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*Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger). *Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger).
*The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress ''''or'''' impiarment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. *The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress ''''or'''' impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
*The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A. *The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A.


Revision as of 10:25, 14 June 2007

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Pedophilia or pædophilia (see spelling differences) is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent or peripubescent children. Pedophilia is described as a mental disorder by standard diagnosis manuals, including the DSM IV and ICD-10. A person with this attraction is called a pedophile or paedophile.

In contrast to the generally accepted medical definition, the term pedophile is also used colloquially to denote an adult who is sexually attracted to children or sexually attracted to adolescents below the local age of consent, as well as those who have sexually abused a child. Child sexual abuse is an illegal activity in most jurisdictions.


Definitions

The word comes from the Greek paidophilia (παιδοφιλία): pais (παις, "child") and philia (φιλία, "love, friendship"). Paidophilia was coined by Greek poets either as a substitute for "paiderastia" (pederasty), or vice versa.

The term paedophilia erotica was coined in 1886 by the Vienna psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his writing Psychopathia Sexualis. He gave the following characteristics:

  • the sexual interest is toward children, either prepubescent or at the beginning of puberty
  • the sexual interest is the primary one, that is, exclusively or mainly toward children
  • the sexual interest remains over time

As this definition would include many adolescents and prepubescents, some experts who theorise that minor-attraction is more common among youth, specify that the interest must be toward children at least five years younger than the subject.

Adults sexually attracted to children were placed into three categories by Krafft-Ebing:

  • a.) pedophile
  • b.) surrogate (that is, the child is regarded as a surrogate object for a preferred, non-available adult object)
  • c.) sadistic

Other researchers used their own terms for the Krafft-Ebing categories:

  • a.) preferential/structured/fixed (i. e. pedophile) type,
  • b.) situational/opportunistic/regressed/incest (i. e. surrogate) type
  • c.) sadistic (no change)

This three-type model as well as the fundamental mental and behavioural differences of the three types were empirically evidenced, among others, by Kinsey; Howells 1981; Abel, Mittleman & Becker 1985; Knight et al. 1985; Brongersma 1990; McConaghy 1993; Ward et al. 1995; Hoffmann 1996; Seikowski 1999.

The term pedophile is commonly used to describe all child sexual offenders, even those who do not meet the clinical diagnosis standards. This use is seen as problematic by some people, Nevertheless, some researchers, such as Howard E. Barbaree, have endorsed the use of actions as a sole criterion for the diagnosis of pedophilia as a means of taxonomic simplification, rebuking the American Psychiatric Association's standards as "unsatisfactory". Child sexual abuse, whether perpetrated by a clinically diagnosed pedophile or a situational offender, is illegal in most jurisdictions.

Some individuals, such as Dr. Fred S. Berlin, assert sexual attraction to children to be a sexual orientation in itself. Berlin asserts, "I think it can be both a disorder and an orientation." Dan Markussen, spokesman for Danish Pedophile Association, argues that "sexual orientation is defined as a lifelong attraction, which pedophilia obviously is."

Diagnosis

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (F65.4) defines pedophilia as "a sexual preference for children, boys or girls or both, usually of prepubertal or early pubertal age."

The APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition, Text Revision gives the following as its "Diagnostic criteria for 302.2 Pedophilia":

  • Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger).
  • The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress 'or' impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
  • The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A.

The APA diagnostic criteria do not require actual sexual activity with a child. The diagnosis can therefore be made based on the presence of fantasies or sexual urges alone, provided the subject meets the remaining criteria. "For individuals in late adolescence with Pedophilia, no precise age difference is specified, and clinical judgment must be used." (p. 527 DSM

Extent of occurrence

Occurrence in child sex offenders

A perpetrator of child sexual abuse is commonly assumed to be a pedophile, and referred to as such; however, there may be other motivations for the crime (such as stress, marital problems, or the unavailability of an adult partner), much as adult rape can have non-sexual reasons. Thus, child sexual abuse alone may or may not be an indicator that its perpetrator is a pedophile.

