Lecture 20: Paedophilia

Question 1

Paedophilia

Answer 1

• Paedophilia = sexual interest in pre-pubescent children

- Child molestation = act of sexually abusing a child

Question 2

What is paedophilia?

Answer 2

• Age-oriented sexual orientation
• “A recurrent, intense sexual attraction to prepubescent children”
• Can manifest in sexual thoughts, fantasies, arousal or behaviour
• Presents on a continuum (nonexclusive -> exclusive)
• Until recently, mostly researched with men who have sexually offended against children

Question 3

DSM-5:

Answer 3

• Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviours involving sexual activity with a prepubescent children or children 13 or under
• Individual has acted on these sexual urges, or sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonaly difficulty
• Individual is at least 16 and at least 5 years older than child
  Note: do not include an individual in late adolescence involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with 12 or 13 yr old
• Specify whether exclusive type or nonexclusive type

Question 4

Population prevalence

Answer 4

• Estimate range from 1-3%
• In an online survey of 8,718 German men, Dombert et al. (2016) found:
  = 4.1% reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children
  = 3.2% reported sexual offending
  = 0.1% reported a peadophilic sexual preference

Question 5

Treatment needs (not one size fits all)

Answer 5

Possible intervention targets include:

• Promoting self acceptance
• Navigating stigma
• Addressing comorbid MHPs
• Understanding harmful sexual behaviour
• Strengthening affect regulation & coping skills
• Strengthening adult sexual interests (nonexclusive only)
• Managing sexual attraction
• Processing grief (with clients unable to experience sexual intimacy with a partner)
• Building better relationships

Question 6

Sexual abuse as a public health problem

Answer 6

- Sexual harm as a criminal justice issue:
 = reactive
 = focused on individuals
 = punitive approach
 = knowledge generation
 = judicial/policing agencies as main agents
 - Sexual harm as a public health issue:
 = proactive
 = focused on communities
 = preventative approach
 = knowledge application
 = education/health agencies as main agents