Pedophilia

Pedos Philia

child Love,
friendship
 DEFINITION
"Pedophilia" represents – as all recurrent
sexually exciting fantasies – impulsive
desires and behaviors that include sexual
acts with prepubescent or peripubescent
children that occur over a period of at least
six months.
 Pedophilia is categorized as one of several
paraphiliac mental disorders.

The essential features of a paraphilia (sexual

deviation) are recurrent, intense, sexually arousing
fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors that generally
involve nonhuman subjects, the suffering or
humiliation of oneself or one's partner, or children
or other non-consenting persons.
Vienna psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing described pedophilia as:
the sexual interest toward children, either prepubescent or at the beginning of
puberty
the sexual interest, the primary one, that is, exclusively or mainly toward
children
the sexual interest remains over time

Krafft-Ebing also categorized child molesters into three types:

pedophile,
surrogate,
sadistic.
 OTHER TERMS …
“Hebephile“ : refers to sexually attraction to post-pubertal adolescents
(ages 14 to 17)
“Ephebophile" and "phebophile“ : refer to those who focus on the
moments of puberty in their victims (puberty for males ranges from ages
10 to 17; for females from ages 9 to 14)
“Pederast” : a male homosexual Ephebophile
“Teleiophile" : refers to an attraction for adults but also for children
under certain circumstances.
Childlover (or "girlover" or "boylover"): terms preferred by some
pedophiles for self-identification.
Child sex offender, also called "child sex abuser", or "child molester"
“Pedosexual” : term used when positing pedophilia as a third major
division of sexual orientation, along with heterosexual and homosexual
 Which Is the Cause of Pedophilia?
pedophilia

Hardcore Non-real
experience that from use children as substitutes for adults, later in
puberty life,
-after an adult relationship has failed
- realize that the possibility of one is remote;
these ones include also the "situational
molesters”, who have ongoing contact with
children because of their work, and thus may be
drawn into situations in which they use their
charges for their own sexual gratification.
 Pedophilia

genetic environmental

Caused by a combination of both

 CAUSATIVE FACTORS
1) HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
Numerous studies suggest an elevated rate of child sexual abuse in the history of
pedophiles (Cohen & Galynker, 2002; Murray, 2000; Freund, Watson, & Dickey,
1990)
Cohen et al (2000) found a 58% relationship between type(s) of sexual abuse
sustained in childhood and perpetrated in adulthood, thus suggesting a causative
relationship between early childhood sexual abuse and later pedophilic behavior.
Tardif & Gijsegheim (2005) reported a higher proportion of homosexual pedophiles
were victims of abuse during childhood compared to heterosexual pedophiles.
However, it is vital to remember the majority of sexual abuse victims do not
become pedophiles (Bagley, Wood, & Young, 1994).
It is also a possibility that individuals who are known to be pedophiles may lie
about a history of child sexual abuse to evoke feelings of sympathy towards them
and to decrease their responsibility for their offending behavior.
 CAUSATIVE FACTORS
2) DEVIANT SEXUAL AROUSAL
Pedophiles may demonstrate deviant sexual arousal beyond the
abnormal choice of object (Cohen & Galynker, 2002).
Many studies have measured sexual arousal patterns using
plethysmographic or pall metric methods by placing expandable
metal rings on the penis.
Response to various sexual stimuli is recorded.
Deviant sexual arousal is demonstrated in pedophiles by
preferential response to prepubescent children.
 CAUSATIVE FACTORS
3) NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES
The frontal lobe of the brain affects behavioral disinhibition. Wright, Nobrega,
Langevin (1990) reported smaller left frontal lobe volumes on CAT scan in a group
of pedophiles compared to non-pedophiles.
The temporal lobes of the brain have a relationship with the mediation of sexual
arousal patterns, including erotic discrimination and arousal threshold (Cohen &
Galynker, 2002).
Pedophiles have been noted to have differences in their temporal lobes
demonstrated on CAT scan when compared to non-pedophiles.
Hucker, Langevin, & Wortzman (1986) reported left and bilateral temporal
abnormalities on CAT scan in pedophiles compared to nonsexual offenders.
Smaller left temporal volumes were noted on CAT scan by Wright et al (1990) in
a group of pedophiles as compared to non-pedophiles.
 CAUSATIVE FACTORS
biological causes, like brain trauma before six years old, accidents
also associated with lower intelligence and educational level (of
course, not every early brain trauma causes pedophilia).

Scientists also suspect the existence of genes provoking brain

defects that render the individuals more prone to pedophilia.

Researches found higher rates of pedophilia inside some

“pedophile” families members than among the families of
nonpedophiles.
 General Sexual Abuse
Although virtually every society restricts sexual activity between
adults and children, the legal definition of child abuse in the West
has its roots in the Middle Ages.
At the end of the Middle Ages, general consent for a young girl to
engage in sex with an adult was about ten to twelve years of age.
Christianity heavily influenced formal views on sex and the age
of consent during this time. For Christians, sexual activity was
strictly limited to reproductive purposes.
Any sexual activity outside of limited reproductive purposes was
considered deviant. At this point, those engaging in intercourse
were considered married.
 General Sexual Abuse
The Reformation brought with it the establishment of formal marriages
and extra-marital sex was considered taboo.

Young women that were sexually abused were considered the

perpetrators of adultery and only very young girls were viewed as victims.

The 1st concept of an official and legal age of consent occurred in

England under the rule of Edward I in 1275. This idea spread throughout
Europe and later to the American colonies.

The first published work dedicated specifically to child sexual abuse

appeared in France in 1857: Medical-Legal Studies of Sexual Assault, by
Auguste Ambroise Tardieu, the noted French pathologist and pioneer of
forensic medicine.
 General Sexual Abuse
During the French Revolution, the legal marriage age was increased to
eighteen to twenty one years in most countries, but many laws concerning
sexual relations outside marriage were withdrawn, leaving many youth
unprotected.
Prior to the 19th century, children were considered to be small adults.
In the early 19th century, adolescence became a time of preparation for
adulthood, and child roles became evident.
Rigid standards for sexuality also developed and there was a greater
emphasis on purity.
In the 19th century, there was a movement away from punishing
immoral sexual acts and towards protecting certain groups.
Cultures formed distinct opinions of the nature of sexual abuse.
 The Rise in Public Concern
Child sexual abuse became a public issue in the 1970s and 1980s.

