DOCSLIB.ORG

Minor-Attracted Persons: a Neglected Population

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Minor-Attracted Persons: a Neglected Population Minor-attracted persons: A neglected population Such individuals who develop psychiatric symptoms deserve nonjudgmental treatment pproximately 1 in 5 Americans report childhood sex- ual abuse.1 While 50% to 65% of child sexual abuse Aoccurs in the absence of pedophilic interests and is thought to be driven by additional factors such as the avail- ability of an appropriate sexual partner,2,3 a substantial por- tion of childhood sexual abuse is perpetrated by individuals with pedophilia. However, many individuals with pedophilic interests never have sexual contact with a child or the penal sys- tem. This non-offending pedophile group reports a greater prevalence of psychiatric symptoms compared with the general population, but given the intense stigmatization of their preferences, they are largely psychiatrically under- PESKYMONKEY / ISTOCK recognized and underserved. This article focuses on the unique psychiatric needs of this neglected population. By Renée Sorrentino, MD understanding and addressing the treatment needs of these Clinical Assistant Professor patients, psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians can Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts serve a pivotal role in decreasing stigma, promoting well- ness, and preventing sexual abuse. Janette Abramowitz, MD Assistant Professor of Psychiatry University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine Honolulu, Hawaii Understanding the terminology DSM-5 defines paraphilia as “any intense and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest in genital stimula- tion or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physiologically mature, consenting human partners.”4 The addition of the word “disorder” to the paraphilias Disclosures The authors report no financial relationships with any companies whose products are mentioned in this article, or with manufacturers of competing products. Current Psychiatry doi: 10.12788/cp.0149 Vol. 20, No. 7 21 Table 1 Sexual attraction: Definition of terms Terminology Definition Comments Pedophilia Sexual attraction to Considered a psychiatric disorder if the prepubescent individuals individual has acted on the attraction and/or has experienced distress related to the interest Hebephilia Sexual attraction to pubescents Not considered a psychiatric disorder, constitutes Minor-attracted and adolescents illegal behavior if acted on persons Ephebophilia Sexual attraction to late Not considered a psychiatric disorder, constitutes adolescents illegal behavior if acted on Minor-attracted Sexual attraction to individuals May be a psychiatric disorder if pedophilia is with person under the legal age of consent acting on and/or distress Teleiophilia Sexual attraction to adults Commonly co-exists with minor attractions was introduced in DSM-5 to distinguish It is important to keep in mind that the Clinical Point between paraphilias that are not of clini- terms pedophilia and minor attraction are A minor-attracted cal concern and paraphilic disorders that not synonymous with childhood sexual cause distress or impairment to the indi- abuser or “child molester” because neither person may or may vidual, or whereby satisfaction entails term specifies whether the individual has not meet criteria personal harm or risk of harm to others. had sexual contact with a child or legal for pedophilia or As outlined in DSM-5, pedophilic disor- consequences. The terms offending/non- pedophilic disorder der refers to at least 6 months of recurrent, offending and acting/non-acting are used intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual to specify the presence of sexual contact urges, or behaviors involving sexual activ- with a child, and do not convey any clini- ity with a prepubescent child.4 The indi- cal information. vidual has either acted on these sexual urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal Prevalence data difficulty. Lastly, the individual must be The true prevalence of pedophilia and/ at least age 16 years and at least 5 years or attraction to minors is unknown, and older than the child. Sexual attrac- estimates vary considerably. In some stud- tion to peri- or postpubescent minors is ies, 1% to 4% of the general population not considered a psychiatric disorder, but were thought to have persistent attraction is illegal. to prepubescent children.5,6 In a commu- Coined by B4U-ACT (www.b4uact.org), nity sample of 8,718 German men, 4.1% the term minor-attracted person (MAP) reported sexual fantasies involving pre- refers to individuals with sexual attraction pubescent children, 3.2% reported sexual to individuals who are minors or below the offending against prepubescent children, legal age of consent. MAP is an umbrella and 0.1% reported a pedophilic sexual term that includes sexual attraction to pre- preference.5 In a study of 367 adult German pubescent individuals but also includes men surveyed from the community, 15.5% sexual attraction to peri- and postpubes- reported fantasies (9.5% daydream and cent individuals (Table 1). A MAP may 6.0% masturbation fantasies) involving or may not meet criteria for pedophilia prepubescent children.7 Discuss this article at or pedophilic disorder, based on the age www.facebook.com/ of their sexual interest and whether they MDedgePsychiatry have experienced distress or acted on the Stigmatization of minor-attracted attraction. Although many individuals persons with minor attraction identify with the Stigmatization is the process of forming term MAP, not all do. The term has been negative evaluations of an individual or critiqued for being too inclusive and con- groups of people based on limited charac- Current Psychiatry 22 July 2021 flating pedophilia with minor