General Information: Pathology and Mechanism
Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that causes an adult or older adolescent to have a sexual interest only or predominantly in a child (or children) of pre-adolescent age. Pre-adolescent girls typically 10-11 years old. while the age is 11-12 for boys, the official disease catalogs state that the pre-adolescent age sought in pedophilia is 13 and below.To be considered a "pedophile" a person must be at least 16 years old and at least 5 years younger than they are. must show interest in a pre-adolescent child (or children).
While sexual interest disorder is called pedophilia for children 13 years of age and younger, sexual interest disorder for children 5 years and younger is called infantophilia or nepiophilia, and sexual interest disorder for adolescents aged 11-14 is called hebephilia However, it is not yet clear whether hebephilia and pedophilia disorders are separate or the same disorder.
The sexual orientation of pedophiles, unlike other people, does not mature over time and is stuck in an age range from childhood. It is important to know about pedophilia; because only in this way, a decision can be reached in the courts and/or therapy can be applied to individuals in criminal cases. The only way societies can combat sexual abuse is to examine the facts about its nature.
Pedophilia and child sexual abuse are not synonymous, and mixing them together can hinder the resolution of both problems: An individual may not be a pedophile but not commit the crime of child sexual abuse. Similarly, an individual may not be a pedophile despite committing child sexual abuse. As statistics reveal, nearly half of those who commit sexual abuse against children are pedophiles. Therefore, these two concepts should be evaluated separately.
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Signs and Symptoms
Pedophilia has been classified among mental disorders along with other paraphilias (sexual perversions) by the American Psychiatric Association since 1968.[13] According to the International Classification of Diseases (Eng: "International Classification of Diseases" or simply "ICD"), the criteria are as follows:
General criteria for F65 sexual orientation disorders must be met. These criteria are:
Intense sexual urges and fantasies involving repetitive and unusual objects or activities
Taking action by following impulses or being distressed by them,
These impulses last for at least 6 months,
Persistent or predominantly exhibiting sexual preferences, fantasies or sexually explicit behaviors for a pre-adolescent child or children,
The person is at least 16 years old and exhibits intense and sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or acts of a sexual nature to a child or children 13 or younger.
These criteria can also be defined as:
Pedophilic disorder is characterized as a persistent, focused, and intense pattern of sexual arousal – manifested by persistent sexual thoughts, fantasies, urges, and behaviors – involving pre-adolescent children. In addition, in order for Pedophilic Disorder to be diagnosed, the individual must have acted on or suffered from these thoughts, fantasies, and impulses. This diagnosis does not apply to the sexual behavior of pre- or post-adolescent children with their peers at a close age.
The criteria required by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Eng: "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" or simply "DSM") are as follows
The person has or has exhibited fantasies or urges towards a pre-adolescent child or children.
Acting in accordance with these sexual desires or experiencing intense discomfort due to these desires.
The person is at least 16 years old and at least 5 years apart from the aforementioned preadolescent child.
In addition, the DSM-5 catalog provides 5 defining characteristics for pedophiles:
Pedophilia Activism
From the end of the 1950s, some groups that provided membership and solidarity among pedophiles began to emerge. Some of the main goals of these groups are; lowering or completely eliminating the age of adulthood; It is the acceptance of pedophilia not as a psychological disorder but as a sexual orientation, and the normalization of child pornography. None of these attempts were met and supported by the society.Most of the groups that advocate pedophilia have either dispersed or continue their activism through a very limited number of members and a very limited number of websites.
In contrast, some groups, such as the Virtuous Pedophiles, acknowledge that pedophilia is morally wrong and aim to raise public awareness that pedophiles do not always have to be "monsters".
Anti-Pedophilia Activism
Activism by groups against pedophilia includes suppressing pedophilia, blocking or protesting pedophilia activists, combating pedophilia-related cases such as child pornography or sexual abuse of children, and identifying and punishing those who exhibit such behaviors.