Prior to this point in time, sexual abuse remained rather secretive and
socially unspeakable.

Child sexual abuse only became an issue after laws that protected cruelty
to children were established.

In the late 1800s, the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was formed and
by 1900 there were 161 similar groups. This legal action was in response to a
high profile case in 1874 known as the Mary Ellen case, which involved the
abuse of a small child.

In 1900, children were given equal status as domesticated animals under

the law.
 The Rise in Public Concern
Studies on child molestation were non-existent until the 1920s and the first
national estimate of the number of child sexual abuse cases was published
in 1948.
By 1968, 44 states had established compulsory laws that required
physicians to report cases of suspicious child abuse.
Legal action began to become more prevalent in the 1970s with the
introduction of the Child Abuse and Treatment Act in 1974 in conjunction
with the creation of the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect.
Since the creation of the Child Abuse and Treatment Act, reported child
abuse cases have increased dramatically.
Finally, the National Abuse Coalition was created in 1979 to create
pressure in congress so as to establish and apply more sexual abuse laws.
 The Rise in Public Concern
In 1986, Congress passed the Child Abuse Victims' Rights Act, giving
children a civil claim in sexual abuse cases.

The number of laws created in the 1980s and 1990s began to create
greater prosecution and detection of Child Sexual Abusers.

During the 1970s, a large transition began in the legislature related to

Child Sexual Abuse.

Megan's Law which was enacted in 2004 gave the public the access to
knowledge of sexual predators nationwide.
 1) Feminism
The 1970s and 1980s brought with it a movement of liberation from
sexual repression.
In an attempt to blur gender role divisions and create equality, feminists
also laid out a platform for a new view of child sexuality.
Feminists challenged the view of children being the seducers, thereby
re-interpreting child-adult sexual encounters.
Feminists also publicized findings that disputed the common myth of
"stranger danger".
Feminists groups publicized statistics revealing that family members and
acquaintances were the primary child predators.
Finally, feminists protested rape and pornography in an attempt to change
traditional patriarchal values. They asserted that pornography led to the
exploitation of women and children and furthered inequality and abuse.
 2) Children’s Rights Movement
The most prominent movement for children's rights came in the
1960s.
Sparked by the feminist movement, the children's rights movement
created a new definition of a child’s place within the family.
The children's rights movement spurred much of the legislation
against child sexual abuse and created a public sympathy toward the
plight of children.
The movement redefined the role of childhood to be a time of
innocence and made the role of a child a more respected role within the
family.
Because of this new acknowledgement and appreciation for the role of
childhood, sexual abuse towards children became a more of a social
taboo.
 3) Media
The growth of sexual abuse as a social problem can be directly linked to the
increase in media attention to the problem.
News coverage focuses more on child sexual abuse than almost any other
topic, ranking with murder.
Child sexual abuse is closest to murder (70% of cases covered by media),
with 47% of all cases being covered in the media.
Newspapers and televised news programs focus attention on the most
sensationalist topics that will arouse the most public interest. In light of this
fact, it becomes evident that the news draws upon the public concern for child
sexual abuse and sensationalizes it, creating public hysteria about the issue.

Note: However, it may happen that media itself becomes the cause of
pedophilia in certain cases. Instead of sensitizing the public, some may
consider it fascinating and try to engage in such acts themselves to see “how
it feels”.
 4) Pornography
Pornography has become more prevalent in the age of computers
and access to the internet.
Some feminists sought to make the public aware of what they
believed to be dangers associated with pornography.
According to some, pornography has been linked to sexual arousal,
aggression, desensitization, pedophilia, ephebophilia, and sexual
abuse.
Pornography often arouses and sensitizes viewers to sexual acts,
and in the case of child pornography, this is via the sexual exploitation
of children.
It has been estimated that at least 1/5 (and probably more) of the
population have pedophiliac fantasies. The prevalence of child
pornography and child prostitution prove it.
 Pornography
Before the advent of the internet, child pornography was extremely
difficult to obtain because production and distribution was nearly
impossible in most civilized nations.
Pedophiles rely on child pornography for not only self-stimulation,
but also for a sense of acceptance and legitimacy, the feeling that they
are not alone in their habits.
The internet has made it possible for any form of data, including
child pornography, to be freely distributed throughout the world with
little or no restriction.
This has created great public concern over the accessibility of
pornography on the internet.
 Sex Offenders
Megan's Law was enacted on May 17, 1996.
It states that a county should be notified of child offenders residing
there and residents have a right to get access to that information.
It requires all convicted child offenders to register with the local
police department.
Public notification of sexual crimes do not list the degree of the
crime, but simply label the criminal as a "sexual predator".
After leaving jail, employment and re-adjustment to society becomes
a serious problem considering the heightened public concern over the
issue.
 The Abused
Child sexual abuse victims often suffer the effects of sensationalism in the
media.
Children often face the trauma of reliving their sexual encounters and are
faced with the trauma of lawsuits and legal proceedings as in certain
incidents, they are forced to testify in the face of brutal lawyers of their
perpetrators.
These lawyers will do anything to make the child feel less confident and
also, afraid so that their testimony becomes weak with lack of proof and
they win their case.
Children may also be hesitant to testify against the abuser if the latter is in
front of him, with the fear that he may attack them.
In certain cases children suffer the media attention that is placed on them
after a highly publicized incident, such as reporters that wish to interview the
abused children.
 WHO IS A PEDOPHILE?
APA strictly defines a pedophile as "a person who over
at least a 6 month period has recurrent, intense
sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors
involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or
children (age 13 years or younger)."
People who enjoy child pornography are pedophiles.
Some pedophiles are sexually attracted only toward
children and are not at all attracted toward adults
 NOTE……
In contrast to the generally accepted medical definition, the term
pedophile is also used colloquially to denote significantly older
adults who are sexually attracted to adolescents below the local
age of consent, as well as those who have sexually abused a
child.

