One of the crimes receiving great attention and can be consider extremely disturbing is pedophilia and child molestations. In order to be diagnosed with pedophilic disorder, individuals must exhibit symptoms for at least 6 months according to the DSM-5. Therefore, child molester who committed sexual abused and sexual assaults against children sometime are not clinically diagnosed. They, nonetheless, remain dangerous and must be studied carefully. Several factors contribute to the development of these types of offender, including neurological and environmental dysfunction. Pedophiles and child molester may come from a low SES background, experienced violence in the family, and may have experienced sexual abused themselves as a child. These events
With the Pandora’s Box opened, we may find ourselves forced to rediscover morality due to our natural tendencies. This does not mean accepting adult-child relationships. Figure 3 indicates if we are serious about protecting children, then that ultimately requires some level of understanding, which is a problem for most because that is dangerously close to compassion. On the contrary, the risk they pose is the very reason why we need to support pedophiles who do not want to become sex offenders. We all want the same thing. We do not want them to offend nor their potential victims to offend. In 2008, Michael Seto, a forensic psychologist, published a book stating that the onset of pedophilia is right around the stages of puberty, as with any other sexual orientation. I believe we can prevent a greater number of victims if we put more energy into early detection and providing support before the first offense occurs, rather than solely relying on punishment after the fact. We need to be thinking about the children that pedophiles once were and catch them at their vulnerable stages, which are during puberty. There we can find a sense of compassion and support to want to help. In 2014, Margo Kaplan, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Law, wrote an op-ed in New York Times stating that pedophilia is neurologically rooted, supporting Cantor’s research.
Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia have higher rates of mental illness and sexual offending, for example, incest offenders had a much higher rate of psychosis when compared to homicidal sex offenders (Galloway & Houston, 2008). Personality disorders and sex offenders were characterized by pervasive affective instability, poor impulse control, impairment of self-identity and a tendency towards engaging in unstable relationships associated with emotional crises underpinned by a fear of abandonment (Galloway & Houston, 2008). Comorbid conditions seen in those with a diagnosis of voyeuristic disorder or exhibitionistic disorder in addition to the sex offense include hypersexuality, ADHD, conduct disorder, higher rates of depression and substance use disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There are psychiatric comorbidity of pedophilic disorder they include substance use disorders, depression, bipolar, anxiety disorder, and
Cohen, Seghorn, and Calmas (1969) described three types of child molesters derived from their clinical studies. One type had a history of relatively normal functioning and the incident of molestation appears to reflect a reaction to a severe threat to their sense of sexual adequacy. Another type had a history of poor social-sexual functioning and is regarded as primitive and immature in terms of social-sexual skills. The last type they found in their study had offenses involving cruel and vicious assaults on children and the act of molestation is regarded as more aggressive then sexual. (Mc Creary, 1975)
As time progresses on, more reports of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been documented. According to Colangelo and Cooperman, CSA is defined as “the use of a child under 18 years of age as an object of gratification for adult sexual needs and desires.” Another definition of CSA is “sexual abuse [that] occurs whenever one person dominates and exploits another by means of sexual activity or suggestion.” (Hall, M., & Hall, J., 2011) it is difficult to
Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a severe and widespread societal problem in the United States. 62,939 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in 2012 (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Though difficult to obtain concrete figures, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18 (American Psychological Association, 2011). CSA shows no prejudice with regard to social class, ethnicity, or other demographic variables. As discussed later, not only does CSA negatively impact the child presently and later in life-psychologically and behaviorally, but it also creates a burden on communities and mental and physical health care services.
Every year thousands of children are abused. This abuse can be physical, emotional or sexual in nature. All forms of abuse are wrong, all forms of abuse are harmful, but childhood sexual abuse can cause major emotional and physical harm in our adolescents. Before we can properly treat these victims we must first have a solid grasp of how and why sexual abuse occurs, the typical effects of the abuse and how the abuse changes the child's stages of development.
The statistics of prevalence for child sex abuse varies because of all the unique cases of child sex abuse that is reported. Although, statistic show that one in three girls will be sexually abused at one point in the United States and boys are one in seven to be sexually abused (Anderson, 2014). Children are not susceptible to crime as shown in the statistics because predators like pedophiles have fetishes towards little boy or girls. One study found that 10% of children experienced or came close to experiencing a form of sexual violence which would include rape, sexual assault, or harassment (Anderson, 2014). The numbers shown in the statistics are higher because of the unreported cases. 30% of cases involving child sex abuse are reported to the local authorities and 73% to 87% of female adolescents who are abused sexually are not treated or identified by by the community (Anderson, 2014). Child sex abuse is also costly because it costs the United States an estimated $103 billion for the abuse and negligence (Anderson, 2014). On another note, 80% of children who have been sexually abused have symptoms of PTSD (Anderson, 2014).