As noted by Abel, Mittleman, and Becker (1985) and Ward et al. (1995), there are generally large distinctions between the two types of offenders' characteristics. Situational offenders tend to offend at times of stress; have a later onset of offending; have fewer, often familial victims; and have a general preference for adult partners. Pedophilic offenders, however, often start offending at an early age; often have a large number of victims who are frequently extrafamilial; are more inwardly driven to offend; and have values or beliefs that strongly support an offense lifestyle.

Attempts have been made to use "profiling" to identify pedophiles, however, these methods have come under sharp criticism for making claims that are not supported by the evidence.

Treatment

A number of proposed treatment techniques for pedophilia have been developed. Many regard pedophilia as highly resistant to psychological interference and have dismissed as ineffective most "reparative strategies." Others, such as Dr. Fred Berlin, believe pedophilia can "indeed be successfully treated," if only the medical community would give it more attention. The reported success rate of modern "reparative" treatment on pedophiles is very low.

Medical therapies

Anti-androgenic medications such as Depo Provera may be used to lower testosterone levels, and are often used in conjunction with the non-medical approaches above. (This is commonly referred to as "chemical castration.") Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, which last longer and have less side effects, are also effective in reducing libido and may be used.

Other programs induce an association of illegal behavior with pain by means of the more controversial aversion therapy, in which the pedophile is given an electric shock while fantasizing. A study by the Council on Scientific Affairs found that the success rate of aversion therapy was parallel to that of homosexual reparative therapy; that is to say, extremely low. This method is rarely used on pedophiles who have not offended.

Convicted sex offenders, including many pedophiles, have been treated by the psychosurgical procedure commonly known as lobotomization. Psychosurgery has long been controversial, particularly the historical use of surgical intervention on homosexuals given that homosexuality is no longer considered a mental illness by the psychiatric community (see for instance Rieber et al. 1976; Sigusch 1977; Rieber & Sigusch 1979; Schorsch & Schmidt 1979)

Thalamotomy is an alternative surgical treatment of sex offenders in practice since the problems with leucotomy have been commonly known (see Greist 1990; Diering & Bell 1991; Hay & Sachdev 1992; Rappaport 1992; de la Porte 1993; Poynton 1993; Bridges et al. 1994; Cummings et al. 1995) and is increasingly advertised as an "effective therapy" for sex offenders (as well as for some children suffering from symptoms of child sexual abuse, since the 1980s (see for instance Andy 1970; Bradford 1988a; Wyre & Swift 1991; Abel et al. 1992; Bridges et al. 1994; Cummings et al. 1995). As Levey and Curfman have noted, however, given the availability of psychopharmacological treatment options, psychosurgical interventions are not likely to be employed given their extreme side effects and irreversible nature. See the same article for an in depth review of treatment options and diagnostic criteria. Additionally Reid 2002 writes that neurosurgery for sex offenders is "essentially unavailable" in the United States and that data on its use is sparse.

Klaus M. Beier of the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine at Charité, a large university hospital in Berlin, Germany, reported success in a preliminary study using role-play therapy and medicine. According to researchers, the pedophiles were better able to control their urges once they understood the child's view.

Related terms

  • Ephebophilia, also known as hebephilia, is the condition of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to adolescents. These terms are used in contrast with pedophilia; however, in jurisdictions where the legal age of consent is higher (like USA and Britain), pedophilia is sometimes used more broadly in a non-medical sense to describe both ephebophilia and attraction to younger children; in effect, any person younger than the legal age of consent. Ephebophilia does not have broad academic acceptance as constituting a paraphilia.
  • Pederasty has historically been given sharply different meanings, sometimes referring to male homosexual interactions in general, sometimes to anal sex in general, and sometimes specifically to sex between men and boys. In academic usage the word has still a fourth meaning, referring specifically to the age-structured homosexual interactions practiced in classical Greece between older men and adolescent boys, and by extension to age-structured homosexual interactions in other cultures.
  • Nepiophilia, also called infantophilia, is the attraction to toddlers and infants (usually ages 0–3). Some researchers have suggested a distinction between pedophilia and nepiophilia, especially for same-sex pedophilia (see for example Bernard 1975, 1982; Lautmann 1994), as it is unusual for pedophiles to prefer toddlers. According to Howells 1981; Bernard 1982; McConaghy 1993; Lautmann 1994, male-oriented pedophilia more prevalently blends in with ephebophilia, while female-oriented pedophilia more prevalently blends in with nepiophilia.
  • Gerontophilia is the condition of being sexually attracted to the elderly.