Regardless of the terminological debates and other controversies

over where the "primary" sexual preference lies, most forms of
pedophilia are regarded as a mostly incurable condition in which
the sexual object (or fetish) is a child, and the behavior pattern
manifests some obsessive-compulsive characteristics similar to
the fantasy-driven cycles of serial killers, rapists, and other repeat
offenders.
 TYPES
Homosexual – sexually attracted to same sex child

Heterosexual – sexually attracted to opposite sex child

Bisexual – sexually attracted to both male and female children

Incestuous – perpetrator is related to victim

Non-familial – perpetrator and victim are not related

Exclusive Type – sexually attracted only to children

Non-exclusive Type – sexually attracted to children and adults

 CLASSIFICATION
• In the most common typology, pedophiles
are classified as follows:

SITUATIONAL
&
PREFERENTIAL
 DIFFERENCES
SITUATIONAL PREFERRENTIAL
PEDOPHILES PEDOPHILES

will stalk almost any will stick to children of

vulnerable group (the elderly, a certain age range.
the handicapped, etc.)

will select "second-best" doesn't normally

victims when under stress or experience much distress
distressed about their over their condition and is
condition, and the preferential less affected by life
type. stress.
 SITUATIONAL PEDOPHILE
1) REGRESSED PEDOPHILE
prefer female victims, and enjoy seducing strangers. Oral and vaginal
intercourse is their goal.
likely to use child pornography and may surf the Internet looking for victims.
tend to always keep a "stable" of potential victims in various stages of
seduction.
normally turn to children when distressed or whenever they experience a blow
to their self-esteem.
Regressed offenders are the most common type who often "bounce back and
forth" between normal sexual relationships and criminal relations with children.
generally have some insecurity, stress, or frustration relating to the demands
of social skills in adult relationships.
Some are remorseful; others are not. Their sexual relationships with children
are part of an impulsive act underlying their inadequacies in adult
relationships.
 SITUATIONAL PEDOPHILE
2) INDISCRIMINATE PEDOPHILE
wait a long time until they get to know you, and then they want to bring
you into their "world."

That world usually consists of child pornography, which helps them

obtain child victims, or any other vulnerable group

they will soon make it clear to you that they prefer children and will enlist
your help to assist them in deciding whether or not they want to lock into
a certain age

The main source of new victims for pedophiles in general, however, is

from people introduced to the perpetrator by old victims
 SITUATIONAL PEDOPHILE
3) IMMATURE PEDOPHILE
also called FIXATED/NAIVE PEDOPHILE – will appear to be "mentally
ill" or quite strange.
tend to stalk around their own neighborhood, and will usually not travel
great distances to get new victims.
Their preferred form of intercourse is anal or oral, but there are often
times when they are completely happy just having fondled their victims.
There are also times when they don't care what age their victim is.
They tend to lead stressful lives, and their sexual preference for
children has been existing since adolescence.
This type of child molester is most likely the kind that is "sexually
addicted" to having sex with children.
PREFERENTIAL PEDOPHILE
1) SEDUCTIVE PEDOPHILE
This subtype, also known as the "sex pressure" or "exploitative" type,
will seduce or court their victims, often buying them gifts, flowers, toys,
or loaning them money.

As this person slowly becomes more intimate with the child, they begin
to introduce sexual innuendo and eventually sexual pornography and
paraphernalia.
This type is almost always homosexual and prefers boys only.

They operate on a referral network, and are somewhat likely to surf the
Internet looking for stimulation and potential victims, although, they
almost always seem to have a "stable" of victims in various stages of
seduction.
They go wherever a good pool of potential victims can be found.
 PREFERENTIAL PEDOPHILE
2) SADISTIC PEDOPHILE
This subtype, also known as the "sex force" type, and sometimes
called a "mysoped", stalks, abducts, has anal sex, mutilates the
genitals, and in some cases, kills and cannibalizes their victim.

They usually will travel great geographic distances to stalk just the
right victim, and have an elaborate attack and abduction ploy worked
out to sidetrack parents and authorities.

This individual leads a rather transient existence, but is likely to have

a fairly good-paying, white-collar job and a dependable vehicle.
 PEDOPHILE ACTIVISM
• referred as childlove movement, is a social movement that
encompasses a wide variety of views, but generally
advocates one or more of the following:
social acceptance of adults' romantic or sexual attraction to
children
social acceptance of adults' sexual activity with children
and changes in institutions of concern to pedophiles, such as
changing age-of-consent laws and mental illness
classifications.
• The movement is extremely unpopular and has
made little progress toward these goals.

