Pedophilia: A Disorder, Not a Crime (NYTimes)

by NewYork44M 73 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  GrreatTeacher

  Thank you, sir82.

  Pedophilia is the disordered attraction. Child molestation is the crime.

  I think some have not read carefully and have misunderstood.
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  Simon

  OK, if you read the article it makes more sense and the title is a little sensationalist (click bait?).

  The basic premise is that it's better for people to be open about and get treatment for their disorder than to hide it and eventually commit the real crime of molestation. It's not trying to excuse the crime in any way and yes, trying to legislate against 'thought crime' is something only the religious attempt.

  This is similar to a study (or policy?) in Canada where they tried to address the social isolation which led some to commit abuse and it was successful in bringing offending rates down. It is hardly a vote winner ("invite a podophile over for dinner !") but if the aim is to prevent abuse and people being victimised it was more beneficial from that perspective. I can't remember the name or else I'd post a link - there was a documentary or news segment about it some years ago.
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  NewYork44M

  The article made me very uncomfortable. What I initially expressed, and restated by Flipper, was my understanding that this is more than wet dream. I have had many less than saintly thoughts, but I never thought that I needed help. The number afflicted seems higher that I realized, and as we know not all people are able to keep their demons at bay. Feeling sorry for these people is an emotion that I have little interest in; however, I don’t suggest I have an answer.
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  hamsterbait

  Attempting to kill yourself used to be a crime - people were sent to jail. Wanting to die is now a disorder.

  God help us all if our most evil thoughts and impulses can be detected and punished by the state.
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  Hortensia

  I kind of think that pedophilia is part of the sexual spectrum -- people are attracted to others in a variety of ways, opposite sex, same sex, no sex, children, porn, masturbation, animals. HOWEVER, acting on sexual impulses by victimizing/harming others is wrong and criminal. Rape is criminal, sex with children is criminal. I find it far too disturbing to think I would ever actually feel sorry for a pedophile, but I can see that it might be possible for some to pity them for being born with dangerous antisocial impulses.

  I don't know enough to be absolute about this, but I believe that pedophiles can be born or made. How often do victims of sexual abuse when children become abusers when they are adults? I don't know, but I wonder.
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  Mikado

  I've often wondered if there isn't a level of compulsive,obsessive disorder about this...look at what they are willing to risk in order to abuse children... in years to come I think there will be some very interesting research done regarding this.
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  AmericanCaesar

  I think pedophilia, as the others psychological disorders, needs to be studied. If you think about, for exemple, in epilepsy, we today can say that this is a neurological problem, and it affects all your life. But we know what it is. But before, many said that it was related to Satan, Demons, and many people were killed because the religion and the non-compreensive minds.

  Today, we can do with the pedophilia the same we did with epilepsy. We can kill all pedophiles, or we can listen to them and learn how help this people and the victims.
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  prologos

  Sexual urges are very powerful , triggered by hormones and stimuly. Could these be of a learned nature to some degree?, like migrating birds sensing the smells, looks, sounds of the nesting grounds of their youth?. Perhaps the legitimate, innocent sex explorations of children, youngsters leave such a deep impression that in some people they will linger into adulthood., as THE happening, with these kind of partners.

  Then there is the constant visual display of bodies appealing to the hebephilia afflicted. Remember Twiggy?

  Strong condemnation of acting on these impulses, publicisizing sentenses imposed, vigilance is going a long way to stop crimes.

  then there is Rotherham
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  Paralipomenon

  Some disorders can lead to crimes. The major difference is how they are punished.

  Criminally insane are institutionalized and their disorder treated, so if/when they are released, they have the medication and support to help them not reoffend.

  The big thing for me would be, if they classify pedophilia as a disorder, can it be treated or cured? If not, then there is no point in going through the motions of treating it, just put them in the regular prison system. But if they can respond to treatment, I'd much rather they get help.

  The rate of reoffending is the highest of all crimes I think. If it is not a disorder, then they need to look at increasing the minimum sentance for it.
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  DJS

  There has been a lot of research conducted on pedophilia. Google scholar illustrates the volume. Based on what I read:

  1. Pedophiles are almost always male – theories suggest it has something to do with the Y chromosome and other male traits.

  2. Not everyone who assaults children is a pedophile – the ‘true’ definition of a pedophile is one who becomes sexually aroused by pre-pubescent children.

  3. Not all pedophiles molest children.

  4. Some researchers suggest that some causes could be traced to en-utero and be the result of environmental factors such as alcohol, drugs, smoking, lead, etc.

  5. Although some suggest that pedophiles are more likely to have been sexually molested themselves as children, when controlled tests were conducted, this became much less significant as a factor. In other words, a lot of pedophiles – once caught – blame shift.

  6. Some research suggests that other factors, such as early childhood brain trauma, low IQ, etc. may contribute.

  7. “True’ pedophiles become sexually aroused by images of pre-pubescent children, just as most hetero males become sexually aroused by fully formed females .(I’m extremely shallow – without boobs (Big) and a great ass and waist to hip ratio I’m not interested). Regardless of the root cause of a pedophile’s lust, experts indicate that they can’t change this any more than a ‘true’ hetero can change their desires. This is the reason why convicted pedophiles have their names, faces and addresses listed on websites in the US. So one could state that the ‘minimum’ sentence for a convicted pedophile is the rest of their life.