Pedophilia has become a matter of intereset in in which people are concerned and have grown aware of this issue. According to Hall & Hall in A Profile of Pedophilia: Definition, Characteristics of Offenders, Recidivism, Treatment Outcome, and Forensic Issues (2007) pedophilia has grown as national concern due to the frequent scandals surrounding pedophilia like congressional sex scandals. We have indicated an image of how a pedophile is supposed to look, however through the social media platform it has become apparent that that image we held in our head of a pedophile is ultimately wrong. It has become more apparent that pedophiles can range from a neighbor to a representative in Congress (Hall & Hall,2007). Hall & Hall (2007) state that a variety of different people are trying to define the common characteristics a pedophile obtains, frequentness and line of action and overall the definition of pedophilia.
Pedophilia is a clinical diagnosis in which by the standards of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition a pedophile is a person who fantasizes, is aroused, or experiences sexual urges for children younger or at the age of 13 for a minimum duration of 6 months (Hall & Hall,2007). According to Hall & Hall(2007) pedophiles must meet a specific criteria to be considered a pedophile, they must be at least 16 years of age and five year older than the child they’ve been seeking. The attraction to children may abruptly occur during any stage and age of a person’s life (Hall & Hall,2007). Acording to this report 50% to 60% of pedophines are involved in the consumption of drug or have a dependence diagnosis. However, they are still considered pedophiles due to the fact that they present the attraction toward children while sober and under the influence of any drug, and or alcohol.
Hebephiles are humans who are involved in prepubescent sexual encounters who are under the legal age of consent, this includes the sexual interest in both male and females (Hall & Hall,2007). The main difference between pedophiles and hebephiles states by Hall & Hall (2007) is that hebehiles tend to have reacurring sexaul encounters with the prepubsecnt children. Pedophiles tend to hand the situation differently than hebephiles from the posttreatment prognosis, social skills, and many more skills and ways that set them apart from each other. Teleiophilia is the sexual preference for adults, and infantophilia is the sexual preference for children the age range for infantophilia is younger than 5 years of age. (Hall & Hall, 2007)
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Each pedophile performs different acts with each children. The personality and sexual fetishes also take play in this. In the article by Hall & Hall (2007) they define a few of the acts pedophile partake in with children; Exhibitionalism is when the pedophile exposes themselves to the child, Voyeurism is looking at a naked child, and or maestubating in the prescence of a child, and lastly Frotteeurism which is penetration of the mouth, anus, and/or vagina. Pedophiles have different psychological techniques that they use on children to make them perform the actives desired, they usually don’t force the children to perform these acts (Hall & Hall,2007). In the article by Hall & Hall (2007) when interviewing pedophiles they questioned the justification for the acts they’ve done. The pedophiles justified their answers by saying “there was a educational purpose” behind the acts. There a known to be 5 common psychological denfense responsees pedophilies tend to have according to the US Department of Justice which are
- denial
- minimization
- justification
- fabrication
- attack.
Child molestaticon according to Hall & Hall is not a medical diagnosis and has no correlation with pedophilia, a child molester is defined as an individual who has physical contact with children for sexual satisfaction with the individual being 4 to 5 years older than the victim. The age requirement is induced due to fact that if child sex play were to occur the child would not be consideer a child moelster, you can be consider a child moelster but due to the age requirement you won’t be accused as a pedophile (Hall & Hall,2007). The NIBRS“ found that 40% assaults against children of 12 years old were committed by juveniles” (Hall & Hall,2007). Hall & Hall (2007) state that child moelesters who are classified as pedophiles commit on average 10 times more sexual acts toward children.
When people think of pedophiles they generally think of men. This is true most individuals who take art in pedophilic activities are males. Women used to be view as not capable of being a pedophile unless were affected by a psychological disorder. Women who do take part in pedophilic activities are usually between the ages of 22 and 33 years of age. People tend to think of women’s act not being pedophilic as they sometimes take place during nurturing activities. Society view it differently than they law enforcers do however. (Hall & Hall,2007)
It is important to classify pedophiles so we can understand and see what they are attracted to. There are a variety of classification that pedophiles are placed into. Children or if they are attracted to adults as well. Researchers Abel and Harlow(2001) samples 2429 adult male pedophiles and 7% are “exclusively” attracted to children. Hall & Hall(2007) express that pedophiles are attracted to a specific gender and age group. They also state pedophiles in the Abel and Harlow (2001) study are more likely to be homosexual or bisexual. Another classification is whether the individual is specifically attracted to family member. In the Hall & Hall article(2007) it states that Federal data show that 27% pedophiles commit sexual adult to a family member. Abel and Harlow(2001) shows that 68% out of the 2429 pedophiles have done pedophilic acts toward a family member. Lastly pedophilles are classified if in the fact of child pornography was involved.
Females are more likely to be victims of a pedophile. There are Federal statistics that show that 34% victims of pedophiles are younger than 12 years of age, those same statistics found out that 33% of the victims are between the age of 12 and 17 (Hall & Hall, 2007). Usually the victim know the pedophiles and has trust within them. Pedophiles have thought these situations though as they become friends with their potential victim parents so the parent can trust him(Hall & Hall,2007).
Each pedophile acts different as any normal person would making it harder to classify the characteristics that they obtain. According to Hall & Hall (2007) “Studies have shown that people with pedophilia generally express feeling of inferiority, loneliness, or isolation, low self-esteem, internal dysphoria, and emotional immaturity”. Many pedophiles when examined don’t show signs of pedophilic behavior, they also usually have a major psychiatric problem. Perosnality disorders is a common therad wothin pedophilies many people belive pedohiles get this illness due to altering of the brain like a disorder to be more specific like PTSD or OCD(Hall & Hall, 2007).
Children are greatly affected by being abused by a pedohile just like any other human who would be abused. Children express the greatest psychological damage when there is genital contact involved (Hall & Hall,2007). Each child’s situation is different as they were affected in different age, by different people, and having a variety of different living situations which all take play in the long term result. It is hard to predict as there are so many key factors that varies from victim to victim making the prediction of the victims future that much harder.
References
- A Profile of Pedophilia: Definition, Characteristics of Offenders, Recidivism, Treatment Outcome, and Forensic Issues (2007)
- Pedophilia: The Problem With Treatment
- Pedophilic Disorder – PubMed
- Perceptions of pedophiles in social media comments
- The DSM diagnostic criteria for pedophilic disorder
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)