• The most high profile pedophile activism

group is NAMBLA. NAMBLA advocates the
legalization of sexual relationships between
men and boys.
 That's Western thought….
• in other cultures when a girl starts her cycle she
has become of age to reproduce and it's not
uncommon to inter marry as long as the 2
bloodlines aren't mixed.  
• In America its called pedophillia and incest in
India and in other cultures is called preserving
the purity of the bloodline.
•  And it's only been in the past 50 yrs. that the
practice of young girls getting married stopped
in the USA.  
 GENDER
The majority of pedophiles are males – contribute
to 9/10 of all pedophiles (Cohen & Galynker, 2002;
Murray, 2000).
However, female pedophiles do exist.
Maletzky (1993) studied the records of 4,402
pedophilic offenders and 0.4% were females.
There is an 11:1 ratio of heterosexual pedophiles
to homosexual ones.
 AGE OF ONSET
Most studies suggest an early onset for pedophilia (Cohen & Galynker,
2002). The pedophile is at least 16 years of age and at least 5 years older
than the child.
Adolescence is thought to be a vulnerable period when an individual
experiments and engages in sexual behaviors that result in sexual arousal
with subsequent reinforcement through fantasies and masturbation
(Repique, 1999).
Some adolescents may not feel comfortable or confident with peers and
may experiment sexually with a younger child and these behaviors may
become reinforced and repeated.
Pedophilic behavior usually begins in adolescence, although incestuous
pedophilia generally develops later in life, particularly those who abuse
their own children (Murray, 2000; Cohen & Galyker, 2002; Repique, 1999).
 NUMBER OF VICTIMS
The number of legal convictions does not accurately reflect
the number of child victims a pedophile may have.
Abel and Osbourne (1992) found the number of victims
varied by the type of victim.
Pedophiles who sexually abused non-related boys had the
largest number of victims (median of 150.2 victims).
Those who abused non-related girls admitted a median of
19.8 victims.
Incest offenders who abused children in the home had less
sexual victims (median of 1.8 female victims and 1.7 male
victims).
 TYPES OF ACTS
Less invasive acts are easier to commit than more invasive acts.
Non-invasive touching offenses such as fondling of genitalia or
genital to genital contact without penetration occur much more
frequently than sexual intercourse (Cohen & Galynker, 2002).
Invasive acts are more likely to result in pain and injury with
subsequent detection or disclosure and unwillingness on the part of
the child to engage in the behavior again.
In cases of violent sexual abuse the incidence of intercourse is
much higher.
Victims inside the home are at greater risk for multiple molestations
and more invasive sexual acts such as intercourse (Cohen &
Galykner, 2002).
 GROOMING BEHAVIOURS
Most pedophiles develop techniques, sometimes complicated, in order to
gain access to children.
Pedophiles may develop a relationship with the child's mother to win her
trust which allows contact with the child. He may even marry/date the
child's mother.
Pedophiles may also gain access to children through professional and
community roles such as teacher, coach, mentor, or foster parent or they
may themselves be their victims’ teacher, child photographer, babysitter,
child psychologist, etc.
In more unusual circumstances pedophiles trade children with other
pedophiles.
In rare instances, a pedophile will abduct a child who is a stranger and
these children are at great risk for severe physical injury or death (Burgess
& Hartman, 2005).
 VIOLENCE
The incidence of violent child sexual abuse is much
lower than non – violent child sexual abuse (McConaghy,
1998).
An assault involving oral, anal, and vaginal penetration
may result in physical injury.
Burgess & Hartman (2005) state that the intent of the
abduction and violent sexual assault of children usually
comes from a preoccupation with thoughts and fantasies
regarding all aspects of the crime.
 “HOBBIES”
COLLECTORS
Sex toys, sexual aids, tape recordings, erotic literature, pictures, books
on human sexuality, diaries, lists of victims, photographic equipment and
darkrooms, videotapes and music in their preferred age range

SEDUCTORS
They will take however much time as it takes to seduce the child, and are
unusually patient, and like to have several "prospects" in various stages of
seduction at any one time.

According to researcher Van Dam, 2005, the average length of time

before an offender feels safe enough to begin molesting to be six months.
 ASSESSMENT OF SPECIFIC
PREFERENCES
Difficult to determine what is the "favorite" or
preferred sexual activity of a sex offender due to
existence of different objects of sexual preference
and possibility of so many different fetishes.

Some lock into certain age groups and/or certain

victims, but others are fairly indiscriminating in who
or what they choose as a target.
 ACTIONS
When a pedophile becomes sexually active with a
child he/she may:
Undress the child.

Encourage the child to watch them masturbate.

Touch or fondle the child’s genitals.

Forcefully perform sexual acts on the child.

 PSYCHOSEXUAL DISORDER
adult's arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily
through sexual contact with prepubescent children.
The typical pedophile is unable to find satisfaction in an
adult sexual relationship.
may have low self-esteem, seeing sexual activity with a child
as less threatening than that with an adult.
The pedophile - similar to the autistic patient - misinterprets
the child's body language and inter-personal signals.

His social communication skills are impaired and he fails to

adjust information gained to the surrounding circumstances
(for instance, to the kid's age and maturity).
Many pedophiles truly bond with their prey.
To them, children are the symbols of innocence,
genuineness, trust, and faithfulness - qualities that the
pedophile has been yearning to recapture.
The relationship with the child provides the pedophile
with a "safe passage" to his own, repressed and fearful,
inner child.
Through his victim, the pedophile gains access to his
suppressed emotions.
It is a fantasy-like 2nd chance to re-enact his childhood.
Inevitably, the pedophile considers his child-victims to be his best
friends and companions.

Pedophiles are, generally, lonely people.

The pedophile believes that he is in love with (or simply loves) the child.

The pedophile intrudes on the victim's privacy, disrespects the child's

express wishes and personal boundaries and ignores his or her
emotions, needs, and preferences. To the pedophile, "love" means
clinging coupled with an overpowering separation anxiety (fear of being
abandoned).

Consequently, pedophiles react badly (sometimes, violently) to any

perceived rejection by their victims.

When the "relationship" looks hopeless, some pedophiles may turn on to

self-destruction.
 In some cases, however, the pedophile seeks rather to dominate
than to establish a "genuine" relationship with a child; these ones
feel strongly with the thought patterns and lives of children,
something fueled by a lack of education and of self-esteem.

