Nirja shah
What is pedophilia?
Despite it being such a pertinent topic of discussion why is it considered a taboo or a controversial topic to talk about?
The term Pedophilia comes from the psychological pedophilic disorder which is characterized by intense recurring sexual fantasies, desires, urges, arousals or behavior involving young or prepubescent adolescents for over a period of six months.
The Legal criteria for pedophilia differ from that of the psychiatric criteria. For an individual to be clinically diagnosed with pedophilic disorder they need to be 16 years of age and above as well as be 5 years and older than the child who is the target of their urges and behaviors.
How prevalent is pedophilia?
There are two ways to understand the prevalence of pedophilia: either count the number of molesters or the molestees. Unfortunately, collecting reliable data for either is tricky as most cases typically come to light only as part of a criminal investigation or during psychological treatment.
- EACH YEAR ALMOST 4 MILLION CHILDREN ARE CLASSIFIED AS SUBSTANTIAL VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE.
- MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF CHILD ABUSE SURVIVORS ABUSE THEIR CHILDREN AS ADULTS
- 3/5% OF MALES EXPIRIENCE THIS DISORDER.
Are the criteria for pedophilia universal?
Many cultures accept sexual relations, marriage, and childbearing at an age much younger than what is deemed appropriate according to Western cultures. In some cultures, a greater age disparity between partners is not only approved but also common behavior.
In most of these cases, there is mutual, social, cultural, or legal consent between the two partners. What separates these instances from pedophilia is consent and social norms coupled with the age of the child.
Are pedophiles only attracted to children?
Pedophilia is considered a deviant sexual attraction to young adolescents or children by either a female or male.
There are two forms of pedophilia, namely, exclusive form and nonexclusive form. Exclusive, wherein the pedophile is specifically sexually aroused to children and nonexclusive pedophilia if they are attracted to both children as well as adults. It is termed incestuous pedophilia if they are attracted to children they are related to.
Keeping this into consideration, all pedophiles are categorized into different types based on their differing tendencies and intensity of symptoms. The various categories are as follows:
- The naïve offender– This type of pedophilia may be due to various reasons like un-education wherein they are unaware of the impropriety of sexual relations with children.
- The fixated offender– In this type, the pedophile views themselves as children, thereby viewing their crimes against children as a way to reconnect with their past.
- The regressed offender– These are usually known as peeping toms, that might creep onto children or watch them from afar. They wait for the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the child. They usually prefer children that are strangers and of the opposite sex.
- The mysoped– The most violent and dangerous among all pedophiles are the mysoped. These are the ones that not only fantasize but work towards making their fantasies into a reality. They stalk and kidnap the victims, oftentimes brutally harming them, disfiguring them, or killing them in the process of their sexual satisfaction. Many predatory pedophiles have been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder as well.
- The female pedophile– Can be termed under any of the mentioned categories but is given special importance because of the rarity of its occurrence. Kathy Smiljanich and John Briere in their study in 1996 found a cogent gender discrepancy among pedophiles: roughly seven out of eight pedophiles were men.
- It was observed that females usually cloak their pedophilic tendencies under their motherly nature when molesting the children most of whom are their own. Males are often socially conditioned to be embarrassed to confess to having been sexually molested by a woman, a stain on their masculinity, which further makes it difficult to identify a female pedophile.
- Furthermore, some patriarchal societies believe this to be a favor to the male that they should quietly accept and be grateful for which further makes it even more difficult to catch female child-abusers, molesters, and pedophiles.
Are all pedophiles child molesters?
Although in both the conditions the target is generally below the age of 13 years, not all child molesters are pedophiles and vice versa. While pedophilia is more so a sexual orientation towards children, defined by their desires. On the other hand, child molesters are defined by their actions.
Are all pedophiles clinically diagnosed with a disorder?
Pedophilic disorder pertains to individuals who freely disclose their interest in children as well as those who deny any sexual arousal and desire despite substantial evidence of the attraction. If an individual complains that this interest and attraction is causing them psychosocial distress, only then may they be diagnosed with the pedophilic disorder.
On the other hand, if they do not feel any form of shame, anxiety, or guilt related to these interests or have never acted on these impulses, they can be seen as having pedophilic sexual orientation but not a pedophilic disorder. An individual who denies their interest in children/adolescents but clearly seeks them out and does foster this interest may still be diagnosed with the pedophilic disorder.
What are the symptoms of the pedophilic disorder?
Extensive use of child pornography is a reliable indicator of sexual attraction towards children. However, watching child pornography, by itself, does not meet the criteria for pedophilic disorder, although it is typically illegal.
If a pedophile denies sexual attraction towards children but circumstances suggest otherwise, certain diagnostic tools can help confirm such attraction. Tools include penile plethysmography (men), vaginal photoplethysmography (women), and viewing time of standardized erotic materials are some other diagnostic tools that could be utilized if the client is in denial of their sexual attractions.
Practitioners, take into account the fact that possession of such material, even for diagnostic purposes, may be illegal in certain jurisdictions.
What are the harmful coping strategies of pedophiles?
As the course of the pedophilic disorder is chronic, the perpetrators often develop substance abuse, depression or dependence. A personal history of sexual abuse, pervasive family dysfunction, and marital conflict are common. It could lead to other disorders such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic disorder.
Is pedophilic disorder treatable?
Yes, various methods such as psychotherapy, treatment of comorbid disorders, and drug treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antiandrogens can be utilized to combat this disorder.
Long-term individual or group psychotherapy is normally helpful, especially when it is part of multimodal treatment that includes social skills training.
It has been observed that the treatment of pedophilia is less effective when ordered under compulsion by the court, although many adjudicated sex offenders have benefited from such treatments. Individuals that sign up themselves and seek help are more likely to gain from such treatments.
Some pedophiles who no longer display symptoms of psychiatric disorders and are committed to treatment and monitoring are reintegrated into society. this could only occur under the approval of a psychiatrist and/or the court.
Myths about pedophilia
- Pedophiles are dirty old men
- Any individual with an adult partner significantly younger than them is a pedophile
- Pedophiles are mentally ill
While current research indicates that one cannot change their sexual attraction, interventions can help people to manage their attraction in harmless ways thus reducing child sexual abuse by up to 30%.
