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| in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12- or 13-year-old. | in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12- or 13-year-old. | ||
| As noted above, clinical pedophilia can be diagnosed solely in the presence of "fantasies" or "sexual urges" on the subject's part -- it need not involve criminal sexual acts with children. |
As noted above, clinical pedophilia can be diagnosed solely in the presence of "fantasies" or "sexual urges" on the subject's part -- it need not involve criminal sexual acts with children. The term "]" has been used to refer to one that practices anal intercourse especially with a boy, which is often an extension of pedophilia. In fact, ] was considered a mental disorder in the past too, and in some less liberal minded parts of the world still is. On the other hand, acient ], prone to all sorts of excesses, is notorious for considering sex with young boys normal and noble. The Western world has experienced great change in attitude since ] in abolishing conservative views of sexual perversions and liberalizing society, which is seen as ] by some other cultures where ], ] and ] are all condemned. | ||
| However, pedofilia is condemned in the West too, to the point that academic articles exploring these issues have caused expulsions of professors in the US, as a particulary unflattering example of ]. | |||
| The popular use of the word "pedophilia" to describe sexual activity with ] adolescents is less accurate still. While such activity is illegal, it frequently exemplifies only borderline pedophilia or no pedophilia at all. | |||
| Sometimes a clinical distinction is made between pedophiles and "situational offenders" -- a distinction, however, which is not reflected in the above DSM-IV definition. A pedophile, according to this distinction, is a person whose primary sexual attraction is to children, while a situational offender is someone who engages in sexual activity with children not as their primary sexual preference but due to a particular situation they are faced with, and would not otherwise engage in such activity except for that situation. | Sometimes a clinical distinction is made between pedophiles and "situational offenders" -- a distinction, however, which is not reflected in the above DSM-IV definition. A pedophile, according to this distinction, is a person whose primary sexual attraction is to children, while a situational offender is someone who engages in sexual activity with children not as their primary sexual preference but due to a particular situation they are faced with, and would not otherwise engage in such activity except for that situation. | ||
Revision as of 04:35, 19 October 2002
Pedophilia, or paedophilia, is sexual attraction to children. One psychiatric definition (see Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, American Psychiatric Association) states:
Diagnostic criteria for 302.2 Pedophilia
A. 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).
B. The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically
significant distress or impairment in social, occupational,
or other important areas of functioning.
C. The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years
older than the child or children in Criterion A.
Note: Do not include an individual in late adolescence involved
in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12- or 13-year-old.
As noted above, clinical pedophilia can be diagnosed solely in the presence of "fantasies" or "sexual urges" on the subject's part -- it need not involve criminal sexual acts with children. The term "pederasty" has been used to refer to one that practices anal intercourse especially with a boy, which is often an extension of pedophilia. In fact, homosexualism was considered a mental disorder in the past too, and in some less liberal minded parts of the world still is. On the other hand, acient Greece, prone to all sorts of excesses, is notorious for considering sex with young boys normal and noble. The Western world has experienced great change in attitude since sexual revolution in abolishing conservative views of sexual perversions and liberalizing society, which is seen as decadent by some other cultures where feminism, homosexualism and pedofilia are all condemned. However, pedofilia is condemned in the West too, to the point that academic articles exploring these issues have caused expulsions of professors in the US, as a particulary unflattering example of thought control.
The popular use of the word "pedophilia" to describe sexual activity with underage adolescents is less accurate still. While such activity is illegal, it frequently exemplifies only borderline pedophilia or no pedophilia at all.
Sometimes a clinical distinction is made between pedophiles and "situational offenders" -- a distinction, however, which is not reflected in the above DSM-IV definition. A pedophile, according to this distinction, is a person whose primary sexual attraction is to children, while a situational offender is someone who engages in sexual activity with children not as their primary sexual preference but due to a particular situation they are faced with, and would not otherwise engage in such activity except for that situation.
Most cases of father-daughter incest, for example, are believed to involve fathers who are situational offenders, rather than pedophiles. One particular situation some have claimed may give rise in that case to such sexual abuse is the absence or withdrawal (especially due to mental illness) of the mother.