Trigger: Pedophilia the Orientation?

[The Hammer]

Paedophilia is a 'sexual orientation' like being straight or gay, expert claims

So, a psychologist who works with offending pedophiles, has made the argument that pedophilia is an orientation inasmuch as gay/straight/bi. Meaning that this attraction cannot be changed, not that it should be accepted. And that this should orient the approach towards treating offending and non-offending.

"Treatment, to me, isn’t about modifying the orientation per se, but getting the individual to find more appropriate behaviours to engage in.... An individual can have paedophilic interests without ever acting on these behaviourally. However, as I am working with criminal offenders, my experience is entirely weighted to those who have engaged in this behaviourally."

To report suspected abuse, try these hotlines.

Stop It Now! UK and Ireland | Preventing child sexual abuse

Home - NCMEC

Edit: IMO it's not an orientation, but it is typically resulting from the offender being abused themselves.

 

[Twilight Hue]

It's an interesting premise. I think its a possibility that it could be oriented with biology, where people have a sexual disposition inherited within their genome. Its sexual preference right? Something that might be present throughout a person's family line?

I get what your saying though, it could well be just a developed sexual fetish same as bestiality, necrophillia, or worshipping feet among other unusual, strange, or bizarre fetishes.

It's such a sensitive subject that non bias research on what exactly causes such things might be actually difficult to find.

 

[The Hammer]

I get what your saying though, it could well be just a developed sexual fetish same as bestiality, necrophillia, or worshipping feet among other unusual, strange, or bizarre fetishes.

Not a fetish, just a repition of abuse. We oft mirror the ways others treated us as children. I can see psycho-sexual trauma at a young age potentially causing a retardation in the brains ability in certain areas (like attraction) to mature.

ie: in ways these offenders are children themselves still.

Also, interestingly the areas for sexual pleasure and feet, are next to one another in the brain.
Why Do People Have Foot Fetishes? | Live Science

 

[Brickjectivity]

So, a psychologist who works with offending pedophiles, has made the argument that pedophilia is an orientation inasmuch as gay/straight/bi. Meaning that this attraction cannot be changed, not that it should be accepted. And that this should orient the approach towards treating offending and non-offending.

I accept the possibility, but I'll wait until more people agree with them or not.

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Discussions of this nature are minefields of misunderstandings, preconceptions and emotion.

"Pedophilia" is used so very liberally that it has too many meanings; which gives it no meaning at all.

"Pedophilia" is defined as one's primary or exclusive sexual attraction is targeted towards children of prepubescent age.

Pedophilia is to Child Molestation, what Heterosexuality is to Rape.

There are plentiful heterosexuals in this world who are not rapists. There are plentiful pedophiles in this world who are not child molesters.

When a woman is raped, no one scorns the rapist and says, "***** hetero!" But when a child is assaulted, plenty scorn the molester and says, "***** pedo!"

There are plentiful people who secretly confide that they are pedophile (attracted to children) who have never been abused. I wholeheartedly agree that there seems to be a very significant link between past sexual abuse and offending behavior. But there are plentiful pedophiles in this world who never were and never will be child molesters. And there are plentiful child molesters who are not pedophile.

An example of the latter, a man who was convicted of rape, did his time, got out, found a GF with a daughter. In a fit of rage, he turned his sexual aggression towards the little girl and raped her. (True story). The man is not "pedophile". The man was 'rapist" and now, "child molester". But his crime was motivated by rage and control, not sexual attraction.

The DSM-V listed Pedophilia as a sexual orientation in its 1st printing. Due to public outcry and objections, it was removed in subsequent printings.

I believe pedophilia is a sexual orientation. I believe that it is not synonymous with child molestation, though there is some crossover. Therefore, I believe this doctor has a point because the motivations and psychology of the non-pedophile child molester will not be the same as the motivations and psychology of the pedophile child molester.

 

[Brickjectivity]

..."Pedophilia" is used so very liberally...

Those dern liberals!
Sorry....carry on....

