Pedophilia is characterized with so many definitions both medically and psychologically. Medically, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder that brings intense sexual urges and arousing desires in prepubescent children. Psychologically, it is defined as a psychosexual disorder where adults engage in sexual acts with prepubescent children of the opposite or same sex. In general, it is defined as a sexual interest in children or an act of an adult involving in sexual activities with underage children or rather child sexual abuse. According to the law, a pedophile is a person who commits sexual based crimes on children who are legally underage, Crimes like rape, pornography, indecent exposure etc.
Pedophilia was derived from Greek words pais and philia meaning child and friendly love or friendship respectively. It was first recognized in the 19th centaury and is mostly documented in men than women. Despite there being therapies that are used to reduce child sexual abuse, pedophilia has no cure yet. Pedophilia is one of the most common paraphilias that leads to arrest by the police. In the United States, it has been reported that 50% of men who are arrested for pedophilia are married and they are reported to engage in sexual activities with very young children. The most frequent behavior associated with pedophilia is psychological stress, as the stress level increases, the acting rate rises too.
Generally, pedophilia is considered morally wrong, abnormal and unacceptable in the society. It should be understood that in life all people have weaknesses, habits and demons they are struggling to overcome and so are pedophiles, they should be considered as normal human beings. The society should take an initiative to help them overcome this demon so as to stop abusing children and live as normal people instead of hating and prejudicing them. There have been debates of whether pedophiles should be accepted in the society as normal people and many people tend to support the idea that they should be secluded and imprisoned. I do support and go for the idea that yes, pedophiles should be taken as normal people in the society and the society should understand that they are sick and need treatment for them to overcome this disorder.
Pedophiles have sexual fantasies, urges and feelings towards children and like spending most of their time with them. They prefer children’s company since they are an easy prey to them. Pedophiles are very trendy and liked by many children and even adults. Most of them are masculine and are in their 30’s. Most of them are not violent rather they entice children to willingly accept to perform sexual acts with them. Most pedophiles are born that way and so they are not to be blamed but helped to overcome the sexual desires so as to prevent child sexual abuse.
The original causes of pedophilia are still unclear even though researchers have come up with a series of findings on its causes. There are many theories that have come from different studies done on the causes of this disorder. Many experts have linked pedophilia to psychological factors instead of biological factors. Some argue that it is derived from an individual’s interaction with their parents and the people around them as they grow up. Other studies have linked it to brain structure and function. Kinnear argues that there are one or more neurological distinctiveness at birth that increases the chances of a child being a pedophile in future (1995). Biologically, it is believed that biological abnormalities like hormonal imbalance may lead to this disorder in some individuals. All individuals are different and this leads us to the point that there are many reasons as to why a person may become a pedophile and due to the reasons stated above, some pedophiles are born with this disorder and should be treated as normal human beings and a successful treatment of this disorder should be found in order to make them live a normal and free life. Some pedophiles are victims of violence or sexual abuse as children and counseling and therapy should be given to them so as to overcome this habit other than being jailed. If they were not victims of sexual abuse maybe they could be good people and through therapy, they can completely heal from this disorder.
Although pedophiles are thought to be sub-human, it should be understood that pedophilia is a sickness that needs treatment like any other diseases. Pedophiles should be treated the same way patients with mental or physical handicaps are treated. Pedophiles that have been clinically proven as sick should be given treatment other than being locked in jails and others are even executed for the crimes they committed yet they were not in a sober state of their minds because they are mentally ill. In addition, they should not be hated but should be helped to avoid the sexual urges that lead them into being involved in sexual activities with children.
In life, all people have a habit or a demon that they really need to overcome like drug addiction, drinking too much and smoking so are pedophiles, jailing them does not solve the problem but only makes it worse. Pedophiles should not be jailed or executed for demons of abnormal sexual behaviors but should be treated so as they can leave normal lives as other individuals. Pedophilia is a psychological disorder that needs to be treated and this calls for studies on how it should be successfully treated other than mistreating and separating the pedophiles.
Pedophilia is a mental state that should be treated. Many states have been taking it as a criminal act of sexual abuse that can be committed by any other criminal with a sober mind. These two are different cases and can not go together since one of them is sick while the other is in their sober state of mind while committing these crimes. Those suffering from this psychological disorder should be judged separately and not with the other criminals. The pedophiles should be given psychological therapies other than being taken to jail.