The pedophile treats "his" chosen child as an object, an extension

of himself,

By intimidating, cajoling, charming, and making false promises,

the abuser isolates his prey from his family, school and from the
rest of society and, thus, makes the child's dependence on him
total.
 To the pedophile, the child is a "transitional object" - a training ground
on which to exercise his adult relationship skills. The pedophile
strongly believes that the child will never betray and abandon him,
therefore guaranteeing "object constancy".
In cases of “emotional congruence”, a man feels the happiest and
most secure when he spends most time with children and may even
act childish himself.
In other cases, pedophiles experience such deep-seated sexual
anxieties that they cannot develop normal sexuality.
Driving pedophiles to act can be a lack of inhibition determined by
psychosis, poor impulse control or alcoholism.
Compared to his victims, the pedophiles is always the stronger, the
wiser, the most skillful and well-informed.
 Male pedophilic behavior does not appear to be impulsive (sudden
urge) in nature (Gebhard et al, 1967; Cohen et al, 2002), however, female
pedophiles do exhibit impulse control difficulties (Grier, Clark &
Stoner,1993; Chow & Choy, 2002).
Lack of insight does appear to characterize pedophiles, illustrated by
their routine denial and minimization of the deviance of their behavior and
its harmful impact on the children involved (Cohen & Galynker, 2002),
whereas female pedophiles tend to feel a deep sense of guilt for their
sexual offenses (Chow & Choy, 2002).
Pedophiles seem to have narcissistic (erotic interest) and antisocial
(psychopathic) traits.
Lack empathy for their victims.
They claim that the children were merely being educated for their own
good and, anyhow, derived great pleasure from it.
 Generally tends to blame others (or the world or the "system") for
his misfortunes, failures, and deficiencies.
Pedophiles frequently accuse their victims of acting promiscuously,
of "coming on to them", of actively tempting, provoking, and luring (or
even trapping) them.
Usually, a pedophile makes his victims treat him the way he views
himself - or attributes to them traits and behaviours that are truly his.
In many cases, the pedophile is aware of society's view of his
actions as vile, corrupt, forbidden & evil.
In extreme cases, the pedophile projects these torturous feelings
and self-perceptions onto his victims.
 Studies showed that 10% of the pedophiles have been found to be
mentally retarded or borderline retarded. Lower levels of intellectual
functioning were associated with greater interest in male children and
greater interest in younger children (Blanchard, Watson, Choy, Dickey,
Klassen, Kuban, & Ferran, 1999).

Pedophiles have been found to have impaired interpersonal

functioning, reduced assertiveness (do not think +vely) & elevated
passive aggressiveness.

They are usually motivated & fail to inhibit pedophilic behaviour (Cohen
et al, 2002). Also, outside their child relationships, they are likely to view
themselves as helpless and ineffective.
Most people believe that the only way to get rid of
pedophiles is to get them punished by law.
Imprisonment of pedophiles will discourage others of
repeating this act.
However, this is not a solution; it rather aggravates the
problem since many pedophiles do not change their
behaviour after being freed.
They may look for other preys or take revenge by abusing
children of the family who sent them to jail.
Most pedophiles really need treatment to help them
completely recover or at the most, control their sexual
behaviour.
 How to treat a pedophile?
• Many regard pedophilia as highly resistant to
psychological interference and have dismissed as most
ineffective "reparative strategies.“

Others, such as Dr. Fred Berlin, believe pedophilia can

"indeed be successfully treated," if only the medical
community would give it more attention.
The primary goal of the treatment of pedophiles is to
minimize the likelihood that the individual will re-offend.
This is best achieved by modifying emotional, cognitive,
behavioral, environmental, and psychological factors,
which support the desire, capacity, and opportunity to
offend.
 Medical therapies
Castration – removal of testes – was done before
Nowadays, anti-androgenic medications such as Depo
Provera may be used to lower testosterone levels, and are often
used in conjunction with non-medical approaches. This is
commonly referred to as "chemical castration“.
Other programs induce an association of illegal behaviour with
pain by means of the more controversial aversion therapy, in
which the pedophile is given an electric shock while fantasizing.
Convicted sex offenders, including many pedophiles, have been
treated by the psychosurgical procedure commonly known as
lobotomization (depriving the pedophile from all his
energy/vitality so that he calms down).
 Thalamotomy is an alternative surgical treatment of sex
offenders having psychological abnormalities.

It is an invasive procedure whereby a selected portion of

the thalamus (paired structure deep within the brain
involved in the control of movements) is destroyed.

It is increasingly advertised as an "effective therapy" for

sex offenders (as well as for some children suffering
from symptoms of child sexual abuse, since the 1980s)
 GENDER
Both boys & girls are sexually abused.
However, the ratio of male to female victims vary among studies and
according to situational factors.
According to US Department Of Justice Statistics (2003), females
are more likely to have experienced sexual abuse than males (16% v/s
5%).
Murray (2000) states that if the victim is a girl, the perpetrator is more
likely to be someone in the family, & the sexual offense is most
probable to occur in the victim’s home.
Male sexual abuse victims tend to be older, to be abused by a
stranger, & the abuse is more likely to occur far away from the victim’s
home.
 AGE
Child Sexual Abuse can occur at any age from infancy to
adolescence.
However, children in middle to late childhood are at much
higher risk (Cohen & Galynker, 2002).
Older children (aged 8 & older) are more likely than younger
ones (below age 8) to suffer from sexual abuse (15% v/s 7% -
according to US Department Of Justice,2003).
Pedophiles who sexually abuse children under the age of 8
prefer them young because this minimizes the chance of
pregnancy and vaginal infection.
In fact, some pedophile groups have the saying "Eight is too
late."
RELATIONSHIP TO PERPETRATOR

According to the U. S. Department of Justice (2003),

sexual abuse/assault of children under age 12 involved
perpetration by a family member in 47%, an acquaintance
in 49%, and a stranger in only 4% of cases.
5% of sexual abuse victims were sexually abused by a
birth parent.
Step-parents, foster father, or guardians sexually
abused 25% of the child victims.
Other relatives, such as uncles, brothers, or cousins
were the perpetrators in 17% of cases.
 NATURE OF RELATIONSHIP

The nature of the relationship between victim and

offender affects the frequency and severity of the abuse
(Cohen & Galynker, 2002).
Sexual abuse by a stranger tends to be more
aggressive and involve more invasive sexual acts such as
penetration (Cohen & Galynker, 2002; Murray, 2000).
In addition, father-daughter (step-daughter) incest was
four times more likely to involve completed intercourse
than offenses involving non-related yet known girls (Abel
& Osbourne, 1992).
 CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD
SEDUCTION…
What is the Harm of Childhood Seduction?
Dutch psychologist Gerard van den Aardweg points out
that "non-coerced" sex is a misnomer because there is
always an element of coercion -- involving a misuse of
adult authority, and a misuse of the child's need for
affection.
If a researcher sees no harm, "it may be because he is
using the wrong glasses...not because there is nothing to
see." Even adult-child sex which is mutually enjoyed, he
says, is always an intrinsic injustice to the integrity of
the person
 Research conducted over the past decade indicates that
a wide range of psychological and interpersonal problems
are more prevalent among those who have been sexually
abused than among individuals with no such
experiences.”

