by purplesofa 149 Replies latest members adult
Aguest: just because they don't sexually abuse doesn't mean they don't abuse in other ways..
People that were abused almost always need some kind of counseling to help them deal with their pain and anger. No matter what their form of abuse was.
Snoozy..JMO
"In the field of law, a pedophile is not a criminal unless s/he acts on their desires for children."
"When a pedophile does act on his or her feelings or desires, they may be committing acts of child sexual abuse or molestation, child exploitation, child pornography, incest, kidnapping, statutory rape, or the prostitution of minors."
"A pedophile may have been the victim of sexual abuse themselves as a child."
"A pedophile may derive satisfaction from children in a number of ways: some stop at looking, others take pictures and watch children,"
"It is commonly believed that any person who molests a child is a pedophile and that is not always true. According to research, only two to ten percent of all child molesters are pedophiles in the true definition of the word. The majority of child molesters are situational offenders whose motives and desires are different than those of a pedophile."
"A pedophile will typically not stop their behavior on their own, will not turn themselves in and will not take responsibility for or acknowledge their own wrongdoing."
"A true pedophile can be treatedbut not cured of their condition."
Interesting information, dear Snooz. Thank you... and peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
Aguest: just because they don't sexually abuse doesn't mean they don't abuse in other ways...
Totally agree, dear Snooz (peace to you!).
People that were abused almost always need some kind of counseling to help them deal with their pain and anger.
Totally agree.
No matter what their form of abuse was.
Absolutely agree. In that light, may I ask you... and not that I am saying they do, but just asking you: do you think pedophiles who were abused themselves need some kind of counseling? Do you think that, if it's possible to get that help before they abuse, they should be encouraged [by society] to do so? If not, do you think such ones are/should be considered "monsters" (and I'm not saying they aren't - just asking you) and society should consider nothing less than, say, ostracism, isolation, incarceration, castration, or execution?
Again, I am not offering a position either way. I'd just like to know what you think.
Again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
For a start, the science sounds fairly questionable, because it seems to involve a flawed correlation in regard to white matter and attraction to children. It may be the case that certain people with developmental difficulties in relation to a lack of white matter, being more childlike mentally, may make them relate more to children, and some of those people might sexualise their attraction. However, the supposed correlation would tend to indicate an indirect subset of such people. I don't know any child abusers, but I suspect that there would be a much broader range of offenders than only those with a lack of white matter.
The question of whether pedophiles are 'hard-wired' that way is a popular argument among conservatives as a 'slippery slope' argument when the issue of 'gay marriage' is raised. They contend that if 'the gays' are to be considered 'normal', then this will (supposedly) inexorabaly lead to the conclusion that pedophiles (or polygamy or bestiality or Nazis riding around on dinosaurs) will also be considered 'normal'. However, sexual attraction to a particular gender is quite different to sexual attraction to children, which is a kind of fetishism rather than strictly a biological urge. Some people are more prone to violent behaviour, but that's not a free pass to kill someone for not liking the way someone looked at them. A person who feels 'compelled' to predatorily abuse children, and who acts on that compulsion, deserves no more sympathy than a person who feels compelled to murder.
Also, sexual abuse of a small child is quite different to other situations that may be considered 'child abuse' under a strict application of law, and the attempt to biologically 'define' abusers represents a significant over-simplification. For example, in many countries an 18-year-old having sex with a 16-year-old constitutes statutory rape. Such a person could conceivably be convicted as a child sex offender because the younger partner cannot legally consent, and in that situation the 'offender' may elicit sympathy. Even where the abuser is significantly older, the mentality of a person who sexually abuses a teenager is quite different to someone who abuses a young child. If the adult were intellectually handicapped (by actual psychological standards rather than the gross generalisation in the article), such a person might also elicit sympathy, but not to the exclusion of doing something to prevent them re-offending. Whether this would include one or more of institutionalisation, chemical castration, incarceration or psychiatric therapy would depend on the specifics of the case.
There is no debate that pedophilia is maladaptive and abhorrant and I'll leave it the mental health experts to explain it's roots. As adults we have a moral imperative to protect innocent children. So when a large institution covers up reports of child molestation as in the case of Penn state, WTBTS, the Catholic Church etc.. in an effort to protect itself against public scruitiny, lawsuit, financial damage and its reputation in the community over the welfare of the child they are therfore debased, abhorrant and morally repugnant.
When I was studying at UCR for a counseling degree one of the students was interning as a counselor at a Half Way House for teens to see if they could be mainstreamed again to live in society. Nearly all had been sexually abused as minors and many had in turn abused and tortured others. Only a few met the criteria for a return to 'normal' life many could never be allowed in public life and will spend the rest of their lives institutionalized.
Nearly all had been sexually abused as minors and many had in turn abused and tortured others.
So would you say, then, dear designs (peace to you), that in that case, the latter was "all too common" [among those young folk]?
Again, peace to you... and thank you, truly, for your comment,
A slave of Christ,
SA, who believes that [early] intervention could be the saving grace for some, if not all of such young ones... and, more importantly, those they would potentially abuse... which may not even have to happen... but most probably will if society doesn't muster up enough sympathy to try and provide potential abusers... whether they were abused themselves or not... help before it does. Just sayin'. To each his/her own, though...
@Snoozy
When surfing around for info on pedophiles, I found that information too! On sending pedophiles to an Island. The movie Pappillon came to mind.
To answer the question - My daughter was molested by my ex-husband for the entire 4 yrs we were married. She was 7. He served 14 yrs; the max was 20. My daughter's emotional growth has stalled and she may never recover. In addition, he took her innocence. Pedophiles who do not act on their impulses have my pity. Those who do - well...due to turn of events, I was separated from the ex when I found out. I would probably be in jail for murder. No sympathy from me. He may have paid his debt to "society" but he can never restore or repay what he has taken from my daughter.
I am sorry QueenWitch and to your daughter as well.
purps
