In the news today we frequently hear about pedophiles and child molesters. We have heard the horror stories of priest and bishops molesting boys, public school teachers having sex with students, and family members molesting children. While it is still taboo, the public view of a child molester has changed in the past years. It used to be that when we thought of a pedophile, we thought of a scary man lurking behind the bushes. This is not the case today, most of the cases of child molestation are by a person known to the child, whether it be a family member or a family friend.(Herkov, 2012) A pedophile is a person who is significantly older and has conscious sexual interests in prepubescent children. There are two kinds of pedophiles, the violent offenders and the non-violent offenders. The violent offenders are the minority of offenders. These are the one that pose the greatest risk to the victim and the public. Violent offenders are also known as child rapists. They use threat, intimidation, and physical force to overpower their victims. In most cases the child relinquishes sex for survival.(Bridges, 2012) The non-violent offenders are the most prevalent of all molesters. These are the people who use deception and enticement to lure their victims into submission. In a way, these offenders are using a form of sexual extortion. Sex is often rewarded or exchanged for acceptance, recognition, attention, or material gain. Often times the victim will resist, and since these are non-violent predators, they will increase the efforts to get the victim to accept their advances. If the child is persistent, the offender will most likely move to a more vulnerable target. If the offender does start sexually abusing the victim, the sexual... ... middle of paper ... ...July, 2004. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. http://www.transformationsjournal.org/journal/issue_08/article_01.shtml Bridges, Debbie. "Sexual Addiction Treatment, Signs,Causes, Symptoms." MedicineNet. MedicineNet, 28 July 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. D’Amora, David and Burns-Smith, Gail. How Offender Treatment and Victim Advocacy can Work Together in Response to Sexual Violence," Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, The Official Journal of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers,11 (October 1999), 296-297. Deirmenjian, JM. “Pedophilia on the Internet.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, 47.5 (2002): 1090-1092. Herkov, Michael. "What Is Sexual Addiction?" Psych Central. Psych Central, July 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. Lamberg, Lynne. “Researchers Seek Roots of Pedophilia.” JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, 294.5 (2005): 546.
Child sexual abuse is defined as “the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared, or else that violates the laws or social taboos of society” (Ajduković, Sušac, and Rajter 470). In Bastard out of Carolina, Ruth Ann “Bone” Boatwright started experiencing sexual child abuse from her stepfather at the age of twelve, which changed aspects of her life forever. Coincidentally, it was proven through research that young girls between the ages of 13 and 16 suffered sexual abuse by adult men that they knew previously (Ajduković, Sušac, and Rajter 475). While it could be a family member, an acquaintance, or a friend, the feelings of betrayal remain the same.
on how to help those who suffer from sexual addiction and to prevent it from occurring.
While alleged sex addictions have existed for many years, they have only recently been accepted as valid excuses for sexual deviancy. Attitudes toward sex addiction in the past offer a stark contrast to how it is viewed today, as the constantly medicalizing society insists on putting everything under the technical microscope. Sex addiction is commonly associated with a person’s inability to control his sexual behavior, implying an abnormally high sex drive and obsession with sex which have negative effects on his personal life (MedicineNet 2007, 1). Rather than breaking down the science behind the disorder, a customary practice in today’s medicalized society, older attitudes towards sex addiction placed it under the same light as alcoholism, where a lack of control and unwillin...
It is a common stereotype that all sex offenders have some form of psychopathy, and therefore they cannot be treated, however most sexual offenders do not have major mental illness or psychological maladjustment (Ward, Polaschek and Busch, 2006), therefore it is not impossible to treat them. Finkelhor’s (1984) precondition model was made with the assumption that the psychopathology of an individual will only take us so far in explaining sexually abusive behaviour, Finkelhor states that 4 stages of preconditions must exist before sexual abuse can take place, these are; Primary motivation to abuse a child sexually, overcoming of internal and external inhibitions and dealing with a child’s resistance to sexual abuse, for each subsequent precondition to occur the previous one must be achieved. Finkelhor argues th...