In a clinical study, Robert L. Johnson, M.D., found that

“70% of those who had been molested (by a male or
female) felt devastated immediately after the molestation
incident had occurred.”
 …ON THE CHILDREN
confusion about sexual identity and sexual norms

inability to differentiate sex from love

confusion between care-getting and care-giving, with

lowered respect for adult authority

guilt, shame, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, depression,

vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse, and impaired
ability to judge the trustworthiness of others.

an age-inappropriate sexual knowledge, and sex acts

sometimes compulsively re-enacted with other children
 Victims of sexual abuse also appear to be at higher
risk for suicide
may repeat the sexual abuse in adulthood, in order to
gain a feeling of psychological mastery over the
experience
Children who experience prolonged abuse are more
likely to view the abuse as positive or neutral,
suggesting that as the molestation continues, children
eventually identify with the molester
If the abuser was a male and the child a girl, she may
defensively turn to lesbianism
 HOMOSEXUAL ABUSE
Watkins and Bentovim, in their review of research on the
sexual abuse of male children, found three common short-
term effects.

1. adolescents attributed the onset of their homosexual desires

to having been victimized by an older male.

2. male victims of sexual abuse often turn their rage outward

and attempt to re-assert their masculinity in inappropriate
ways, such as aggressive and antisocial behavior

3. some boy victims try to recapitulate – or re-enact – their

victimization, this time with themselves as the perpetrator and
someone else as the victim.
 Long-term effects experienced by
sexually abused boys
the victim to withdraw into himself, dejected and
plagued with self-doubt.
This only aggravates the pain, for it is thought that
children who do not speak about their sexual abuse
suffer greater psychic distress than those who are
able to seek help
Low self-esteem and depression along with a
tendency to feel helpless and vulnerable
Some of these boys are almost compulsively drawn
into situations where they are repeatedly victimized.
 These may include:
running away from home
being enticed into prostitution
promiscuous sex
substance abuse.
Finally, and not surprisingly, many of these children become
suicidal.
They are more likely than other ill-treated children to receive
the psychiatric diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Because of the nature of the abuse, they have difficulty in
forming trustworthy relationships – especially with those they
view as parental figures.
 EFFECTS CONTINUING INTO
ADULTHOOD
The cycle of abuse continues when the victims of sexual abuse become parents
themselves.
The dysfunctional home is often the result of parents who have been abused as
children who continue to suffer from debilitating effects, including the following:
Emotional distress
Anxiety
Rage
Post traumatic disorder: when the abuse included penetration, the risk for
developing PTSD appears especially high
Substance abuse: abused children who try to numb their emotional pain with
drugs often carry their dependency into adulthood
Promiscuity: child sexual abuse produces a range of behavioral problems,
including compulsive sexual behaviors.
Suicide
 Long-term symptoms of childhood sexual abuse
which "mimic" some of the personality traits are
found in adult child molesters, but that doesn't mean
they turn out to be molesters themselves.

Such symptoms include promiscuity, a lack of

empathy toward others, trouble recognizing
appropriate sexual cues, and difficulty in
understanding the perspective of others
 VARIABLES AFFCTING DEGREE OF TRAUMA
1. Extent of the Abuse: The more serious and invasive the abuse, the
more likely the child will suffer emotional harm – e.g. full penetration is
more traumatic than fondling; physical scars are also traumatic.

2. Single Incident vs. Long-Term Ongoing Abuse: Multiple events will

deplete emotional reserves. With long-term abuse, problem is in children
viewing themselves erroneously as well as the abuse going undetected.

3. Presence of Violence - Witnessed or Experienced; Degree of Life

Threat - to Family/Self/Others: Increases feelings of helplessness;
children more likely to be anxious, depressed, phobic, and have conduct
and post-traumatic stress disorders.

4. Solitary vs. Shared Experience: If experience is shared, there might be

less guilt, and less of a stigma.
 VARIABLES AFFCTING DEGREE OF TRAUMA
5. Physical Injury or Pain: Constitutes a threat to body integrity

6. Relationship of Perpetrator to Child: The closer the relationship

to the child, the greater the psychological harm. Abuse by a relative
is the ultimate violation of basic trust.

7. Degree of Parental Support: Recovery is much quicker when one

parent believes the child, and acts protectively; child’s perception of
support by significant others are also important.

8. Child’s Attributional Style: Children with a positive attributional

style (positive events have an internal cause and are global and
stable; negative events have external cause and are isolated) have
a much better prognosis and are more resilient. “This won’t happen
to me again.”
 MEDICAL TREATMENT
Those who suffer from physical injuries,
e.g. near mouth, genital area, etc. need to
be, 1st of all, examined by a doctor for proper
treatment.

Medications to relieve depression & to get

sound sleep may also be provided (victims
usually have sleeping disturbances).
 NON-MEDICAL TREATMENT
There are several modalities of psychological treatment
that have demonstrated positive benefits for child victims of
sexual abuse.

These include individual psychotherapy, group-based

psychotherapy, and treatments that involve the entire
family.

