Pedophilia: The Ins and Outs

Words by Shee Yi Xuan

21 October 2020

What is Pedophilia? In the most technical sense, the term ‘pedophile’ refers to an individual with sexual preferences for prepubescent children (Blanchard et al., 2009). On the other hand, the term ‘hebephile’ refers to an individual with sexual preferences for pubescent children (generally around the ages of 11-14) (Blanchard et al., 2009). However, the term ‘hebephilia’ is less-known, and not as widely used - instead, in almost all forms of media (and in this article), the term ‘pedophile’ is used as an umbrella term to refer to individuals attracted to prepubescent and/or pubescent children. Thus, pedophilia refers to the sexual attraction, or preference for prepubescent and/or pubescent children. How is Pedophilia (or Pedophilic Disorder) Diagnosed? While many are aware that pedophilia is considered a mental disorder, what exactly does a diagnosis of pedophilia require? According to the DSM-5, some indicators of Pedophilic Disorder require the individual to have sexually arousing fantasies/urges/behaviours involving children, and have “acted on” their sexual urges, or requires these urges and fantasies to cause “marked distress or interpersonal difficulty”. However, much contention has arisen due to such criterion - what exactly does “acting on” those sexual urges refer to? Would being aroused by children count, or would the individual have to have molested a child? Additionally, if an individual doesn’t face any distress from their condition, does it mean that they are not recognized as pedophiles? Why Does Pedophilia Occur? Murray (2000) argues that sexual interest in children occurs due to issues in four basic categories: emotional congruence, sexual arousal, blockage, and disinhibition. With emotional congruence, pedophiles prefer children for sexual partners due to factors such as low emotional maturitymaturity and self-esteem of the pedophilic individual, allowing them to better relate to children. Here, pedophiles may be attracted to children due to their lower social demand (as compared to adults), and higher vulnerability. In sexual arousal, factors such as early sexual experiences (such as through child abuse), high levels of arousal, and learned behaviour through exposure to pornography may affect an individual’s disposition to pedophilia. Blockage, in which pedophiles have difficulties in relating to other adults, or experience disturbances in adult sexual or romantic relationships (such as trauma), are also factors that are theorised to contribute to pedophilia. Lastly, disinhibition, such as a lack of impulse control or incest avoidance mechanism, or brought about by substance usage (e.g. alcohol, drugs), has also been argued to be related to pedophilia. Research has also indicated that there may be a physiological explanation for pedophilia. Lesions in the temporal lobe, especially in the right temporal lobe, have been associated with changes in sexual preferences and hypersexuality (Mendez et al., 2000). Similarly, in a case study of two pedophiles, it was found that both individuals had dysfunctions in their right temporal lobe (Mendez et al., 2000). Is There a Cure for Pedophilia? Based on current research, pedophilia has been noted to be a stable sexual preference, influenced by prenatal factors, that is unlikely to change (Seto, 2009). As such, there are no set ‘cures’ for pedophilia. Instead, treatments for pedophilia mostly involve managing the condition, with the goal of reducing pedophilic sexual arousal or to allow the individual to better manage their sexual urges and arousal, to refrain from acting upon them (Seto, 2009). These interventions include behavioural treatments and drug treatments, such as undergoing aversive conditioning techniques or hormone treatments, to control and suppress their sexual arousal towards children. In extreme cases, surgical castration may also be used to produce an effect similar to drug treatment, reducing sex drive permanently. Cognitive-behavioural treatments are also used to target and reduce particular attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that may increase the likelihood of acting on pedophilic urges. The cognitive-behavioural technique can also be used to aid the individual in recognizing risky situations, and on how to best respond to such situations.

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