Have you ever asked the question, how we know if a pedophile or sex offender can ever be cured or rehabilitated. Would I be comfortable with them living in my neighborhood? If you have you are just like the rest of the world. Pedophilia is a true illness, and not just in my opinion it also in the DSMIV 302.2. We may never truly be comfortable with the thought that researchers say Pedophiles can not be cured, but they can be rehabilitated in time with and they have test to prove it,
Herkov, M. (2006). What Is Sexual Addiction?. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 16, 2014, from Philadelphia Weekly. News and Opinion. The Soccer Mom Sex Addict. Brian Hickey. Feb. 9, 2010
There are many topics nowadays that are still hard to talk about openly. Though we’ve opened the door on many controversies, some of the simplest parts of life can be the hardest to discuss. For most of us, sex in particular can be a taboo topic, which may be the reason why so many children and teens are misinformed on the inner workings of sexual relationships and how they develop as we grow and mature. For some adolescents, this can lead to an unhealthy fixation on the concept of sex, and in some cases, lead them to take action on a situation they do not fully understand. Sexual offenses are perceived as some of the most heinous crimes, but how could our views be affected if those acts were performed by a teenager? We may sometimes consider that they are the same as adult sex offenders; however our judgment can often be clouded by our lack of understanding. Adolescent sex offenders are different from adult sex offenders, are treated in a different way, and often have very different circumstances of their crime.
This essay will discuss the many different types of sex offenses that are considering a crime. It will then talk about some of the historical sexual offenders laws that have shaped society as a whole. It will also define the role religion plays on the emergence of new Sex offender’s laws that we have in contemporary societies. And finally talk about the emergence of some currents sex offenses laws we have in our nation.
Gwinnell, Esther, and Christine Adamec. "drug addiction." Health Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
For a behaviour or action to be labelled as deviant, it will need to violate a social rule or norm, and invoke a negative reaction in the community (Goode 2014). The behaviour associated with paedophilia invokes a negative reaction in majority of Western cultures, as it disregards the accepted structures of a relationships and sexual orientation. For the purpose of this project, this behaviour was observed through a documentary called Danielův svĕt (2014), which follows the life of a self-proclaimed exclusive paedophile and his struggle in the community. Currently, there are various theories to explain the cause of the behaviour but as each theory is unable to give a full explanation; there is no definitive answer.
One of the most hated, reviled, and public enraging individuals in society is a pedophile. Most equate pedophilia with a sexual molester of children or some sort of perverted freak. There is considerable misunderstanding about pedophilia. In a 1990 research study, the authors state “there is widespread belief among professionals the general public that sexual abuse causes sexual abuse.” The theory is referred to as “abused/abuser hypothesis of child and adolescent sexual abuse” (Garland & Dougher, 1990, p. 448). Fact is the face of a pedophile is not some monster lurking in our neighborhoods ready to pounce on the first child available. He is not necessarily a “dirty old man” either. A pedophile could be anyone: a next door neighbor, a lawyer, school teacher or a relative (Wylie, 1998). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) categorizes pedophilia as a disorder only if the sexual fantasies or urges involve prepubescent children , if they last at least six months, if the individual has acted on them, or if they cause marked distress” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).
"Sexual Addiction Help » Blog Archive » Sex Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms." Sexual Addiction Help RSS. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
Paedophilia: comes from the Greek word; paidophilia, which means friendship. But such a meaning denies the true horror of their beliefs and actions. A paedophile is a person who fantasies about having a relationship with young children. It is a person with a dark, destructive and a disturbed mind. Society in general is revolted by these people but they are encouraged to view it with understanding. Many health officials describe it as a mental illness that has no known cure. This is why they have to hide their tendencies from public view. But who in there right frame of mind would send off their young, helpless child and pass them into the hands of a horrifying, mentally unstable babysitter? Would you leave your child alone? Defenceless and unable to fight them off? No, Of course you wouldn’t.
Pedophilia is a mental illness that cannot be cured. Male perpetrators chose to victimize children of their own or other children who they have an attachment to. These offenders are not always violent, but they are extremely secretive about what they participate in. Children who have not reached puberty yet are likely to be the target of a pedophile that is close to them. Not all adults who work with children are going to be a pedophile. Talking to children and knowing what is going on in their lives will help keep communication flowing through the family, and lets the children know they can talk to their parents about anything. Knowing the
Crimes against individuals are nothing new. These crimes are in society from the Greek and Egyptian to the present time. With the creation of computer and Internet, typical personal crimes have been substituted for high-tech crimes (i.e. online sex crimes against children). One of the most hideous criminals against children are those individuals identified as pedophiles. Pedophile is defined as “an adult who is sexually attracted to children” (Knetzger & Muraski, 2008). Because this is a crime with an alarming increase rate, law enforcement authorities must be well-educated with typical profile of pedophiles and methods of operation.