Hebephilia

Hebephilia is the strong, persistent sexual interest by adults in pubescent children who are in early adolescence, typically ages 11–14 and showing Tanner stages 2 to 3 of physical development.[1] It differs from pedophilia (the primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children), and from ephebophilia (the primary sexual interest in later adolescents, typically ages 15–18).[1][2][3] While individuals with a sexual preference for adults may have some sexual interest in pubescent-aged individuals,[2] researchers and clinical diagnoses have proposed that hebephilia is characterized by a sexual preference for pubescent rather than adult partners.[2][4]

Hebephilia is approximate in its age range because the onset and completion of puberty vary.[1] On average, girls begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11 while boys begin at age 11 or 12.[5] Partly because puberty varies, some definitions of chronophilias (sexual preference for a specific physiological appearance related to age) show overlap between pedophilia, hebephilia and ephebophilia.[2] For example, the DSM-5 extends the prepubescent age to 13,[6] and the ICD-10 includes early pubertal age in its definition of pedophilia.[1][7]

Proposals for categorizing hebephilia have argued that separating sexual attraction to prepubescent children from sexual attraction to early-to-mid or late pubescents is clinically relevant.[2][3] According to research by Ray Blanchard et al. (2009), male sex offenders could be separated into groups by victim age preference on the basis of penile plethysmograph response patterns. Based on their results, Blanchard suggested that the DSM-5 could account for these data by subdividing the existing diagnosis of pedophilia into hebephilia and a narrower definition of pedophilia.[3] Blanchard's proposal to add hebephilia to the DSM-5 proved controversial,[1][2][8] and was not adopted.[9] It has not been widely accepted as a paraphilia or mental disorder, and there is significant academic debate as to whether it should be classified as either.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Stephens S, Seto MC (2015). Phenix A, Hoberman H (eds.). Sexual Offending: Predisposing Antecedents, Assessments and Management. Springer. pp. 29–41. ISBN 978-1493924165.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Prentky, R.; Barbaree, H. (2011). "Commentary: Hebephilia--a would-be paraphilia caught in the twilight zone between prepubescence and adulthood". The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 39 (4): 506–510. PMID 22159978.
  3. ^ a b c Blanchard, R.; Lykins, A. D.; Wherrett, D.; Kuban, M. E.; Cantor, J. M.; Blak, T.; Dickey, R.; Klassen, P. E. (2009). "Pedophilia, Hebephilia, and the DSM-V". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 38 (3): 335–350. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9399-9. PMID 18686026. S2CID 14957904.
  4. ^ Moser, C. (2009). "When is an Unusual Sexual Interest a Mental Disorder? (letter to the editor)". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 38 (3): 323–325. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9436-8. PMID 18946730. S2CID 43363957.
  5. ^ Kail, RV; Cavanaugh JC (2013). Human Development: A Lifespan View (6th ed.). Cengage Learning. pp. 292. ISBN 9781111835545.
  6. ^ "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition". American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  7. ^ See section F65.4 Paedophilia. "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) Version for 2010". ICD-10. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Wakefield, J. C. (2011). "The DSM-5's Proposed New Categories of Sexual Disorder: The Problem of False Positives in Sexual Diagnosis". Clinical Social Work Journal. 40 (2): 213–223. doi:10.1007/s10615-011-0353-2. S2CID 143666677.
  9. ^ Singy, Patrick (18 April 2015). "Hebephilia: A Postmortem Dissection". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 44 (5): 1109–1116. doi:10.1007/s10508-015-0542-0. PMID 25894647. S2CID 8004856.