attractions. teristics.8,9 MAPs are a highly stigmatized group. This stigmatization can be profound, high rates of addiction, anxiety, depres- regardless of whether the MAP has had sex- sion, self-harm, self-hatred, and suicidal ual contact with a child. A public survey of thoughts and behaviors among MAPs.2 nearly 1,000 individuals showed that 39% The majority of posts regarding substance MDedge.com/psychiatry believed that non-acting MAPs should be use described such use as a means of disso- incarcerated, and 14% believed that they ciation. One post read, “…There are days I would be “better off dead.”10 Societal mis- cannot bear to be sober … I … drink myself conceptions of minor attraction are perva- into a coma.” Anxiety themes regarding sive and include10: the ability to have a meaningful relation- • MAP sexual orientation is a choice ship with an age-appropriate partner and • MAPs cannot resist their sexual urges concerns about being “outed” followed • all MAPs have offended, or inevitably by public persecution were prominent. will Posts regarding self-injurious and sui- • MAPs will not respond to therapy cidal behavior were common: “I want to • MAPs are fundamentally predatory kill myself so badly … I have to mutilate and immoral. myself as punishment for my attractions. In addition to societal stigma, internal- I wish myself dead. I don’t want to be Clinical Point ized stigma among MAPs has been docu- attracted to children; I despise myself for Many MAPs mented. Lievesley et al9 found that MAPs fantasizing about them.”2 who engaged in suppression of unwanted A study that analyzed a survey of 152 internalize the thought strategies had higher levels of MAPs sampled from websites such as societal stigma shame and guilt, low levels of hope, and Virtuous Pedophiles and others showed toward them, which a propensity to actively avoid children. >50% of respondents had strong feelings contributes to Similarly, Grady et al11 surveyed 293 MAPs of isolation and loneliness, nearly 30% their mental health and found prominent themes of viewing had extreme difficulty with concentration, themselves as “bad.” >40% had significant anger and frustration, burden and >30% were struggling with feelings of detachment.12 Notably, the respondents Psychiatric presentations include attributed these difficulties to their minor suicidal ideation attraction.12 Table 22,12-14 (page 24) summa- Many MAPs, including non-acting MAPs, rizes the findings of studies evaluating psy- internalize this societal stigma, which con- chiatric symptoms in MAPs. tributes to a significant mental health bur- den.12 A survey of 342 MAP actors and 223 MAP non-actors revealed that one-third Consider OCD, hypersexuality of both groups reported chronic suicidal It is important to be aware that an attraction ideation.13 In addition, online surveys to minors may be a symptom of obsessive- conducted by B4U-ACT and Virtuous compulsive disorder (OCD) or hypersexu- Pedophiles (www.virped.org)—both inter- ality.15 Pedophilia-themed OCD (POCD) is net-based organizations dedicated to sup- a manifestation of OCD in which the indi- porting non-acting MAPs—have provided vidual experiences shame, fear, and exces- similar results. In a 2011 B4U-ACT survey, sive worry related to sexual attraction to nearly one-half of participants reported sui- children. Typically, individuals with POCD cidal ideation due to their minor attraction, experience sexual thoughts of children as 32% had planned suicide attempts, and 13% ego-dystonic, whereas MAPs experi- had non-fatal suicide attempts. Notably, the ence such thoughts as ego-syntonic and age group with the most prevalent suicidal arousing.15 However, much like indi- ideation was age 14 to 16 years,14 which viduals with POCD, MAPs also experience makes minor attraction a prominent risk sexual thoughts of minors as distressing. factor
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Robust Evidence for Bisexual Orientation Among Men
    Robust evidence for bisexual orientation among men Jeremy Jabboura, Luke Holmesb, David Sylvac, Kevin J. Hsud, Theodore L. Semona, A. M. Rosenthala, Adam Safrone, Erlend Slettevoldb, Tuesday M. Watts-Overallf, Ritch C. Savin-Williamsg, John Syllah,i, Gerulf Riegerb,1, and J. Michael Baileya,1,2 aDepartment of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208; bDepartment of Psychology, Essex University, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom; cDepartment of Psychiatry, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA 90056; dDepartment of Psychological and Social Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Abington, Abington, PA 19001; eKinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405; fSchool of Psychology, University of East London, Stratford E15 4LZ, United Kingdom; gDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401; hAmerican Institute of Bisexuality, Los Angeles, CA 90014; and iUniversity of Chicago Law School, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 Edited by Steven Pinker, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, and approved June 16, 2020 (received for review February 25, 2020) The question whether some men have a bisexual orientation— emotional biases of the questioners. Some heterosexual and ho- that is, whether they are substantially sexually aroused and mosexual men may find it relatively easy to understand each attracted to both sexes—has remained controversial among both other’s monosexuality because both have strong sexual attraction scientists and laypersons. Skeptics believe that male sexual orien- to one sex and virtually none to the other. For this reason, these tation can only be homosexual or heterosexual, and that bisexual men may have more difficulty accepting bisexuality as it challenges identification reflects nonsexual concerns, such as a desire to their binary conceptualizations of sexual orientation (7).