Pro-pedophile activism

Main article: Pedophile activism

The pro-pedophile activism movement, referred to by some supporters as the childlove movement, is a social movement that encompasses a wide variety of views, but generally advocates one or more of the following: social acceptance of adults' romantic or sexual attraction to children; social acceptance of adults' sexual activity with children; and changes in institutions of concern to pedophiles, such as changing age-of-consent laws and mental illness classifications. The most high profile pedophile activism group is the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), which advocates the legalization of sexual relationships between men and boys. See History of pro-pedophile activism.

See also

Notes and references

  1. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec07/ch104/ch104c.html
  2. Ames, A. & Houston, D. A. (1990). "Legal, social, and biological definitions of pedophilia." Archives of Sexual Behavior. 19 (4), 333-342.
  3. Liddell, H.G., and Scott, Robert (1959). Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. ISBN 0-19-910206-6.
  4. Anonymous (probably Geigel, Alois. 1869) Das Paradoxon der Venus Urania ("The paradox of man-manly love"), p. 6. OCLC 68582227 OCLC 77768935 Reprinted as a complete facsimile in Hohmann, Joachim S. (1977). Der unterdrückte Sexus ("Historical oppression of sexuality"). ISBN 3879587124 Template:De icon. The anonymous 1869 author had harshly rejected the theories of early LGBT activist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs whose "filthy pederasty" he contrasted with chaste, "sublime paedophilia" basing both definitions on the classical meaning boy for παις instead of the non-classical meaning child, and εραστια ("erastia") as pure "sexual desire", contrasted with more sublime φιλία.
  5. Krafft-Ebing, Richard von (1886). Psychopathia Sexualis. English translation: ISBN 1-55970-425-X.
  6. Howells, K. (1981). "Adult sexual interest in children: Considerations relevant to theories of aetiology," Adult sexual interest in children, 55-94.
  7. 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.
  8. Knight, R.; Rosenberg, R.; Schneider, B. (1985). "Classification of sex offenders: Perspectives, methods, and validation" In A. W. Burgess (Ed.) Rape and sexual assault: A research handbook (pp. 222-293). New York: Garland.
  9. Edward Brongersma (1990): "Boy-Lovers and Their Influence on Boys: Distorted Research and Anecdotal Observations" In Journal of Homosexuality 20 - 1/2
  10. McConaghy, Nathaniel (1993). "Sexual Behaviour: Problems and Management", 312, New York: Plenum
  11. Ward, T., Hudson, S. M., Marshall, W. L., & Siegert, R. J. (1995). "Attachment style and intimacy deficits in sexual offenders: A theoretical framework." In Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 7, 317-334.
  12. Hoffmann, R. (1996). "Die Lebenswelt des Pädophilen: Rahmen, Rituale und Dramaturgie der pädophilen Begegnung" (Paedophile conduct: Context, rituals, and choreography of paedophile contacts). Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag Template:De icon
  13. Seikowski, K. (1999). "Pädophilie: Definition, Abgrenzung und Entwicklungsbedingungen" ("Paedophilia: Definition, distinguishing features, and aetiology") In Sexualmedizin 21, pp. 327-332 Template:De icon
  14. Edwards, M. (1997) "Treatment for Paedophiles; Treatment for Sex Offenders." Paedophile Policy and Prevention, Australian Institute of Criminology Research and Public Policy Series (12), 74-75.
  15. Underwager, Ralph and Wakefield, Hollida (1995). "Special Problems with Sexual Abuse Cases: Assessment of the Accused Adult." In J. Ziskin (Ed.) Coping With Psychiatric and Psychological Testimony (Fifth Edition). Los Angeles: Law and Psychology Press. pp. 1315-1370. ISBN 1-879689-07-3
  16. Feierman, J. (1990). "Introduction" and "A Biosocial Overview," Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions, 1-68.
