Defending the Truth

Pedophilia, included in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) since 1968, continues to be classified as a mental disorder. The DSM is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals and provides clear, objective descriptions of mental illnesses, based upon scientific research. Pedophilia is categorized in the DSM-IV-TR as one of several paraphilic mental disorders. The essential features of a Paraphilia are recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors that generally involve nonhuman subjects, children, or other nonconsenting adults, or the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner.
An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act and this is never considered normal or socially acceptable behavior. Darrel A. Regier, M.D., M.P.H., Director, American Psychiatric Association’s Division of Research states, “there are no plans or processes set up that would lead to the removal of the Paraphilias from their consideration as legitimate mental disorders.”
The American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for Pedophilia (302.2) are:
A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger);
B. The person has acted on these sexual urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty;
C. The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A.
Pedophilia generally is treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy. The therapy may be prescribed alone or in combination with medication. Some examples of medications which have been used include anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Relapse prevention is also emphasized. However, the outlook for successful treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with Pedophilia is guarded.
http://www.psych.org/news_room/press...pedophilia.pdf

What do you mean is it wrong? Of course it is wrong! In a civilized society, how could it not be? Surely the children who are subject to such acts suffer lasting effects.

It's a terrible emotional and mental burden to lay on a kid...and possibly physically damaging.

I've read some bizarre essays that support it - and it seems the main "positive" statement is that it "feels good" to the child.

Well, I'm sure cocaine would feel good to the child, too. We still don't give it to a kid.

Exactly my point. I am not sure that a child would ever be able to develop a healthy sexual and emotional being having been subject to pedophilia. Now I also think the risk and damage lessens as they age. Surely a 16 year old would be less damaged than a 4 year old, but that certainly does not make it right.

The majority of victims never do experience a heathy sexual relationship in these circumstances later in life. That's why you hear about these victims being permiscuious (looking for love/feelings of acceptance by sexual acts) or accused of being cold/unresponsive (it's not something for pleasure but viewed as punishment/have to do to avoid punishment). This doesn't even include the other areas of their lives that are permenantly affected such as in social behaviors, authorative situations, self destructive tendencies, etc...

It's important to note that Pedophilia is not the only source of these problems either, but it certainly is a major source.

It's usually the base of most though unfortunately. Unless the victim recieves counsiling and help to deal with their ghosts, it'll continue on till either they die or are caught in the act of breaking the laws (in most cases becoming perpetrators themselves of pediaphilic acts).

I know myself, of the drastic ways the abuse affects it's victims with just myself and my two brothers...One is very aggressive when it comes to authority figures and the other is pretty much anti-social/puts himself in danger situations. Neither of them sought the help they needed in dealing with the traumas they suffered at our abusers' hands and it still affects their personal relationships and theirselves.

On the other hand, I did seek help when I was no longer under the rule of my abusers...But till then, I was pretty darn self-destructive myself, having attempted suicide over 30 times from the beggining of my abuse till my early 20's. And it took yet another decade for me to feel comfortable with my own body and to experience/learn I had a right to my own sexual identity/feelings. Luckily for me, I'm also married to a wonderful understanding man, who realizes there's those emotional scars and has the patience to work within my own fears and insecurities in that area. In fact, I think it's with his love that I've even made the leaps and bounds I have about myself being positive.

I don't think whether someone acting on pedophila is wrong is the question being asked. Of coarse it's wrong when someone acts on this, because it harms others; specifically children, and no one's arguing against them being prosecuted under the law. But the question is being asked, that if it's a mental disease, and that the person can't help it, is it really wrong? I mean, yeah, 'schizophrenia' is 'bad', and it probably harms some people in worse ways than pedophilia, but should we treat schizos like the scum of the Earth or should we try to help them?

BUT, here's the thing...A mental issue isn't wrong if it's just an emotional/mental issue. It's physically acting on it that makes it 'wrong'. Although there's nothing wrong in being a 'schizophrenic'...Once that schizophrenic commits a crime, then their illness becomes wrong.

It's kind of like when people have the thoughts 'I want to kill you' or even says 'I'm going to kill you'...Thinking about killing isn't a crime in itself...But once you commit the act of killing, carry through the thought with an actual physical act, that causes the problems of it being wrong.

Or if you don't like that scenerio...How about road rage? You can be as angry as you wish at other drivers while going down the road in your car. But once you take those thoughts, put them into physcal motion, thus endangering the other motorists? Being mad isn't a crime...Acting out on that anger in a way that causes others to suffer is.

Yes I know, that's what I'm saying; and it's the premise of the question. People are killed by schizos, yet that doesn't mean we should shun people with the disease of schizophrenia alone (those that haven't acted). That would constitute punishing people for "thought crimes"; that's not what we do in a civilized society.