    [Show full text]
  • Sacred Shame: Integrating Spirituality and Sexuality Alyssa J
    University of St. Thomas, Minnesota St. Catherine University Social Work Master’s Clinical Research Papers School of Social Work 2017 Sacred Shame: Integrating Spirituality and Sexuality Alyssa J. Haggerty University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.stthomas.edu/ssw_mstrp Part of the Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons, and the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Haggerty, Alyssa J., "Sacred Shame: Integrating Spirituality and Sexuality" (2017). Social Work Master’s Clinical Research Papers. 740. https://ir.stthomas.edu/ssw_mstrp/740 This Clinical research paper is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Social Work at UST Research Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Social Work Master’s Clinical Research Papers by an authorized administrator of UST Research Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RUNNING HEAD: SACRED SHAME: INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY AND SEXUALITY Sacred Shame: Integrating Spirituality and Sexuality By Alyssa Haggerty, B.A. Committee Members: Rachel Murr MSW, LMSW Mary Hoffman MSW, LGSW Mari Ann Graham, PhD, LISW (Committee Chair) The Clinical Research Project is a graduation requirement for the MSW students at St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work in St. Paul, Minnesota and is conducted within a nine-month time frame to demonstrate facility with basic research methods. Students must independently conceptualize a research problem, formulate a research design that is approved by a research committee and the university Institutional Review Board, implement the project, and publicly present the findings of the study. This project is neither a Master’s thesis nor a dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Asexuality 101
    BY THE NUMBERS Asexual people (or aces) experience little or no 28% sexual attraction. While most asexual people desire emotionally intimate relationships, they are not drawn to sex as a way to express that intimacy. of the community is 18 or younger ASEXUALITY ISN’T ACES MIGHT 32% Abstinence because of Want friendship, a bad relationship understanding, and Abstinence because of empathy religious reasons Fall in love of the community are between 19 and 21 Celibacy Experience arousal and Sexual repression, orgasm aversion, or Masturbate 19% dysfunction Have sex Loss of libido due to Not have sex age or circumstance Be of any gender, age, Fear of intimacy or background of the community are currently Inability to find a Have a spouse and/or in high school partner children 40% of the community are in college Aromantic – people who experience little or no romantic 20% attraction and are content with close friendships and other non-romantic relationships. Demisexual – people who only experience sexual attraction of the community identify as once they form a strong emotional connection with the person. transgender or are questioning Grey-A – people who identify somewhere between sexual and their gender identity asexual on the sexuality spectrum. 41% Queerplatonic – One type of non-romantic relationship where there is an intense emotional connection going beyond what is traditionally thought of as friendship. Romantic orientations – Aces commonly use hetero-, homo-, of the community identify as part of the LGBT community bi-, and pan- in front of the word romantic to describe who they experience romantic attraction to. Source: Asexy Community Census http://www.tinyurl.com/AsexyCensusResults Asexual Awareness Week Community Engagement Series – Trevor Project | Last Updated April 2012 ACE SPECIFIC Feeling e mpty, isolated, Some aces voice a fear of ISSUES and/or alone.
