Before reading this post here are a few helpful definitions:
So my first question is, what
exactly is pedophilia? It is a type of paraphilia that involves abnormal sexual
feelings towards children. It has been
said however that this is a mental disorder, but the law claims that it is a
criminal act. This is where the
controversy about rehabilitation comes in, if it is a mental disorder then
there should be some way to diagnose and treat it. While researching this I came across an
article by Richard Green that actually gives examples of pedophilia throughout
history that was actually seen as normal by many different cultures. If there have been times where relationships
between adults and children were seen as normal can it really be considered a
mental disorder? To say that would be implying that some entire cultures had
mental disorders throughout history. On
the other hand though where do these urges that pedophiles are having come from?
- The following link is to the article by Richard Green that discusses whether or not pedophilia is a mental disease:
This website http://www.minddisorders.com/Ob-Ps/Pedophilia.html
claims that pedophilia IS a mental disorder and that there are criteria to be
followed when diagnosing pedophilia, as well as treatments, symptoms, and
causes. These symptoms include
volunteering for athletic teams, religious groups, or at schools as well as
making excuses to avoid responsibilities for their actions. It also states that pedophilia can be treated
by the use of drugs such as female hormones and anti-androgen's (which block the
metabolism of testosterone and reduce the level of this hormone in the blood),
or by psychotherapy.
So what do you think? Is
pedophilia a disease or is it just a criminal act?
