International Journal of Advanced Studies in ISSN 2668-7194 (print), ISSN 2668-9987 (online) © Sexology Institute of Romania https://www.sexology.ro/jurnal Vol. 1(1), 2019, 10-14 DOI: 10.46388/ijass.2019.12.112

Sexual deviations. Considerations regarding - mith and reality

Amalia BONDREA1*, Cristian Delcea1, 2

1Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2Sexology Institute of Romania, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract Taking to consideration the antropology venues, the medical disclosures regarding , centered on pedophilia, the present paper tries to make an introduction review on the topic under discussion. However, regardless the type of studies made over the time, whether they consisted in questionnaires and forums where people were invited to comment upon this sexual disorder or deviation, to more complex medical research involving MRI scans and DNA analysis, none of them proved their effectiveness, or found a real cause.

Keywords: paraphilia, pedophilia, child abuse, menthal disorder, sexual deviation.

Introduction cases of „psychopathic personality with pathologic sexuality”. Sexual deviation or paraphilia is primary One of the most studied paraphiliac disor- a general term used for a menthal-sexual ders is the pedophilia, as it has the most cri- disorder, accepted on a large scale as beeing minal implications, the most inocent victims used for a sexual practice not approved by and is one of the most stigmatized mental di- the social norms, an abnormality or a sexual sorders. and characterized by getting sexual The word pedophilia comes from the arousal from an object, strange situation, Greek word παῖς, παιδός (paîs, paidós), mea- fantasy, etc. ning „child”, and φιλία (philía), „friendly Among the most known sexual disorders love” or „friendship”. we find , , fetishism, , sadism and masochism, pedophilia, Medical perspective telephone scatologia, , , Nowadays, pedophilia is a psychiatric , and urophilia, etc. disorder in which an adult or older Some of the sexual deviated behaviours adolescent (at least 5 years older than the imply the use of psychological or physical victim), experiences a primary or exclusive violence (pedophilia, sadism-masochism), to prepubescent children. while others imply the use of abnormal objects Infantophilia is a sub-type of pedophilia; it is or other beings (, necrophilia), most used to refer to a sexual preference for children of them having even a criminal involvement. under the age of 5 (especially infants and From the psychiatric perspective, in the toddlers), other sub-type being the hebephilia begining the were classified as (sexual interest for children betweeen 11-14

*Corresponding author: 160 Plevnei Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400000, Romania, Phone/Fax: 0264 550247, email [email protected]

10 Sexual deviations. Considerations regarding pedophilia - mith and reality years old) although this term is not accepted or and suggested possible interactions of testo- by the DSM 5 specialists. sterone receptor gene methylation and plasma It is known that the pedophilia usually testosterone with environmental factors. emerges before or during puberty and is stable Although at the begining of every study over time. were found little differences between healthy Although a lot of research has been done and paraphilia suffering people (different leve- over time, none of them has found a real expla- ls of androgen, estrogen, prolactin, corticotro- nation for what causes it or maintains it, many phin, serotonin, and oxytocin), after running specialists link it to childhood abuse. multiple different tests No associations remai- Starting from questionnaires and forums ned significant, resulting that the pedophilia where people were invited to comment upon involves a complex of biological mechanism this sexual disorder or deviation, to more com- which affects the adult sexual interest in chil- plex medical research involving MRI scans and dren. Still there were some researchers who DNA analysis, none of them proved their effec- stated that a very small effect sizes characteri- tiveness, or found a real cause. zed the findings and several polymorphisms In some recent researches, based on related to different hormonal functioning were neurological grounds, the specialists have initially related to the phenotype. tried to investigate the mechanisms of sexual But even so, a psychiatrist, Paul Fedoroff, attraction to children, using the MRI scans but of the University of Ottawa, recently published afterwards have reported many contradictory a paper entitled: „Can pedophilia be changed? or non-replicated findings. Additionally with Yes, It can!” the results the specialists related the level of Fedoroff’s perspective is that pedophilia is bilateral activation in the above-mentioned not a sexual orientation and he characterizes regions to be positively correlated with ratings it as a form of „sexual interest” or something of perceived elicited by Visual that a person happens to want to have sex with. perception of explicit pictures with children. In his opinion, sexual interest is something we The new findings disclosed those regions as gain through education, experience and obser- possible candidate areas mediating sexual vation and, as such, „can change throughout arousal in patients with pedophilic disorder. life” and that every person can educate the Another study revealed aberrant same way they educate their eating preferen- neuroanatomy and lower intelligence as a ces - however, he does not claim that one can potential core feature underlying child sexual change the own sexual orientation. abuse behavior by pedophiles. Fedoroff study involved analyzing 43 Other recent studies and researches with men whose overall arousal was assessed on genetic implication have determined that the two separate occasions. At each test session, hormonal androgen system is closely linked to participants listened to erotic scenarios de- sexual development and behavior. The study scribing children or adults, while changes in revealed there are alterations of the androgen their erectile status were recorded with a pe- system on a prenatal and endocrine level, but nile plethysmography (a penis ring that mea- the people sample examinated were sexual sures blood flow changes). If at first testing all child offenders, so the study cannot be specific men indicated a pattern of pedophile arou- for pedophilia, because it is a major diference sal at the second test about half of these men between the two terms. While the child sexual (49%) showed a change in the pattern of arou- offenders have the mental disorder of pedophi- sal at subsequent testing: the arousal caused lia, is not necesarry that one pedophil to sexual by children decreased, while that aroused by abuse a child. adults increased. The participants were chosen These findings made the connections to the strictly based on the fact that they were tested theories of testosterone-linked abnormalities in twice, regardless of whether or not they recei- early brain development in delinquent behavi- ved any treatment.