Many people have always opted for surgical castration for pedophiles arguing that pedophilia has no cure. Should a sick person be castrated yet they can be treated? I argue that this is wrong because why should they be castrated yet there are psychological and medical treatments for pedophilia? Even though no cure for pedophilia has been developed, various treatments have been made available to reduce and prevent pedophilic behaviors. There are three classes of medications that can be administered to pedophiles. Luteinizing hormones-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists, that includes drugs as leuprolide acetate and goserelin acetate, female hormones particularly medroxygesterone acetate (Beyer, 1981). Lastly are anti-androgens which reduce the blood levels of testosterone. Castration should be the last option for a pedophile if all other treatments have been administered and have failed. They are normal human beings and should be given a second chance through medication and if it fails completely they can still be separated from other people other than being castrated.
It is always argued that imprisonment is the best and effective way to stop pedophiles from sexual offences since they are removed from the society and locked up. But the question is, does this heal them? What if they are set free after serving their jail term, will they not repeat the same offence? This is not an appropriate way to curb these behaviors since it does not help the culprit in any way. When they are set free, they will still abuse children sexually and this time it will be worse because they learn a lot while behind bars. Their pedophilic tendencies still remain since they are not given any medication /therapy while in prison. I still feel that treatment should be administered to them instead of being jailed.
Conversely, pedophiles should be punished accordingly for sexually abusing children. Sexually abused children get traumatized and this affects their self esteem since most of them fear telling their parents or guardians. Pedophilia is very wrong since it exposes children to health risks and can even lead them into becoming pedophiles in future. Pedophiles should even be imprisoned because, when a child is sexually abused, this can lead them into becoming pedophiles in future because of resentment on what was done to them. Many of them grow up depressed and this affects them emotionally which makes them become pedophilic. Pedophiles should be dealt with accordingly because they even transmit sexually transmitted diseases to young children and even others who have HIV or Aids end up infecting them. In order to avoid this, pedophiles should be incarcerated for life in order to protect children who tend to be an easy prey to them (Cluff,2006).
Pedophilia is child molestation since they are sexually abused and thus should be jailed and repeat offenders should even be executed in order to protect children. Manipulative adults who are not even pedophiles always take advantage of small children by sexually abusing them and locking them up is the only way the children can be protected. Pedophiles cause emotional damage to children and thus they should be dealt with accordingly.
Pedophiles are always to blame when a child has been sexually abused yet there are some children who initiate such acts. Some children would want to copy what they see in the movies and do it with adults which may lead them to being sexually assaulted since they initiate such acts with adults because they want to do like what they were watching. Some children might initiate these sexual acts by being in uncompromising situations with adults leading them to being molested. Pedophiles should not be blamed alone but children are to blame too and should be taught to avoid situations that can lead them into being molested.
Avoiding situations that may promote pedophilic acts is a good way that can be used to prevent pedophilia. Children should be taught to avoid a one-on one situations with adults or avoid being locked up by adults who are not their parents or relatives. Programs to educate children on how to act when they encounter a pedophilic should be implemented in schools and this will help reduce the rate of child sexual abuse. Children should also be taught to avoid situations that can make them vulnerable to the pedophiles. They should report any cases of uncompromising situations that any adult may put them into before they are molested sexually.
Legislations should be put in place where adults who work with children are investigated to prevent children from being vulnerable to pedophiles (Seto, 2004). Pedophiles should be isolated and treatment given to them so as to reduce child sexual abuse. According to Dr. Fred Berlin, John Hopkins sexual clinic founder, pedophilia can only be successfully treated if more attention is given to it by the community. It is the community’s responsibility to identify the pedophiles and recommend treatment for them.
Pedophilia is a disorder where adults engage in sexual acts with prepubescent children, it is a state where one has an extreme sexual urge or fantasy towards children. Pedophilia is considered as a serious crime since it has traumatic consequences that can ruin the lives of their victims. Many pedophiles are arrested and imprisoned while others executed for the sexual offences they commit. It should be considered that this is a sickness that needs to be treated and this calls for research on the successful treatment of this disorder since many of them regret being pedophiles and wish that they could live a normal life like other people. In contrast pedophiles also deserve to be punished for their crimes since not all pedophiles have the disorder, others are just child molesters and child predators.
Reference List
Kinnear, K., L. (1995). Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
Bayer, R. (1981). Homosexuality and American psychiatry: The politics of diagnosis. New York: Basic Books.
Seto, M., C. (2004). Pedophilia and Sex Offenses against Children. Annals of Sex Research, 15, 321-61.
Cluff, L. (2006). ''Pedophile Organizations.'' In Sex Crimes and Paraphilia. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