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Paedophilia is a 'sexual orientation' like being straight or gay, expert claims

So, a psychologist who works with offending pedophiles, has made the argument that pedophilia is an orientation inasmuch as gay/straight/bi. Meaning that this attraction cannot be changed, not that it should be accepted. And that this should orient the approach towards treating offending and non-offending.

"Treatment, to me, isn’t about modifying the orientation per se, but getting the individual to find more appropriate behaviours to engage in.... An individual can have paedophilic interests without ever acting on these behaviourally. However, as I am working with criminal offenders, my experience is entirely weighted to those who have engaged in this behaviourally."

To report suspected abuse, try these hotlines.

Stop It Now! UK and Ireland | Preventing child sexual abuse

Home - NCMEC

Edit: IMO it's not an orientation, but it is typically resulting from the offender being abused themselves.

I feel it's common sense, honestly. The body doesn't have morals. It doesn't know what's illegal and what isn't. It's not abnormal just because of the object of attraction. The attraction is irrelevant. The defining factor between LGBTQ and people who have pedophilia attractions is just the object of attraction's age. Same physical responses. Just the object of attraction is the key not the attraction itself.

So, I wouldn't modify the attraction or orientation. "A person can have pedophilia interest without behaving on them..." I agree with same as "A person can be attracted to the same sex without behaving on it." The same logic applies.

I wouldn't consider pedophilia an orientation in how LGBTQ use the word: that orientation doesn't just refer to just physical, but emotional, psychological, and all of that as well.

I do feel attraction isn't biased in regards to morality. So, yeah, people are attracted to men, women, children, adults, black, white, whatever. But I agree with the quote, it's the behavior that's the issue and regardless the attraction doesn't make one person more apt to do something legal or illegal than her peer.

 

[stvdv]

Edit: IMO it's not an orientation, but it is typically resulting from the offender being abused themselves.

What is an orientation anyway? We are a product of our emotional upbringing. Before age 4-7 most irreversible damage is done

Any human being should never violate the respect of another human being. That is the bottom line, whatever ones orientation

The moment someone hurts another human being, it has nothing to do with orientation but with lack of respect

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

The moment someone hurts another human being, it has nothing to do with orientation but with lack of respect

I agree with:

The moment someone hurts another human being, it has nothing to do with orientation

but:

but with lack of respect

just seems an oversimplification. I'm certain that:

but with lack of respect

has explanatory power and a factor involved in many cases of sexual assault. I just don't think that this is the only factor that can be involved, thus can not explain every case of sexual assault. Here are some other factors I believe may be involved in sexual assault:

• Impulse control issues
• Boundary issues
• Anger issues
• Control / Power issues
• Brain damage
• Mental retardation
• Emotional immaturity
• Flawed beliefs and perceptions (like the clergy who reported that his molestation of a 7 year old child was 'consensual')
• Empathy issues (lack thereof)

In other words, I do not disagree. However, each assailant is different and the circumstances from different offenses are also unique, so the casual factors will not always be identical.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Whatever paedophilia is the public are not ready to accept what might be the best course of action, and as mentioned by Dr Goode in the linked article, the media demonising virtually everything that involves adults and those underage (even if below 18 but of AOC) is hardly helping. As to origins, well I can't remember the figures but I think it is only about 25% of paedophiles who report having been abused as children. I tend towards it being more learned behaviour for whatever reasons than it being a true orientation. The psychologist is not the first to assert this either.

 

[Estro Felino]

Well...I guess we all agree that it is not a sexual orientation. As homosexuality or bisexuality are.
Because gay people have sex with consenting adults. And it often deals with love. Romantic love.

The psychologist is using the wrong terms.
It is not an orientation. It is a paraphilia.
Paraphilia has nothing to do with love.

I agree with the OP. It can be the result of various factors...such as having been a victim themselves...so it deals with the perpetrator/victim vicious cycle.
But it can also be the result of non-sexual traumas.
That is ...it deals with adults who still believe they are children...so they are into their equals (in their mind)...children. And that is a serious psychological issue.

Age is a very delicate issue. If I say I am into sixty-year-old men (I am giving an example)...this is both legal and acceptable. Because it deals with adults.

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Here are a list of resources for people who are concerned about their feelings for children. If you or someone you know is struggling in this manner, OMG, please reach out!

