Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?
Posted on November 5, 2007
The website ScienceDaily.com posted a short story claiming that researchers may have discovered that there is a correlation between a man’s height — or rather his lack thereof — and a predisposition toward pedophilia. Now, the science of this is not the issue that immediately popped into my mind when I read this. No, what struck me as interesting was the social aspect of this study when contrasted with the newfound favorability that homosexuality has seen since the 1970s. After reading this report on pedophilia, I found myself wondering how long it would be before pedophiles would protest this characterization of their predilection as as a mental disorder? I wondered how long it would be before their condition was deemed a “natural” one by someone and I wondered how long before they would advocate for the determination that they had some sort of mental defect to be reversed mirroring the same success homosexuality had in getting that mental disorder sanctioned as “normal” by the mental health profession?
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), a series of teaching and research facilities in Toronto, Canada, has apparently found that pedophilic males are shorter than average, non-pedolhilic males. Their study was recently published in Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment and suggested that pedophiles may have been “exposed to pre-birth conditions that affected their physical development.” The study observed this difference by analyzing the files of over 1,000 men in Toronto who were assessed for pedophilia or other sexual disorders between 1995 and 2006.
“A difference in average height is a trait found in other illnesses with biological links. The average difference in height was two centimeters, which is similar to the shorter height associated with schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease,” says the report on ScienceDaily.com. The report also suggests that pedophilia might, then, be caused by biological factors and if that’s true, “the discovery of biological markers for pedophilia has important implications for future study and possibly treatment.”
That’s not all. The study also found that pedophiles seem to have lower IQs, are three times more likely to be left-handed, have repeatedly failed grades in school, and strangely, had more head injuries as children.
Naturally, they claim that more study is required to solidify these findings.
But, here is the question that struck me: if pedophilia is found to have “biological” causes and might be treatable should these “markers” be discovered, what does that say about homosexuality? Why should homosexuality be considered “normal” and not open for treatment while pedophilia should be considered a treatable mental disorder? What is the difference between the two conditions? After all, they are both considered aberrant behavior by most people even today, and they both certainly have been considered “sick” behavior throughout history.
But, what is a “mental disorder,” anyway? The website for the Mayo Clinic reminds us that homosexuality was reclassified as “normal” by the mental health establishment in 1973 and further claims that mental health determinations are not just scientific but may “reflect evolving social and cultural attitudes.” This begs the question if anything really can be considered abnormal or evidence of a sick mind if such diagnoses are merely an “evolving” set of societal presumptions?
Homosexuals lobbied long and hard for their predilection to be reclassified as “normal,” quite despite the fact that society had yet to warm to the idea. It was a political effort launched by homosexual lobbying and advocacy groups, not one determined by either science or society. It was an outright political campaign. But, what that campaign did was relativize all mental disorders and leave each of them open to reclassification at any time that society decides that a particular mental disorder is now socially acceptable. Naturally, this leaves our determination of a mental disorder open to lobbying campaigns and takes the classification firmly out of the hands of mental health professionals.
So, all that leads to the possibility that pedophilia could one day be lobbied out of being a mental disorder and into the realm of the normal. And to be sure that is just what we are seeing from groups like NAMBLA and their ilk who want just that reclassification, too.
What could stand in the way of such a relativist’s efforts? Only that society continues to see pedophilia as a social taboo. But, as with homosexuality, we risk a weakening of that social determination as people with an agenda continue to work against traditional social mores in our entertainment and our schools.
It would not be surprising to see this study spoken out against as some sort of assault on pedophilia in the same way we have seen homosexuality normalized over the last 30 years. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, if everything is as relative as the reclassification of homosexuality from mental disease to normal, then what could ever be wrong with child molesters?
» Filed Under ACLU, Homosexual Agenda, News
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7 Responses to “Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?”
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Syndicate Me
One involves consenting adults. The other does not.
I think he put a much more complex case than your simple answer covers Jeff. Though basically, that is how we all feel about it. That is why he is writing about it, to bring awareness to what could be a slippery slope.
I didn’t mean to come off as dismissive of his overall analysis. His logic is sound, he just stopped short. If he had, he would have seen that the slippery slope is actually two converging slopes:
- To what extent should society regulate sexual behavior amongst consenting adults?
- To what extent can minors consent?
He is correct in pointing out that society has steadily progressed towards an answer of “not at all” for the former, but if there has been any movement at all on the latter, it has been towards more regulation.
That’s why society can safely tolerate homosexuality and all of the non-missionary acts that have lost taboo status without compromising our position in regards to pedophilia.
I have experience investigating child molesters and I have had contact with some that were flaming imbeciles and also those that were geniouses. The American Psychological Association came up with some theory that if a child consents to the molestation it would not necessarily cause psychological scaring. That raised an uproar from the law enforcement community. This concept of children consenting is rediculous. A child, as far as I am concerned, is not capable of waking up on time to go to school much less consenting to a sex act with an adult.
So according to science short people are crazy. That sounds a little hokey to me.”
Jeff,
Children can consent. What is your definition of an adult. Every definition I have heard is arbitrary.
Very interesting argument and in all fairness its changed my outlook on this issue of pedophilia. You’ve pointed out an interesting comparison between Homosexuals and Pedophiles. There really isn’t a difference between the two. And Jeff may like to use the old consenting clause argument to continually separate the two, but his argument will fail based on the countless of underage sexual events that have occurred over the years.
There is no difference between a consenting 14 year old having sex with a 14 year old and a consenting 14 year old having sex with a 30 year old. If NATURE has deemed that they are capable to have sex, then why should age restrictions be implemented. Why should humiliation and criminal penalties be implmented in this sort of relationship. If we are to assume that 14 year olds (or anyone under 18 for that matter) are mentally incapable to endure a sexual experience, then why not put laws on mentally challeneged adults engaging in sex with normal adults.
Homosexuality and its acceptance has opened a flood gate that allows every other perverse sexual activity to be considered “Normal”.
For the record, I do not endorse any sexual act (especially involving same sex partners and minors) as normal.
One more addition to the consent argument. Children consent to things all the time. In the case of sexual consent, teenagers are becoming more sexually active then ever before. Myspace and other Networking websites where children can express themselves online allow more ample opportunities for these kids to engage in sex.
We currently penalize adults who engage in sex with a minor…
Should we penalize minors for having sex within their age range? Think about it…
Homosexual activity was once frowned upon, now they are accepted. In a matter of time… bestiality and adult minor relationships will gain this same acceptance. Where is the common sense people, homosexuality is a disgusting act and a mental disorder, along with pedophiles and animal lovers!