When treatment is focused in the trauma endured by

children, and targets the specific symptoms of sexual
abuse, it can be effective at reducing short-term and long-
term effects.
 INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT
Individual treatment usually involves the child and a therapist
meeting together for an hour a week.
The therapist may be a master’s level clinician, social worker,
psychologist, or psychiatrist (expertise in working with child
victims).
Different techniques may be used to process the sexual abuse
experience, normalize reactions, and develop adaptive coping
strategies to address symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Trauma-focused play therapy, trauma-focused cognitive-

behavioral therapy, and eye movement desensitization and
reprocessing therapy are all specific individual child-focused
interventions that may be appropriate treatment for child sexual
abuse.
 GROUP THERAPY
Group-based psychotherapy can be particularly
powerful for sexual abuse victims; they are exposed to
other victims and subsequently do not feel alone.

The group environment provides children with a sense

of universality, a feeling that "others are like me" or
"have experienced what I have experienced", which
may reduce a child’s sense of shame and isolation
(Celano, 1996).
 GROUP THERAPY
According to Rencken (1989), groups are very useful
for addressing issues of "responsibility, anger, fear,
and guilt" due to the support and feedback children
receive from their peers, which can be extremely
validating and more effective than that provided by an
adult counselor.

Moreover, this modality is useful in helping child

victims understand that people cannot simply look at
them and identify them as a sexual abuse victim.
 GROUP THERAPY
Small groups (4-8 children) that are homogeneous in regard
to gender of the members and lead by a male/female co-
facilitating team are recommended.
According to Hack et al (1994), this type of group, when used
with boys, effectively reduced anxiety and depression;
improved externalizing and internalizing behaviors; and
reduced their sense of stigma and isolation.
Similar results were also found for girls. McGain & McKinzey
(1995) found this type of group reduced anxiety, levels of
conduct disordered behavior, and social aggression in girls.
 ABUSE-SPECIFIC THERAPY
Structured abuse-specific group therapy is particularly useful for
working with preadolescent children.
It ensures that the group will address many important issues in
a reasonable amount of time; without this structure, time in
treatment is lengthened due to the tendency of preadolescent
children to avoid discussing the important but difficult issues
associated with sexual abuse (Damon et al, 1987).
According to Celano (1996), this abuse-specific structure is
necessary to "facilitate discussion because abused children do
not spontaneously disclose or discuss their abuse even among
peers who have had similar experiences".
 GOALS OF GROUP THERAPY
1) provide a safe environment and appropriate adult role models;
2) decrease social isolation, shame, and stigmatization;
3) increase assertiveness and prevent re-victimization;
4) identify, express, and resolve feelings toward perpetrator, non-
offending parent(s), and self;
5) provide basic sex education;
6) enhance self-esteem; and
7) prevent long-term psychological problems.

Reichert (1994) and Sturkie (1983) also emphasize the importance

of addressing abuse-related feelings of powerlessness, guilt, fault,
fear, and ambivalence.
TREATMENT INVOLVING FAMILY
Treatment interventions that involve the entire family include family
preservation services, attachment-trauma therapy, and Parents
United programs.

The focus of these interventions is to strengthen the parent-child

relationship in order to help process the trauma and to ultimately
increase the level of family functioning.

Also, parental involvement in the treatment greatly determines the

child’s prognosis for improvement and recovery.

According to Cohen & Mannarino (1996a), "sexually abused children

whose parents were included in active treatment showed greater
improvement in behavioral symptoms than those whose parents were
not provided with treatment"
 At 1st , they are shocked when they hear the news.
They don’t know who to blame – Destiny? – God? – or
themselves?
Why has it happened only to their child?
They are as horrified as their child.
They are worried about the child’s future – will he be able to
forget that bad experience & grow normally?
They are more distressed if their children has suffered
physical injury and also, if the perpetrator is none other than a
family member or an acquaintance
 In many cases, parents are afraid to go to the police if the
abuser has threatened to cause more harm to their child.
They are also afraid to re-traumatize the child by telling him
to testify against his perpetrator because it will mean to revive
& live those moments once again.
In some cases, rage overpower the family who may try to
take law in their hands & punish the culprit.
In other cases, the parents themselves are so mentally
distressed that they need psychiatric consultancy as much as
their child.
o Mary, a divorced woman, lived alone with
her only daughter, Rita, aged 8
o She was working as secretary in a private
firm & was earning a good salary
o She always accepted defeat in front of the
stubbornness of her daughter & offered her
whatever she wanted, cakes, sweets, toys,….
as a result of which Rita was a spoilt child
o She always said: “Everything I earn is for my
daughter. After all, I’m living only for her.”
o Both mother & daughter were mutually
supporting each other since they had no one
else of their own…except…Mary’s little step-
brother of 20, Luis
o However, they had a fight 2 years ago & ever
since, they were not talking to each other
o Luis left home the next morning after their fight
& went to stay in a rented house 2 blocks away
o Everything was running on smoothly in
Mary’s life…until…one night…she
received a call
o She was told her step-brother was in jail.
Reason: had molested a child
o She got the biggest shock of her life
o She knew her brother was very ill-
mannered but sincerely believed that he
couldn’t have such loose character
o Convinced of her brother’s innocence, the next day she went to
the police station to enquire who had made the complaint

o She was surprised that the “supposedly” victim was in Rita’s

class & she was none other Rita’s best friend (x)

o Luis constantly visited Rita’s school & gave both Rita & the
victim cakes, sweets, soft drinks,… everyday

o Mary didn’t believe it but still, she went to ask her daughter who
was very scared & blurted out the truth
o She was very angry & went to her brother
to ask for an explanation
o He just innocently replied that he thought
she was still so angry with him that she
would never allow him to meet his niece
o That is why he was visiting Rita only at
school & since she was always with her
best friend, he would buy something for
the latter too
o Luis lied a lot saying that he was innocent
but…

o But finally in court Luis was found guilty of

the rape of that child and here are the
facts of what had happened that day…
 The day x was a victim of
pedophilia rape
• Rehearsal for parents’ day at school

• While changing clothes, left alone in the

changing room

• Caretaker, thinking every child had gone

home locked the door and went to principal’s
house to arrange for dinner for guests
• x, left alone in the school shouted and cried a lot
• Her parents were very worried and called all
friends and acquaintances to inquire about her
• At about midnight the caretaker returned to
school and found x still there
• So he dropped her to the station
• Unfortunately, Luis and two of his friends also
got on the same train
WHAT HAPPENS
INSIDE THE
TRAIN?
• Unfortunately, x died some days later due
to the trauma, shock and pain she had to
bear
 MAPI
MAPI - Movement Against Pedophilia on the Internet - is a
volunteer organisation of professors and researchers from the Computer
Science Department and from CITA (Cellule Interfacultaire de Technology
Assessment) of the University of Namur (Belgium).