    [Show full text]
  • EMPOWERMENT a Group Therapy Curriculum
    EMPOWERMENT A Group Therapy Curriculum Treating Young Adult Women Experiencing Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder Ana K. Jaimes Aragón Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 Participant Criteria ................................................................................................................ 3 Treatment Format .................................................................................................................. 7 Treatment Evaluation Questionnaire ........................................................................... 11 Self of the Therapist ............................................................................................................. 14 Session 1: Meet and Greet .................................................................................................................. 15 Handout 1 .................................................................................................................................. 27 Handout 2 .................................................................................................................................. 29 Handout 3 .................................................................................................................................. 30 Session 2: What is Shame? ................................................................................................................. 32 Handout 4 .................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Twentieth-Century Canadian Law, Psychiatry, and Social Activism in Relation to Pedophiles and Child Sex Offenders
    Twentieth-Century Canadian Law, Psychiatry, and Social Activism in Relation to Pedophiles and Child Sex Offenders By Justin F. Smith Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the MA degree in History University of Ottawa © Justin F. Smith, Ottawa, Canada, 2017 ABSTRACT Twentieth-Century Canadian Law, Psychiatry, and Social Activism in Relation to Pedophiles and Child Sex Offenders Justin Smith Supervisor: University of Ottawa Heather Murray The contemporary conflation of pedophiles and child sex offenders is a prevalent aspect of reporting in news and social media, as well as in government- sponsored efforts to prevent child sexual victimization. Throughout twentieth century Canada, however, legal experts, psychologists and psychiatrists, and social activists were recognizing the harmfulness of grouping individuals who may have a propensity to commit crime with those who have committed the most heinous of criminal acts. As early as 1938, Canadian legal experts suggested that criminal insanity was a myth, advocating for a divergence between legal punishment and psychiatric healthcare, but after World War 2 had enacted serious efforts targeting criminal sexual psychopathy. Successive Royal Commissions investigating sexual victimization and child abuse revealed that Canadian courts, jails, prisons, and remand services were unable to solely deal with the realities of child sexual victimization. Psychologists and psychiatrists of the American Psychological Association increasingly researched sex and sexuality, classifying pedophilia as a paraphilia using child sexual victimization as a diagnostic indicator and criterion. Gay liberation activists discussed inequalities posed between hetero- and homosexual ages of consent and, more rarely, thought about the total abolition of age of consent.
    [Show full text]
  • Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: an In-Depth Exploration
    Arch Sex Behav (2017) 46:311–328 DOI 10.1007/s10508-016-0870-8 SPECIAL SECTION: THE PUZZLE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration 1 1 2 Morag A. Yule • Lori A. Brotto • Boris B. Gorzalka Received: 4 January 2016 / Revised: 8 August 2016 / Accepted: 20 September 2016 / Published online: 23 November 2016 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 Abstract Human asexuality is generally defined as a lack of pants(bothmenandwomen)wereequallylikelytofantasizeabout sexual attraction. We used online questionnaires to investigate topics such as fetishes and BDSM. reasons for masturbation, and explored and compared the con- tentsofsexualfantasiesofasexualindividuals(identifiedusing Keywords Asexuality Á Sexual orientation Á Masturbation Á the Asexual Identification Scale) with those of sexual individ- Sexual fantasy uals. A total of 351 asexual participants (292 women, 59 men) and 388sexualparticipants(221women,167men)participated.Asex- ual women were significantly less likely to masturbate than sexual Introduction women, sexual men, and asexual men. Asexual women were less likely to report masturbating for sexual pleasure or fun than their Although the definition of asexuality varies somewhat, the gen- sexualcounterparts, and asexualmen were less likely to reportmas- erallyaccepteddefinitionisthedefinitionforwardedbythelargest turbating forsexualpleasure than sexualmen. Both asexualwomen online web-community of asexual individuals (Asexuality Visi- andmen weresignificantlymorelikelythansexualwomenand
    [Show full text]
  • 2018 Juvenile Law Cover Pages.Pub
    2018 JUVENILE LAW SEMINAR Juvenile Psychological and Risk Assessments: Common Themes in Juvenile Psychology THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2018 PRESENTED BY: TIME: 10:20 ‐ 11:30 a.m. Dr. Ed Connor Connor and Associates 34 Erlanger Road Erlanger, KY 41018 Phone: 859-341-5782 Oppositional Defiant Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Conduct Disorder Substance Abuse Disorders Disruptive Impulse Control Disorder Mood Disorders Research has found that screen exposure increases the probability of ADHD Several peer reviewed studies have linked internet usage to increased anxiety and depression Some of the most shocking research is that some kids can get psychotic like symptoms from gaming wherein the game blurs reality for the player Teenage shooters? Mylenation- Not yet complete in the frontal cortex, which compromises executive functioning thus inhibiting impulse control and rational thought Technology may stagnate frontal cortex development Delayed versus Instant Gratification Frustration Tolerance Several brain imaging studies have shown gray matter shrinkage or loss of tissue Gray Matter is defined by volume for Merriam-Webster as: neural tissue especially of the Internet/gam brain and spinal cord that contains nerve-cell bodies as ing addicts. well as nerve fibers and has a brownish-gray color During his ten years of clinical research Dr. Kardaras discovered while working with teenagers that they had found a new form of escape…a new drug so to speak…in immersive screens. For these kids the seductive and addictive pull of the screen has a stronger gravitational pull than real life experiences. (Excerpt from Dr. Kadaras book titled Glow Kids published August 2016) The fight or flight response in nature is brief because when the dog starts to chase you your heart races and your adrenaline surges…but as soon as the threat is gone your adrenaline levels decrease and your heart slows down.
