According to researchers, not all pedophiles molest children. And not all child molesters are pedophiles. Now, many experts view pedophilia as a deep-rooted disposition, much like heterosexuality or homosexuality.
Many researchers taking a different view of pedophilia, on LATimes.com.
Ox Drover
Interesting article, Donna. OOne quote stuck out for me,
Among the most compelling findings is that 30% of pedophiles are left-handed or ambidextrous, triple the general rate. Because hand dominance is established through some combination of genetics and the environment of the womb, scientists see that association as a powerful indicator that something is different about pedophiles at birth.
Interestingly enough, more psychopaths than would be expected to be are LEFT HANDED.
I have felt since learning about psychopaths that all or almost all pedophiles who abuse children ARE ALSO psychopaths…the manipulation that they do among other things makes me think this. Would love to see some studies on this aspect.
KatyDid
Yet so many left handed people are NOT psychopaths that the trait is moot in generalizing or predicting the disorder.
Not all psychopaths are pedophiles but ALL PEDOPHILES are psychopaths. yep yep yep. Which logically means it is NOT similar to hetero or homo sexuality. It’s rooted to psychopathy, pedophilia is the method. Just like rapists are not about sex, it’s just the method. ps LOVE the assertion that only men are pedophiles. This was a Poorly written article.
Truthspeak
What a wonderful article, Donna – now it’s the EXCUSE that pedophiles have been WAITING FOR!
Godalmighty, WHO are these people that come up with this tripe, anyway? I do not give one fart in a windstorm whether it’s “genetic” or “learned” because it is still – above all things – the most vile and despicable of predatory behaviors.
OxD & KatyDid, some people simply write articles to see their own irrational thoughts in print. And, I agree that ALL pedophiles are PSYCHOPATHS. So, if there’s a genetic marker for this, then there’s a very simple solution…..
Brightest blessings
Delores
What next will we be hearing about pedofile/child molester rights? If it is genetic maybe we could find the marker and exterminate them. Let’s not get into sympathy for the poor child molester; it is totally different than adult gay relationships. And gay or straight, pedofilia is a danger to our children and our future. Some crimes just deserve no leniency and molesting children should be number one on the list, followed by murder (excluding justifyable homicied), rape and amimal abuse.
We have no place in society for these untreatable vermin whether they are psychopaths or not. Articles like this just mess up peoples minds about the reality of the situation. I give this guy an F for complete failue to make any sense.
raggedy ann
I have to stridently disagree with much that is being said in the above comments, although I agree that the articlee is flawed. It’s inconceivable to me that science and neuropsychology will not eventually reveal that paedophilia in some of the afflicted is indeed a manifestation of something physiological in the brain.
As in the first case profiled in the article, it’s an absolutely tragic affliction to live with. Act on it, and you are causing harm to other human beings and risk ruining your own as well and coming to violent harm. Control yourself, and you are living in deprivation or distraction and constant inappropriate romantic feelings or physical yearning for others — a state you will have to medicate, or self-medicate, not always fully successfully.
We can’t currently know how many people are living with some degree of this because it appears that some of the afflicted do not act on their impulses.
My guess is that psychopathy appears to correlate with this disorder because it most often that the people who end up acting on their urges (and thus also likely caught) skew to the right on the spectrum of psychopathy. It’s possible that the overrepresentation of psychopathy among identified paedophiles accounts for the left-handedness — not sure.
The doctor quoted is correct in saying that this disorder has been driven underground. What’s being done in Germany is what I have long believed should be done here. It will be interesting to see the results over time. I hope that recognizing whatever brain differences can lead to paedophilia will result in better methods in working with these people themselves in avoiding doing harm. People who have markers or even incidents(?) but who are not highly psychopathic would obviously be the best candidates for results, depending on the soundness of the methods themselves.
Donna Andersen
The article made a distinction between pedophiles and child molesters which I thought was very interesting:
“Not all pedophiles molest children. Nor are all child molesters pedophiles. Studies show that about half of all molesters are not sexually attracted to their victims. They often have personality disorders or violent streaks, and their victims are typically family members.”
behind_blue_eyes
“Among the most compelling findings is that 30% of pedophiles are left-handed or ambidextrous, triple the general rate.”
OxDrover;
This resonated strongly with me as well. And I agree that those who are active Pedophiles should be viewed as having being a Psychopath as well.
I have a psychologist friend; her practice is chiefly among those who are Ephebophiles — those attracted to adolescents. Her observation, supported by the article below, is that Ephebophelia is far more common than generally recognized.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pedophiles-erotic-age-orientation
Ox Drover
Great Article, BBE, but I think that “splitting hairs” on the ages that these “pedophiles” are attracted to is going way tooooooo faaaaaar.
I think there are pedophiles who are ATTRACTED to underaged children but are NOT MOLESTERS, they restrain themselves, JUST LIKE I THINK THERE ARE GAY/LESBIANS who are NOT ACTIVE because they restrain themselves. I think there are heterosexuals who have DESIRES for sex but RESTRAIN themselves for a number of reasons. (I would currently classify myself in that last category as I am heterosexual and as any normal person I have sexual desires, but due to my life situation right now, I restrain those desires and am not sexually active with the partners who would be available to me.)
ACTIVE pedophiles who MOLEST CHILDREN are, I think, PSYCHOPATHS because they do NOT RESTRAIN their impulses, but ACT on them.
Whether the desire for sex with children (of any age) is inborn, or environmentally acquired doesn’t really mean a fig to me, it is whether the person ACTS on that desire.
We all have from time to time “desires”—but we have a moral compass that keeps us from shoplifting that ring we can’t afford, or from having sex with our neighbor’s son or daughter, or writing a check we know will bounce…..psychopaths do not with hold any desire from themselves. So, I say by that evidence that ALL active child molesters are also psychopaths….but NOT all people who have a DESIRE for sex with children but RESTRAIN themselves.
skylar
There is so much to say that the comment section hardly seems appropriate. So I will just make one note:
Happily ever after??? How long is that? Until they mature out of puberty? This goes to show that he is not completely rational in his thinking, he is in denial. It also goes to show that his perception of “love” is as immature as the objects of his love. I wouldn’t even call it lust, it’s more of a fetish or fixation with a symbol.
Louise
Oxy:
Great post. We all have desires…it’s about SELF CONTROL and not too many people have it and yes, active pedophiles are psychopaths…period, end of story. The others who have the desires, but control them, are not psychopaths.