Virtuous Pedophiles: https://www.virped.org/
ASAP: 567-772-2727 Association for Sexual Abuse Prevention - Therapy Referrals for Non-Offending Pedophiles/MAPs
Prostasia Foundation: Home - Prostasia Foundation
Global Prevention Project: The Global Prevention Project | Education addressing risky sexual thoughts, fantasies, behavior and mental wellness in adult men and women.
STOP IT NOW: Stop It Now (There are chapters in other countries, including US)
SAFER SOCIETY PRESS: Safer Society Press | Sexual abuse prevention and treatment publications since 1982
B4U-Act: B4U-ACT

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Well...I guess we all agree that it is not a sexual orientation. As homosexuality or bisexuality are.

No we don't.
What we DO agree on is that no adult should ever touch a child because children can't give informed consent and it HURTS them.

 

[Estro Felino]

No we don't.
What we DO agree on is that no adult should ever touch a child because children can't give informed consent and it HURTS them.

We are not discussing the act.
We are discussing the pedophiles' psyche.

I am really interested in understanding what is in their psyche. Because I believe the attraction to children.....is irrational.

I do not think that theirs is love. Love is loving and being loved in return.

 

[Heyo]

Edit: IMO it's not an orientation, but it is typically resulting from the offender being abused themselves.

That's not a question of opinion. It is simply a fact. Paedophilia is an orientation. It is still not known how it manifests (current hypothesis is, afaik, genetic predisposition in combination with early experiences). But that is irrelevant. Homosexuality is an orientation and we also don't know how much of it is genetic and how much prenatal, hormonal influence (or even early experience).

 

[PureX]

I'm sure it's a varying combination of all the above. That is it's somewhat genetic, somewhat psychosomatic, and somewhat a matter of choice and repetition. But to varying degrees and varying intensity levels in each individual. Which is why it's a very difficult condition for us to deal with, as a society.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

We are not discussing the act.
We are discussing the pedophiles' psyche.

I am really intetested in understanding what is in their psyche. Because I believe the attraction to children...even platonic...is irrational.

You'd have to ask the same question with hetero and homosexuals, really. Ideally, the psyche would be the same when one is attracted to another regardless the sex, age, and looks.

It really should be about behavior. People back then thought homosexuals had ill psyche cause of the sex they are attracted to. I just hope in the future once we figure out attraction is normal regardless the object, it doesn't give way for people to break the law.

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

We are not discussing the act.
We are discussing the pedophiles' psyche.

I am really intetested in understanding what is in their psyche. Because I believe the attraction to children...even platonic...is irrational.

Hey, thanks for asking.

Dr. James Cantor, from Canada, performed brain scans on convicted molesters. What he found was surprising: When the areas of the brain related to sexual arousal were activated, so were the areas of the brain that are responsible for nurturing behavior and emotions. When the areas of the brain that are responsible for nurturing behavior and emotions were activated, so were the areas of the brain that are responsible for sexual arousal.

In other words, the research indicates that there is a crosswiring of the brain between nurturing and sexuality.

Are paedophiles' brains wired differently?

Granted, this was a very small sample size; and the sample size was based on offenders; and no scientific finding can be considered valid until it passes the tests of peer review, repeatability, predictability, etc. But it does suggest that attraction to children is more neurological than "learned".

Yes, the attraction is irrational. Another point on which we can agree.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

That's not a question of opinion. It is simply a fact. Paedophilia is an orientation. It is still not known how it manifests (current hypothesis is, afaik, genetic predisposition in combination with early experiences). But that is irrelevant. Homosexuality is an orientation and we also don't know how much of it is genetic and how much prenatal, hormonal influence (or even early experience).

If we know how heterosexual attraction and hormones manifest (do we?), than why would it be different from homosexuality and pedophilia?

 

[Estro Felino]

If we know how heterosexual attraction and hormones manifest (do we?), than why would it be different from homosexuality and pedophilia?

Attraction can be exaplained. Put into words.
If I say: I am attracted to big men with broad shoulders, because they make me feel protected, comfortable...etc...I am explaining the attraction


So...are they able to explain their attraction to children?