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This unique study was severlly criticised However, studies that investigated clini- as it has no scientific grounds, moreover bee- cal factors accompanying and contributing to ing known that a person could imagine a non pedophilia so far, mainly relied on pedophiles sexual thing just to be cleared from a pedophile with a history of child sex abuse. stigmat. Results indicated that psychiatric Most clinicians and researchers believe that comorbidities, sexual dysfunctions and adverse paraphilic sexual disorder cannot be treated or childhood experiences were more common altered, but that the therapy (both psychothe- among pedophiles and child sex offenders rapeutic and pharmacological) can reduce the than controls. Offenders and non-offenders person’s discomfort with their paraphilia and differed in age, intelligence, educational level limit any criminal behavior, if present. and experience of childhood sexual abuse, whereas pedophiles and non-pedophiles Sociological perspective mainly differed in sexual characteristics (e.g., It is known that a pedophile most often additional paraphilias, onset and current level chooses his careers that put him in direct con- of sexual activity). tact with children, beeing often a respectable According to a recent newspaper article person, a teacher, a coach, etc. However, des- statistical grounds show that even now, when pite his jovial and friendly character he is or we, as a society that supposed to be made up becomes aware that his sexual attitude, once by intellectual evolved human beeings and discovered by others, can attract the oppressi- to protect the children, in Romania, there are on and anger of the society and a stigma for the judges who solved cases of child sexual abuse rest of his life. To mask their vice, pedophiles that considered the acts to be consensual if often marry, to create the appearance of a nor- the victim did not disclosed the fact to a close mal state. relative. One decision of the Apeal Court of In the overwhelming majority of cases, Alba county stated: ”Based on these testimonies pedophiles are recruited among men. Althou- and the fact that the victim did not tell her parents gh the onset of pedophilia can be at any age, about the alleged abuse, the court concluded that the most pedophiles consulted by physicians are sexual acts were always initiated by the applicant middle-aged men. There is no evidence that and rejected the theory that the victim was unable pedophiles have changed their preference, to express the will”. from adult partners to children, as they grow Even though the Criminal Code specifies older. The preferences seem to be established the discernment is excluded until 14 years, from the beginning of the sexual life. Pedophi- these judges blatantly disregarded the legal lia, however, in rares and less scandalous ca- provisions, judging only by their intimate con- ses, also manifests itself among women. viction. Moreover, even within the criminal code, Juridical perspective some inacurracies are strained, so although Contrary to public perception, child sex it is stipulated that until the age of 14 there is offending and padophilia are not the same. no discernment, these provisions apply only The romanian Criminal Code only sancti- to the perpetrators, not to the victims. In case ons acts against minors whom the law consi- the victims were also applied, the correct legal ders abusive, but not mere sexual inclinations. classification would have been that of rape, be- As long as a deviant sexual inclination remains cause consent to a sexual act cannot be given if only at the level of ideas, feeling, emotion, it this consent is biologically lacking. does not fall under the influence of the criminal law. Conclusion From a statistical point of view only half of all cases of child sex abuses are motivated by The etiology of pedophilia remains largely pedophilic preference. unknown, but the disorder is thought to be

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