How do they define paedophilia as a mental illness?

”How can you justify the points they make to determine it’s a mental illness?”

Because it’s sex with children. Hello?

@Vunessuh
No that’s child sexual molestation not necessarily paedophilia.
Paedophilia encompasses that but not all paedophiles are child sexual molesters.

Do your homework.
Pedophilia is specified as a form of paraphilia in which a person either has acted on intense sexual urges towards children, or experiences recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about children that cause distress or interpersonal difficulty. The disorder is common among people who commit child sexual abuse

Are you specifically asking for why it’s a mental illness among only those who don’t act on their urges? Because then yes, that would be a different argument. You weren’t specific.

I think it is culturally determined. I do not really know enough about the subject to be a great answerer, however, whatever culture decides to be abnormal behaviour is to be a behaviour manifestation of mental illness.

I have read that paedophiles actually believe they are having a “relationship” with the child. Cannot seek out and maintain relationships that are adult and mutually beneficial. Their inability to form real relationships points to mental illness.

@Vunessuh
“Pedophilia (or paedophilia) is a psychological disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children.”

Thanks for answering my question. I realize what the link says. It then continues to say that it is common among people who commit child sexual abuse which is what my answer responded to. You’re not being clear on what you’re asking for.

Edit: I see you edited your initial response to be more clear on what you were asking for by putting Paedophilia encompasses that but not all paedophiles are child sexual molesters.
You could have done this by answering me directly.

I KNOW this is going to cause some kind of hate hurled toward me..

But

Saying that paedophilia is a mental illness, would just be like saying homosexuality is a mental illness.

It is just someones sexual preference that isn’t the “norm”.

I dont think sexual preference should be labeled as a mental illness, even if it is toward children.

I am not condoning paedophilia in anyway….and I dont put homosexuals in the same category as it at all

“I think it is culturally determined.”
@Just_Justine has it pretty close. We as a culture decide this. When two individuals are sexually mature, which tends to (can) happen before the (current) age of consent.
We label it child molestation or paedophilia.

In a culture where procreation is vital as was in the past. It was not as big an issue.

But, paedophilia is more then child abuse. It is pushing an individual (the child) to do something they are not physically and mentally capable of understanding. It is kidnapping, it is child abuse, and it is a direct disrespect to the human race. If that is not crazy what is?

@j0ey So how would you label it?

@j0ey I wouldn’t compare homosexuality and sexual preference to paedophilia. I mean don’t we determine what is right between two consenting adults? It does worry me you got two thumbs up on that, must have been the paedophiles rating up?

@ChazMaz I totally agree with you there. Look at the Moors Murderers. They actually ENJOYED what they did, tape recorded them, videod them crying out for their parents, then murdered and buried them.

Paedophilia fancy kids it doesn’t mean they will rape anyone. If they raped someone then we would all disagree because that’s rape, this is about fancying kids but not necessarily acting on it.

@partyparty I think that goes further than paedophilia in that not all paedophiles murder and torture their victims, They were socio paths.

@goootli how on earth does one find a child sexually attractive? I cannot conceive it myself. But you are right, it is about being attracted both sexually and emotionally to a child. For the sake of establishing a relationship and also maintaining arousal and sexual excitement. (No idea where I am getting this from). Must be an old frame of reference from somewhere.

@Just_Justine Yes I see what you are saying, nevertheless I would not want a paedophile babysitting any of my children! What do you think?

There is an important distinction between pedophilia and homosexuality. Homosexuality is a feeling of one adult person toward another. If it leads to sex then they act on an equal basis. Pedophilia is a feeling toward a child who is sexually immature and not able to understand what is happening and who may be severely damaged by even the best intentioned sexual relationship. As to whether it is a mental disease that is hard to say. Maybe hypocrisy is a mental disorder, so that the ones who should be committed are the ones who preach a Puritan ethic and then engage in extra-marital affairs, homosexuality or sex with minors.

We are all mental in one form or another. ;-)

@partyparty nope!

@LostInParadise
” Homosexuality is a feeling of one adult person toward another. ”
I’m gay myself and it’s almost always defined as “sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one’s own sex.” Nothing about the other persons feelings back.

@goootli isnt homosexuality an identity? as opposed to a feeling being directed somewhere?

@Just_Justine
It’s not defined that why.

