Pedophilia

This article is about sexual attraction towards prepubescent children. For sexual attraction towards young adolescents, see hebephilia. For sexual attraction towards older adolescents and young adults, see ephebophilia.

Pedophilia / Paedophilia
Pronunciation
  • /ˌpɛ.dəˈfi.li.ə/ ⓘ
SpecialtyPsychiatry, clinical psychology, forensic psychology
SymptomsPrimary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children
Risk factorsChildhood abuse by adults, substance abuse, personality disorders, family history
TreatmentCognitive behavioral therapy, chemical castration

Pedophilia (alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.[1][2]: vii  Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12,[3] psychiatric diagnostic criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13.[4] People with the disorder are often referred to as pedophiles (or paedophiles).

Pedophilia is a paraphilia. In recent versions of formal diagnostic coding systems such as the DSM-5 and ICD-11, "pedophilia" is distinguished from "pedophilic disorder." Pedophilic disorder is defined as a pattern of pedophilic arousal accompanied by either subjective distress or interpersonal difficulty, or having acted on that arousal. The DSM-5 requires that a person must be at least 16 years old, and at least five years older than the prepubescent child or children they are aroused by, for the attraction to be diagnosed as pedophilic disorder. Similarly, the ICD-11 excludes sexual behavior among post-pubertal children who are close in age. The DSM requires the arousal pattern must be present for 6 months or longer, while the ICD lacks this requirement. The ICD criteria also refrain from specifying chronological ages.[5]

In popular usage, at least in the English-speaking world, the word pedophilia is often applied to any sexual interest in children or the act of child sexual abuse, including any sexual interest in minors below the local age of consent or the age of adulthood, regardless of their level of physical or mental development.[1][2]: vii [6] This use conflates the sexual attraction to prepubescent children with the act of child sexual abuse and fails to distinguish between attraction to prepubescent and pubescent or post-pubescent minors.[7][8] Such use should be avoided, because although some people who commit child sexual abuse are pedophiles,[6][9] child sexual abuse offenders are not pedophiles unless they have a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children,[7][10][11] and many pedophiles do not molest children.[12]

Pedophilia was first formally recognized and named in the late 19th century. A significant amount of research in the area has taken place since the 1980s. Although mostly documented in men, there are also women who exhibit the disorder,[2]: 72–74 [13] and researchers assume available estimates underrepresent the true number of female pedophiles.[14] No cure for pedophilia has been developed, but there are therapies that can reduce the incidence of a person committing child sexual abuse.[6] The exact causes of pedophilia have not been conclusively established.[2]: 101  Some studies of pedophilia in child sex offenders have correlated it with various neurological abnormalities and psychological pathologies.[15]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Gavin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference seto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Kail, Robert V.; Cavanaugh, John C. (2010). Human Development: A Lifespan View (5 ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-495-60037-4. LCCN 2008927882.
  4. ^ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Text Revision, 5th Edition. American Psychiatric Publishing. 2022. pp. 794–796. ISBN 978-0-89042-575-6.
  5. ^ "ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics". World Health Organization/ICD-11. 2018. See section 6D32 Pedophilic disorder. Retrieved November 30, 2022. Pedophilic disorder is characterized by a sustained, focused, and intense pattern of sexual arousal—as manifested by persistent sexual thoughts, fantasies, urges, or behaviours—involving pre-pubertal children. In addition, in order for Pedophilic Disorder to be diagnosed, the individual must have acted on these thoughts, fantasies or urges or be markedly distressed by them. This diagnosis does not apply to sexual behaviours among pre- or post-pubertal children with peers who are close in age.
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference faganJAMA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Ames, M. Ashley; Houston, David A. (August 1990). "Legal, social, and biological definitions of pedophilia". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 19 (4): 333–42. doi:10.1007/BF01541928. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 2205170. S2CID 16719658.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference lanning was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Hall RC, Hall RC (2007). "A profile of pedophilia: definition, characteristics of offenders, recidivism, treatment outcomes, and forensic issues". Mayo Clin. Proc. 82 (4): 457–71. doi:10.4065/82.4.457. PMID 17418075.
  10. ^ Blaney, Paul H.; Millon, Theodore (2009). Oxford Textbook of Psychopathology. Oxford Series in Clinical Psychology (2nd ed.). Cary, North Carolina: Oxford University Press, USA. p. 528. ISBN 978-0-19-537421-6. Some cases of child molestation, especially those involving incest, are committed in the absence of any identifiable deviant erotic age preference.
  11. ^ Edwards, Michael. James, Marianne (ed.). "Treatment for Paedophiles; Treatment for Sex Offenders". Paedophile Policy and Prevention (12): 74–75. Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  12. ^ Cantor, James M.; McPhail, Ian V. (September 2016). "Non-offending Pedophiles". Current Sexual Health Reports. 8 (3). New York City: Springer: 121–128. doi:10.1007/s11930-016-0076-z. S2CID 148070920.
  13. ^ Goldman, Howard H. (2000). Review of General Psychiatry. New York City: McGraw-Hill Professional Psychiatry. p. 374. ISBN 978-0-8385-8434-7.
  14. ^ Cohen, Lisa J.; Galynker, Igor (June 8, 2009). "Psychopathology and Personality Traits of Pedophiles". Psychiatric Times. 26 (6). Cranbury, New Jersey: MJH Associates. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  15. ^ Seto, Michael (2008). "Pedophilia: Psychopathology and Theory". In Laws, D. Richard (ed.). Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment (2 ed.). New York City: Guilford Press. p. 168. ISBN 9781593856052. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2018-01-17.