  17. ^ Barbaree, H. E., and Seto, M. C. (1997). Pedophilia: Assessment and Treatment. Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment. 175-193.
  18. Musk, H., and Swetz, A. (1997). "Pedophilia in the correctional system," Corrections Today, 59(5), 24–28. "Pedophilia is a sexual orientation characterized by sexual attraction to children."
  19. Jones, G. (1990). "The Study of Intergenerational Intimacy in North America: Beyond Politics and Pedophilia," Journal of Homosexuality, 20(1-2), 288. "Intergenerational attraction on the part of some adults could constitute a lifestyle 'orientation', rather than a pathological maladjustment."
  20. ^ Edwards, Douglas J. (2004). Mental Health's Cold Shoulder Treatment of Pedophilia in Behavioral Health Management, May-June.
  21. Berlin, Fred (2000). "Treatments to Change Sexual Orientation," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 157.
  22. ^ Flanagan, Russ (2004). ""I'm tired of being forced into the shadows by society," The Express-Times, 22 February.
  23. World Health Organization, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10. § F65.4
  24. American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition), § 302.2
  25. American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition)
  26. Howells, K. (1981). "Adult sexual interest in children: Considerations relevant to theories of aetiology," Adult sexual interest in children, 55-94.
  27. 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.
  28. Campbell, Terence W., The Reliability and Validity of Gardner's Indicators of Pedophilia. Issues in Child Abuse Accusations (5), online at http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume5/j5_3_4.htm
  29. ^ Crawford, David (1981). "Treatment approaches with pedophiles." Adult sexual interest in children. 181-217.
  30. Cohen, L.J. & Galynker, I. I. (2002). Clinical features of pedophilia and implications for treatment. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 8, 276-289.
  31. "Can pedophiles be treated?" Whyfiles.org
  32. Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association (1987). "Aversion therapy," Journal of the American Medical Association, 258(18), 2562-2565.
  33. Rieber, I. et al. (1976). "Stellungnahme zu stereotaktischen Hirnoperationen an Menschen mit abweichendem Sexualverhalten" (Statement on stereotactical brain surgery performed on people exhibiting deviant sexual behaviour), Monatsschrift Kriminologie ("Criminological monthly"), no. 59, pp. 216-222. Template:De icon
  34. Sigusch, V. (1977). "Medizinische Experimente am Menschen: Das Beispiel Psychochirurgie; Beiwerk des Jahrbuchs für kritische Medizin, Bd. 2" (Medical experiments in human: Example neurosurgery; supplement of the Annual of Critical Medicine, vol. 2). Template:De icon
  35. Rieber, I. & Sigusch, V. (1979). "Psychosurgery on sex offenders and sexual 'deviants' in West Germany", Archives of Sexual Behaviour, no. 8, pp 523-527
  36. Schorsch, E & Schmidt, G. (1979). "Hypatholomie bei sexuellen Abweichungen - Eine Kritik aus sexualwissenschaftlicher Sicht" (Hypothalamotomy in cases of sexual deviance: A criticism from a sexuological perspective)
  37. Greist, J. H. (1990). "Treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: Psychotherapies, drugs, and other somatic treatment", Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, no. 5 (Suppl.), 44-50.
  38. Diering, S. L. & Bell, W. O. (1991). "Functional neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders: A historical perspective", Stereotactical Functional Neurosurgery, no. 57, 175-194.'
  39. Hay, P. J. & Sachdev, P. S. (1992). "The present status of psychosurgery in Australia and New Zealand", Medical Journal of Australia, no. 157, 17-19
  40. Rappaport, Z. H. (1992). "Psychosurgery in the modern era: Therapeutic and ethical aspects", Medical Law, no. 11, 449-453