MAPI has 4 aims:

• Study the problem of the pedophile market and of the diffusion of
information on Internet encouraging sexual exploitation of children;
• Inform Internet users and raise their awareness level about the problems
linked to the diffusion of such information;
• Lead a legal, technical and ethical research on existing solutions to
restrict this diffusion of information;
• Develop various recommendations for those who provide access and
sites for Web pages, for those who use newsgroups to spread information
of a pedophile nature, as well as for the political and legal arenas.
 MAPI
• The aim is certainly not to censor Internet but to protect children.
• MAPI's goal is neither to make an inventory of all existing sites and
newsgroups encouraging sexual exploitation of children nor to denounce
these sites.
• MAPI only wants to remind Internet users of their responsibility in the
network management.

What is meant by "information of a pedophile nature"?

• The targeted information concern all materials that encourage the sexual
exploitation of children.
• It could be child pornography, texts and discussions inciting to
pedophilia, etc.
• These information demean the rights of children as clearly defined by
the article 34 of the International Convention of the Rights of Children.
 MAPI
Article 34. States Parties undertake to protect the child from all
forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. For these purposes,
States Parties shall in particular take all appropriate national,
bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent:
• The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful
sexual activity;
•The exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful
sexual practices;
•The exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and
materials.
 Prevention of child sexual abuse occurs on three levels:
primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
Primary prevention targets services to the general
population in order to decrease the frequency and occurrence
of child sexual abuse.
Recently, public awareness campaigns have emerged to
address the issue.
There is some indication that in the last couple of years, the
incidence of sexual abuse may be decreasing and some
experts have attributed this to an increase in public awareness
at the primary prevention level as a possible explanation.
 Secondary prevention targets services to specific groups that
are considered at high risk in order to avoid child sexual abuse from
occurring.
Examples of secondary prevention programs include child assault
prevention programs and safety education taught to children in
schools.
These programs may increase a child’s knowledge of sexual
abuse and how to respond, and may even facilitate subsequent
disclosures, which ultimately may reduce child sexual abuse from
occurring.
Tertiary prevention targets services to victims of child sexual
abuse with the goal of minimizing its negative effects and avoiding
reoccurrence.
Parents can prevent or lessen the chance of sexual abuse
by:
telling children that "if someone tries to touch your body and
do things that make you feel funny, say NO to that person and
tell me right away“.
teaching children that respect does not mean blind
obedience to adults and to authority, for example, don't tell
children to, "Always do everything the teacher or baby-sitter
tells you to do"
 Pedophilia & Sexual Abuse –
Tips For parents
Most children who are sexually abused are not abused by a
stranger. They are at a much higher risk to be sexually abused
by someone they know, love & trust.
Never leave your child with someone you don’t know well.
Never leave your child with someone who has a history of
sexually abusing a child.
People who sexually abuse children are at high risk to sexually
abuse again even if they have been to prison, had treatment or it
has been years since they abused.
Pay attention if an adult likes to talk to your child, tries to spend
a lot of time with him/her & gives him/her a lot of cakes, sweets
or toys.
 Tips For Parents
Pedophiles always present as normal, healthy individuals – they
may be married, have children & even grandchildren, have a
good job & be active in the community.
Children who are being abused may show a number of physical
and emotional changes. But remember that these signs do not
always mean that a child is being abused - there may be other
explanations.
Physical signs of abuse
pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in the genital or anal areas
genital discharge or urinary tract infections
stomach pains or discomfort when walking or sitting
sexually transmitted infections.

If your child is suffering from any of these symptoms, you should

consult a doctor immediately.
 Tips For Parents
Behavioural signs of abuse
These might include a marked change in the child's general behaviour.
They may become unusually quiet and withdrawn, or unusually
aggressive.
They may start suffering from what may seem to be physical ailments,
but which can't be explained medically.
The child may refuse to attend school or start to have difficulty
concentrating so that their schoolwork is affected.
They may show unexpected fear or distrust of a particular adult or
refuse to continue with their usual social activities.
They may start using sexually explicit behaviour or language,
particularly if the behaviour or language is not appropriate for their age.
The child may describe receiving special attention from a particular
adult, or refer to a new, "secret" friendship with an adult or young
person.
 Tips For Parents
What should I do if my child tells me they have been sexually
abused?
Your child probably feels very anxious and embarrassed about what
has happened.
So although you will naturally feel very upset yourself, try not to react
in a way that adds to their distress, for example, with disbelief or
blame.
Try your best to:
keep calm
listen very carefully to what your child tells you
make clear that you believe what they are telling you
allow your child to tell you as much as they want to about the abuse,
but do not force them to talk about it
tell your child that they have done the right thing in telling you
tell them that they are not to blame for the abuse.
REMEMBER: ONLY YOU can protect your child from being a victim of
a pedophile!!!
 A plea from his heart by Alan
Walker
What are you doing to me? You don’t love me!
Can you not see that you are passing on the
confusion that is in your mind to my mind?
Please stop it now before it is too late!
You are NOT loving me — you are sexually
abusing me.
I don’t want to become like you.
You have no right!
If you really love me, stop having sex with me
—
I’m just a child!