Pedophilia is more or less a paraphilia, which can be described as a disorder involving the recurrent sexual tendencies involving a number of things, the most relevant to this paper being children. Many may interpret “children” as those under the age of 18, but others interpret it as those under the age 0f 13. Interpret how you please, but this paper is based off of children under the age of 13 who are in their early stages of puberty.
In the United States today studies show that “1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually abused before the age of 18” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). Therefore that would mean 42 million adults are survivors of child abuse right here in the United States. Among these children there are 73% of children who do not tell anyone for a year, and many who never tell anyone (The Children’s Assessment Center). If we do not intervene many would say 500,000 babies will be born and sexually abused by the age of 18. It is important is it to be educated in the signs and symptoms of adult and child sexual abuse and getting involved in our own communities to stop this vicious cycle. You may or may not be a social worker or therapist but everyone can help an adult or child just by caring enough to stop and recognize the clues (The Children’s Assessment Center).
The American Psychiatric Association has declared that pedophilia is no longer thought of as a mental disorder. In early studies, (DSM-III-R), pedophilia was characterized as a disorder if "the person acted out on the urges, or was markedly distressed by them" (Medinger 2). Nowadays, the diagnostic description is that pedophilia is a disorder if the offender is mentally impaired, agitated, or experiencing guilt as a result of what he is doing. In other words, a pedophile can "play" all he wants until he becomes irrational about it. Outwardly, the pedophile may, in today's society, seem to be a perfectly normal human being. Pedophilia, like homosexuality and transvestitism, is just a sexual preference (APA).
In this journal entry, I want to explore the stigmatization of pedophiles and the stigma management techniques pedophiles employ to manage their deviant identities. In particular, I want to identify the moral entrepreneurs that socially construct pedophilia as a deviant act. Finally, I want to examine the negative impacts stigmatization has on pedophiles. I began my research with exploring public perceptions of pedophilia. From previous knowledge, I was aware that pedophiles were considered deviant in society.
Child pornography is a broadly defined term mainly because there is no internationally agreed upon definition. There are also some conflicting laws between different countries that further complicate the issue of child pornography. It can become difficult to prosecute with the increased use of computers and anonymous online networks. Both the offenders and the victims can come from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds.
When one thinks about child abuse, usually the first thing that comes to their mind is physical harm or aggressive behavior. However, the issue is much more complex than one can think. Usually, child abuse can be manifested in both physical and emotional forms. Childhood is thought as to be like a garden, protected by walls and hedges. However, in reality, most children are often neglected, abused and exploited. Child pornography and sexual abuse are two of the most disturbing issues in the world today. Having a very international background, I was able to travel around the world and learn about different cultures, especially those of third-world countries. I was able to see the immense amount of poverty, violence, and hatred in all these countries, however, I have never thought about the amount of children that are forced into child trafficking, abuse, and pornography. According to statistics, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse and self-report studies show that 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident. In my opinion, this is horrifying and shocking to know that there are more people than one might think that have been through some sort of sexual assault or sexual abuse.
Child abuse is just one of the problems in America we face today. Child abuse affects a child’s mind, emotional state of being and this type of abuse or cruelty molds a person to whom they are by the age of eighteen and is a worldwide prevailing occurrence. “Child abuse or ill-treatment creates all forms of physical and /or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.” Child sexual abuse had been extensively known as one of the distress in a child’s life. Previous study have delivered tough indication of child sexual abuse is connected with a quantity of psychological, social, and mental health problems. Depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and most illnesses among adult child sexual abuse victims. Former analyses have stated that some of the fears include sexual illnesses, victimization, and close acquaintance violence. In recent times, it has been establish that various physical health conditions are connected to child sexual abuse. In accumulation, child sexual abuse fighters have been found to accomplish less in knowledge and revenue.
Sexual offenses are committed by approximately 20% of individuals under 18 years of age (Brown, Flanagan, & Mcleod, 1984; Davis & Leitenberg, 1987; Federal Bureau of investigation, 1987). Also, almost 60% of all sexual offenses against children under the age of 12 are committed by juveniles (Bourke & Donohue, 1996). About 50% of adult sex offenders admitted to perpetuating their first sexual offense act during their adolescence which suggests an early offense behavior (Abel, Mittelman, & Becker, 1985; Rubenstein, Yeager, Goodstein, 1993). Dreadfully, juvenile sex offenders may commit an average of 380 sexual offenses during their lifetime and consequently, juvenile sex crimes are very serious offenses that urgently needs the utmost attention of researchers (Abel, Mittelman & Becker, 1985).