Pedophilia: A Disorder, Not a Crime (NYTimes)

by NewYork44M 73 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  DJS

  DogGone,

  Thank you as well for your rational contribution to this topic. I'm at a loss to understand the dumbasses among us who lack the self control to avoid the keyboard when all they have to offer is red-neck, reactionary, emotional hysteria. I see nothing wrong with the article. I would guess that everyone on this site abhors sexual child abuse and none of us have any tolerance for the behavior and believe that society's strongest condemnation and punishment for the act is justified.

  It is also likely that those of us who are parents would kill - or feel like kiliing - anyone who touched our child in such manner. Let's all concur and move on to trying to understand this issue. Those who contribute nothing more than emotional, irrational hysteria would do better to exercise self control and learn. Or do some very good research about the topic before posting. That seems to be too much work for some; they would rather vent, showing their stupidity for the world to see.

  Flip, pedophilia is NOT a crime. Acting on it is. WTF is wrong with you and those like you? Is heterosexuality a crime? Is being left handed a crime?

  Another very good study found that convicted pedophiles are 3 times more likely to be left handed than average, and researchers suggest there may be a neurological link. None of us on this site, to my knowledge, are experts on this topic, but all of us can seek to understand it better. And we owe it to one another, the topic, the lurkers and just damn good debating to keep quiet or provide something of value. I would suggest that those who provide nothing but reactionary emotional nonsense are, by Myers-Briggs, feelers/perceivers, more likely to be theist than non-theist, and less likely to have advanced education.

  Otherwise, Gregor and those like him are correct that the sexual abuse of a child is horrific and usually has long lasting consequences. There is no tolerance for such in society, nor should there be. That is not what the discussion is about.
• 

  flipper

  DJS - WTF is wrong with me ? Nothing. WTF is wrong with YOU ? Good lord. Seems a lot.

  Definition of pedophilia from the Websters Dictionary , : " abnormal sexual desire in an adult for children " . I agree ACTING on pedophilia is officially in a physical way a crime called child abuse- yes- a felony in the U.S. - however you do not view it as a crime against children or humanity to have " ABNORMAL sexual desire for children " ? As I stated WTF is wrong with YOUR view ? I don't see where heterosexuality can even be COMPARED to pedophilia because you are dealing with NORMAL sexual desires as opposed to ABNORMAL attraction to children or minors which involves the use of control, coercion, and at times violence to rape minors. You are comparing apples with oranges here
• 

  Apognophos

  There's no hard line between attraction to pubescent children and attraction to adults. We know that in ancient cultures, "women" were often married off at 16, 14 or 12. People saw nothing wrong with it at the time, perhaps partly due to shorter life expectancies (though they weren't as short as most people think these days). Nowadays, if someone is born with an interest in that same age group, they are branded as the worst kind of filth. Isn't that interesting?
• 

  prologos

  Flipper, think for a moment only about the STRENGTHs of the sexual desire.

  If you courted your wife as a true blood JW, yielding to these strong desires would end you disciplined,

  with a wedding before a judge, not in the KH.

  In the JW mind pre-sexual relations are a dishonoring PRACTISE, but the 'romantic feelings' are a celebrated fact of life. (do you get the difference)

  Given that Pedophiliais is not a choice, The nearly world-wide condemnation of child rape, lewd pedophile behaviour will serve well to put a lid on it, not a lid to cover up, but to control,- divert into different releases hopefully.

  so: there will be cases that merit your type of response, deservedly so, let them be instruments to end child abuse.
• 

  flipper

  APOGNOPHOS- When you are dealing with pre-teen children ages 12 or under I feel that yes, DEFINITELY you can draw a line in that age group. Of course young minors who are teenagers grow gradually into adults and take on adult like features physically and otherwise- however acting like a 12 yr.old or younger is ready for sexual activity is going beyond stretching it- it's criminal
• 

  DogGone

  Flipper: "however you do not view it as a crime against children or humanity to have " ABNORMAL sexual desire for children " ?"

  Answer: No.

  Apognophos: " perhaps partly due to shorter life expectancies (though they weren't as short as most people think these days)."

  THANK-YOU. One of my biggest pet peeves is how historical life expectancy at birth is casually used to state how long people lived. This act of ignorance is not restricted to the public or the media; I have frequently seen scientists and erudite commentators make the same error. I start yelling at the paper, the book, or the TV when this happens. Fortunately, they never yell back.
• 

  DJS

  Flip,

  Of course it is aberrant. We all have stated that. Acting on it is illegal and damaging to children and society. We all know that and agree. That isn't the point the article is making or the point many of us are making. The condition is who they are. Read the posts on this OP or the article. Pedophiles are sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children in the same manner that I'm attracted to fully formed females. More and more research indicates this is who they are; they didn't choose it.

  From Wiki: Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children, generally age 11 years or younger.

  Their attraction is NOT a crime. Some studies suggest that half or more of true pedophiles - those who are sexually attracted to children - never act on it. Read the earilier posts on this; there are some very good ones. The reason they place convicted pedophiles on registries, which btw you can google in any US community to see the names, faces and addresses of convicted pedophiles, is that the best research indicates that they may re-offend because the sexual attraction is what and who they are. All we are saying is that the condition and the act are two very different things. The former deserves understanding, treatment, intervention, etc., while the latter deserves the full wrath of society.
• 

  Apognophos

  DogGone: Heh, yes, it's a pet peeve of mine too when people misunderstand life expectancy. Reading a little history goes a long way. When reading about Alexander the Great in the 300s B.C., you encounter plenty of people who lived into their 80s, including one of Alexander's generals who fought on the front lines, and Isocrates the writer, who is documented to have lived to around 98.

  It seems to me that some people have slippery-slope-a-phobia, which is the fear that a small bit of wiggle room will lead to something catastrophic. Somehow acknowledging that pedophiles were born that way will lead to a society where pedophiles are allowed to freely roam the land, abusing children as they go. In reality the main difference that it makes, if society accepts this fact, is that there will be more focus on treatment, and less violent loathing, of people who are cursed with genes that are out of their proper place and time.

  Edit: That's not to say that loathing is an inappropriate response to an unrepentant abuser (like Jerry Sandusky). I'm referring to having pity for people who fight against those urges. I suggested earlier that pedophiles who do act regularly on those feelings may be at least somewhat sociopathic in addition to being pedophiles, a sort of "double whammy" if you will.
• 

  DJS

  Apognophos,

  Thank you for your intelligent commentary on this and other topics. This OP should have ended pages ago. Pedophilia is a disorder - not a crime. That is a factual statement. Yawn.
• 

  Band on the Run

  The greatest danger to pedophiles comes in prison from hard core ax murderers and serial rapists. Why are such dubious specimens of humanity so offended by the acts? I don't know. Guards can't keep them safe or maybe there is not much incentive to keep them safe. Full of questions.