    [Show full text]
  • "Potential Offenders" : Understanding Adults Who Are Sexually Attracted To
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Running head: MORE THAN “POTENTIAL OFFENDERS” More than “Potential Offenders”: Understanding Adults who are Sexually Attracted to Children who have not Offended Thesis Submitted in Partial Completion of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology Massey University, Albany Sophie A. Muir 2018 MORE THAN “POTENTIAL OFFENDERS” MORE THAN “POTENTIAL OFFENDERS” Abstract There has been recent recognition that pedophilia has largely been studied and addressed in the context of child sex offending. Using a qualitative-dominant mixed method design, this study explores what it is like to live with an attraction to children for those who are non-offending, how such individuals manage their attraction, and what support needs they have. The experiences of nine minor- attracted men as captured in semi-structured interviews were analysed. Through an interpretive phenomenological analysis, five themes were identified: ‘A Sexual Attraction to Children’, ‘Stigma and Identity Distress’, ‘Disclosure’, ‘Strategies for Living Well’, and, ‘Vision for Change’. In addition to this, demographic and descriptive data collected in online surveys with 85 minor-attracted persons were computed. Overall, participants experienced their attraction to children as complex, with challenges that included making sense of their attraction as a sexual orientation, living with distress, and the public vilification of people with pedophilia. Drawing from individual strengths, behavioural strategies, and peer resources, participants described coping with distress and managing their sexual behaviour.
    [Show full text]
  • Terminology Packet
    This symbol recognizes that the term is a caution term. This term may be a derogatory term or should be used with caution. Terminology Packet This is a packet full of LGBTQIA+ terminology. This packet was composed from multiple sources and can be found at the end of the packet. *Please note: This is not an exhaustive list of terms. This is a living terminology packet, as it will continue to grow as language expands. This symbol recognizes that the term is a caution term. This term may be a derogatory term or should be used with caution. A/Ace: The abbreviation for asexual. Aesthetic Attraction: Attraction to someone’s appearance without it being romantic or sexual. AFAB/AMAB: Abbreviation for “Assigned Female at Birth/Assigned Male at Birth” Affectionional Orientation: Refers to variations in object of emotional and sexual attraction. The term is preferred by some over "sexual orientation" because it indicates that the feelings and commitments involved are not solely (or even primarily, for some people) sexual. The term stresses the affective emotional component of attractions and relationships, including heterosexual as well as LGBT orientation. Can also be referred to as romantic orientation. AG/Aggressive: See “Stud” Agender: Some agender people would define their identity as not being a man or a woman and other agender people may define their identity as having no gender. Ally: A person who supports and honors sexual diversity, acts accordingly to challenge homophobic, transphobic, heteronormative, and heterosexist remarks and behaviors, and is willing to explore and understand these forms of bias within themself.
