Results of assessment and recommendations for treatment." In M. H. Ben-Aron, S. J. Hucker, & C. D. Webster (Eds.), Clinical criminology: The assessment and treatment of criminal behavior (pp. 207-220). Toronto, Canada: M & M Graphics.
- ↑ Linda S. Grossman, Ph.D., Brian Martis, M.D. and Christopher G. Fichtner, M.D. (1999). Are Sex Offenders Treatable? A Research Overview. pp. 349–361work=Psychiatr Serv. PMID 10096639. http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/50/3/349.
- ↑ Lanning, Kenneth (2001). "Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis (Third Edition)" (PDF). National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. pp. p25, 27, 29. http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC70.pdf.
- ↑ M. GLASSER, FRCPsych and I. KOLVIN, FRCPsych (2001). "Cycle of child sexual abuse: links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator". British Journal of Psychiatry. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/bjprcpsych;179/6/482.
- ↑ "Treatments to Change Sexual Orientation - BERLIN 157 (5): 838 - Am J Psychiatry". http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/5/838.
- ↑ Public Policy