@goootli: How can you justify the points they make to determine it as a mental illness?

“mental illness” has no rigorous definition or scientific validity. it has gotten labelled as such because it has paedophilia has (extreme) social disapproval in the post-modern culture. if it did not, it would not have that label.

the concept of mental illness arises out of stigma.

paedophilia threaten sensitivities to such a great degree that society doesn’t distinguish the action and the passive desire.

Until 1974, the DSM identified homosexuality as a mental illness.

@ratboy….EXACTLY

You can punish people for practicing an attraction if it injures someone, but pedophiles don’t choose to be attracted to kids.

Why we insist on calling the attraction an illness is beyond me. Maybe we should think of it as a terrible misfortune.

@susanc because if the attractive is too much, like the kid lives next door or you are a teacher (sought out a position of teacher) or a priest (sought out the position of priest) you get my drift, then some kid is going to suffer. I try and imagine being attracted to a 3 year old, or 6 year old or 10 year old and my mind goes blank. Because I just see them a a kid, I can’t fathom that I could find them attractive? I used those examples as those are “jobs” that are sort by paedophiles for good reason. So if that is the case, they are also a menace to society.

@Just_Justine I understand.
(I worked in this field for 20 years).
But the question was about identifying this attraction to kids as a mental illness. We’ve criminalized it because it can cause damage to children.
Do you think that classifying the condition as a mental illness protects children? This is a sincere question.

@susanc well yes, because hopefully they will get help like all mentally ill people. Not that they all do, but it’s a thought. I’m not very qualified to answer this question. It just turns my stomach. :( I should never have given it a go! To be honest science aside I just think these people are “wired” wrong and something needs to be done.

@susanc ”... but paedophiles don’t choose to be attracted to kids”

Sorry but I really don’t understand your statement here. If THEY don’t choose to be attracted to them are you saying it is FORCED upon them?
It is their choice, and only their choice, the child most certainly doesn’t choose to be abused by them.

Not all pedophiles are child molesters, just like all people with fists aren’t child abusers. It’s an unfortunate attraction, but most can overcome it and lead normal lives. To say most pedophiles are child molesters is an overreaction because you don’t hear about pedophiles that lead normal lives.

@partyparty again I have no idea why I am in this topic but it is an interesting one so I will stick around! Probably because I too would like to at least understand it. I would imagine we don’t choose who we become attracted to. I am not going to use examples here, in fear of insulting anyone. Or myself for that matter. So I reckon if they could chose not to then they could chose to, if that makes sense? Again I reckon they are misfiring in the neuronal sphere

@JeanPaulSartre I would imagine this is very correct. Just as all molesters are not murderers, not all paedophiles are rapists either. Not sure about the “unfortunate” attraction bit though? bit vague. You know I was thinking about these “girls” or women whatever, that are on sites like “barely legal” or “teen sex pots” is this in response to the need to feed this attraction legally, or does it help sustain or create it. It may make an interesting question overall?

@Just_Justine True. I think generally molestation is a cyclical problem – that is molested children are at higher risk of becoming molesters themselves. Pedophilia is a bit more of an unknown, usually stemming from a strong emotional circumstance at a pivotal time in a persons life – or some people, it seems, are just born with it. In many cultures in the past this hasn’t been a problem (and was even encouraged in some) but certainly it’s something we shouldn’t encourage now – but I think bringing it out of the fear closet might be helpful in figuring out how to help people with this problem.

@JeanPaulSartre I wonder how many abused kids turn to be abusers in adult life? Does anyone have statistics? Perhaps susanc does? It is a fascinating subject (sort of like watching a car crash with burning victims screaming for help). But I do always seek to know. There are also it appears broad categories of paedophilia, types and personalities. I wish someone could explain it more. Is it a mental illness? it is a personality disorder or is it a case of nurture? I wrote this very slowly as I realize at times I write too fast and post hence my chose , choose bugger up in my last post

I’m still kind of wondering the same thing. Or in other words: why would being attracted just to someone from the other sex of about your age not be a mental illness?

@Just_Justine I’d love to learn more about it as well, but it’s so stigmatized that it’s unlikely non-violent pedophiles will step forward to aid in researching it.

japanese popular culture have subgenres of anime and manga catering to sexual interest in underage girls and boys. they call it lolicon and shotacon, respectively.