    [Show full text]
  • Asexuality: Dysfunction Or Sexual Orientation?
    em & yst Se S xu e a v l i t D c i Reproductive System & Sexual s u o Parente and Albuquerque, Reprod Syst Sex Disord 2016, 5:3 d r o d r e p r e DOI:10.4172/2161-038X.1000185 s R Disorders: Current Research ISSN: 2161-038X Commentary Open Access Asexuality: Dysfunction or Sexual Orientation? Jeanderson Soares Parente1 and Grayce Alencar Albuquerque2* 1Faculdade de Juazeiro do Norte-FJN, Member of the Research Group on Sexuality, Gender, Sexual Diversity and Inclusion-GPESGDI 2Nursing Department, Universidade Regional do Cariri- URCA *Corresponding author: Albuquerque GA, Assistant Professor of the Nursing Department of the Universidade Regional do Cariri- URCA, Coordinator of the Observatory of Violence and Human Rights, Leader of the Research Group on Sexuality, Gender, Sexual Diversity and Inclusion-GPESGDI, Street Vicente Furtado, 521, Limoeiro, Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brasil, Tel: +55-88-988878717; E-mail: [email protected] Rec date: July 2, 2016; Acc date: July 20, 2016; Pub date: July 27, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Parente JS, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract The objective was to perform a brief reflection on asexuality and its relationship with medical (pathologizing) and social (sexual diversity) practices. Asexuality is still considered a sexual dysfunction capable of medicalization in medical practice, although currently, with the visibility of sexual diversity, asexual identity has been breaking the paradigm of medicalization of sexuality.
    [Show full text]
  • <---BACK to INDEX
    8/17/2020 Pedophilia Defined <----- BACK TO INDEX ------- (c) 2007-2019 Derek W. Logue. No part of this website may be used in any way without expressed written consent of the site owner. REGISTERED CITIZENS vs PEDOPHILES vs “SEX OFFENDERS”: UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com Published 14 July 2019 INTRODUCTION The mainstream media and American society as a whole tends to use the terms “sex offender” and “pedophile” interchangeably. At times, news reports use the erroneous term “convicted pedophile.” This article examines the differences between people diagnosed with pedophilia and people convicted of a sexual offense. People can be forced to register without having a clinical diagnosis of pedophilia, and a clinically diagnosed pedophile is not listed on the public sex offense registry if he or she has not omitted a sexual offense. SEMANTICS MATTERS The major premise needs to be stated repeatedly: “Pedophile” is a clinical term, "Sex Offender" is a legal term. You cannot be convicted of “pedophilia” but you can be convicted of a sex offense. There is no such thing as a “convicted pedophile.” You can be a pedophile without committing a sex offense. You can commit a sex offense and not be a pedophile. In order to understand the differences, we must begin with a proper definition of each term. “Sex Offender” The definition of the term “sex offender” is pretty straightforward—“A person who has been found guilty of one or more sex crimes.”[1] This means anyone convicted of adult rape, a prostitute or person paying for prostitution,[2] a teenager engaging in various sexual acts with a teenager,[3] a public urinator,[4] a teenager engaging in sexting,[5] or someone who viewed a nude picture of someone ages 16 or 17 (even if it is legal to engage in sexual intercourse with the person in the picture)[6] can be classified as “sex offender” without engaging in sexual activity involving a prepubescent minor.
    [Show full text]
  • I Think I Might Be Asexual “Trust Your Gut and Allow Yourself the Grace and Gentleness of Uncertainty for As Long As You Need
    I Think I Might Be Asexual “Trust your gut and allow yourself the grace and gentleness of uncertainty for as long as you need. You have your whole life to figure out who you are and what you want. You can identify as ace now and change your mind later. You can identify as ace but sometimes experience sexual attraction. You can choose to have or not to have sex for a million valid reasons. None of this is hard and fast, and most importantly, you don’t owe anyone an explanation. ” - Foster Sex - when you’re born, the What Does It Mean to Be Asexual? doctor decides if you are male or female based on if you have Someone who is asexual doesn’t experience sexual attraction and/or doesn’t desire a penis or vagina sexual contact. Asexuals may also use shorthand like “Ace” to describe their sexual Gender - What defines orientation. An asexual person can be straight, gay, bisexual or queer because sexual someone as feminine or attraction is only one kind of attraction. masculine, including how people expect you to behave as well as how you feel and An asexual person may or may not identify as LGBTQ. It’s important to ask, and identify respect their preference. Someone can still be physically, emotionally, mentally and/ Sexual orientation - to whom or spiritually attracted to someone, date, fall in love and/or get married, even if they you are sexually attracted. don’t have sex, don’t like sex or don’t want to have sex. Some asexuals may still have Sexual orientation isn’t dictated by sex or gender; sex or masturbate, while others may not.
    [Show full text]