  41. Porte, C. de la (1993). "Technial possibilities and limitations of stereotaxy", Acta Neurochirurgica, no. 124, 3-6
  42. Poynton, A. M. (1993). "Current state of psychosurgery", British Journal of Hospital Medicine, no. 40, 408-411
  43. ^ Bridges, P. K. et al (1994). "Psychosurgery: Stereotactic subcaudate tractomy. An indispensable treatment", British Journal of Psychiatry, no. 165, 599-611
  44. ^ Cummings, S. et al. (1995). "Neuropsychological outcome from psychosurgery for obsessive-compulsive disorder", Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, no. 29, 33-39
  45. Andy, O. J. (1970). "Thalamotomy in hyperactive and aggressive behaviour", Conf. Neurol., no. 32, 322-325
  46. Bradford, J. M. W. (1988). "Organic treatment for the male sexual offender", Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., no. 528, 193-202
  47. Wyre, R. & Swift, A. (1991): " 'Und bist du nicht willig...': Die Täter" ("Don't fight it...": Sexual offenders), Köln/Germany: Volksblattverlag Template:De icon
  48. Abel. G. G. et al. (1992). "Current treatments of paraphiliacs", Ann. Rev. Sex. Res., no. 3, 255-290
  49. Reid (2002). "Sexual Predator Evaluations and Commitments", Journal of Psychiatric Practice Vol. 8, No. 5
  50. http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=8937
  51. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2570472,00.html
  52. Howells, Kevin (1981). "Considerations Relevant to Theories of Etiology", Cook, M.; Howells, K. Adult Sexual Interest in Children, 78
  53. Cite error: The named reference bernard1982a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  54. Bernard, Frits (1982): "Pädophilie und Altersgrenzen" (Paedophilia and different ages of childhood), Bernard, Frits. Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie, von der Liebe mit Kindern ("Child molesters? Paedophilia, on childlove"), 81-109, Berlin: Foerster Verlag. Template:De icon
  55. McConaghy, Nathaniel (1993). "Sexual Behaviour: Problems and Management", 312, New York: Plenum.
  56. Lautmann, Rüdiger (1994): "Unterschiede zwischen Knaben- und Mädchenliebe" (Differences of boy-love and girl-love), Lautmann, Rüdiger. Die Lust am Kind - Portrait des Pädophilen ("Erotic affection for minors: Portrait of paedophilia"), 36-40, Hamburg: Ingrid Klein Verlag. Template:De icon
  • Abel GG: Behavioral treatment of child molesters, in Perspectives on Behavioral Medicine. Edited by Stunkard AJ, Baum A. New York, Lawrence Erlbaum, 1989, pp 223-242
  • Abel GG, Blanchard EB: The role of fantasy in the treatment of sexual deviation. Arch Gen Psychiatry 30:467-475, 1974
  • Abel GG, Osborn CA: Clinical syndromes of adult psychiatry: the paraphilias, in The Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry. New York, Oxford University Press, in press
  • Abel GG, Rouleau J-L: Male sex offenders, in Handbook of Outpatient Treatment of Adults. Edited by Thase ME, Edelstein BA, Hersen M. New York, Plenum, 1990, pp 271-290
  • Fagan P. J. et al (2002). "Pedophilia" (requires registration). Journal of the American Medical Association. 288, 2458-2465.
  • Levine, Judith. (2002). Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Discusses the perception and reality of pedophilia. ISBN 0-8166-4006-8.
  • Pryor, Douglass, Unspeakable Acts: Why Men Sexually Abuse Children, New York Univ. Press, 1996.
  • Rind et al. (1998). "A meta-analytic examination of assumed properties of child sexual abuse using college samples." Psychological Bulletin. 124 (1), 22-53.
  • Scruton, Roger, Sexual Desire: A Moral Philosophy of the Erotic, Free, 1986.
  • Wilson, Paul R. (1981). Paul Wilson: The Man They Called a Monster. Melbourne: Cassell Australia. ISBN 0-7269-9282-8. (Book about a court reporter who had sexual relationships with 2500 adolescent males; includes interviews with the later adults who reflect on these relationships.)

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