Critical Explorations of the Social and Psychological constructions of Paedophilia Paedophilia is a concept which has changed throughout the eras the beliefs and attitudes towards paedophilia is something that is seen as a very difficult subject. Social standards are extremely influential when it comes to deciding what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour for a society and over time especially within the western world this is one of the things that have crossed boundaries and become a topic of debate for a variety of cultures. Paedophilia is considered to be an abnormal or unnatural attraction towards children. Throughout this essay there will be an attempt to discuss the constructions that surround the notion of paedophilia with focus on the social and psychological aspects. Firstly it is important to understand the history of paedophilia to be able to fully explore the explanations which we will be presented later on in this essay. Dating back to as far as the Roman and Greek eras where relationships between children and adults were accepted and portrayed as forms of mentorship. Up until the age of enlightenment, there was little more known than the naturalistic approach to maturity and sexuality. La Fontaine, (1990) states a paedophile is generally defined as a person who gains sexual gratification from contact with pre-pubescent children, this is a supported definition from various academics. According to the ICD-10 manual, Paedophilia is ‘a sexual preference for children, boys, girls or both usually of pre-pubertal or early pubertal age’. A person 16 years of age or older meets the definition if they have a persistent or predominant sexual preference for prepubescent children at least five years younger than themselves. Alter... ... middle of paper ... ... say and vice versa. They are completely opposite explanations which both criticise one another however both hold merit in their own right. Constructions are made and altered universally as has been illustrated throughout this essay they are subject to change which is also evident when comparisons are made across different societies and looking at what they find appropriate. Neither of these explanations are more correct than the other it is down to what people believe and what they are fed through the use of the media and government reports, obviously as this essay has been written with a western world influence many people asked here would not have any compassion for the paedophile whether they had offended or not the thought is enough to merit a bombardment of hatred, whereas if a professional in mental health were to be asked the opinion may be very different.
When the authors begin to discuss these children as being sexual individuals it make its somewhat difficult to read as in society we often view children as innocent, vulnerable and in need of protection from adults. However the authors make it clear that children are not asexual, they do experience arousal and engage in sexual practices. This from of adult understanding still remains taboo in s...
When a late adolescent or adult is primarily or exclusively attracted to a minor child sexually they become diagnosed with the psychiatric disorder pedophilia. Mostly a person is not diagnosed with this disorder unless they have had this attraction for six months or longer. This attraction can be in the form of fantasies which are sexually arousing to the perpetrator, or the urge to engage in sexual activities with a minor child. In addition, in order to be diagnosed the molester will have to have acted on these urges or suffered from some type of distress, which will be result from having these feelings. Also the molester should be at least sixteen years old with the victim being younger than them by a minimum of five years.
Pedophilia is a medical diagnosis, which is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or older adolescents, ranging from ages 16 and older. Pedophilia is characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children, unusually ages 13 and under. The victim of a pedophile is usually at least five years younger in the case of adolescent pedophiles. The word pedophilia derives from the Greek word: παῖς (paîs), meaning "child," and φιλία (philla) meaning "friendly love" or "friendship. This literal meaning has been altered toward sexual attraction in modern times, under the titles "child love" or "child lover," by pedophiles who uses symbols and codes to identify their preferences.
The application of morality begins at a young age for many people. Many children take on the morality of their parents through the daily events that influence their development. In many ways, parental sexuality means fidelity, and the ability to stay monogamous in order to properly raise a child in a complete family unit. This in turn expresses sexual fidelity as a form of morality, and without sexual fidelity, there will be painfully undesirable consequences. Along with the family unit being an influential aspect of sexuality, religion, particularly Catholicism, claim that sexual activity is solely justified by the reason of procreation. Freud also perceived sexuality as the dark and evil part of the human being, when allowed to freely express sexuality, the person i...
The second part of the essay is call for reform from the current state of sexual ethics as it relates to the most vulnerable social group– teenagers. I conclude that current christian attempts within sexual ethics are failing teenagers and suggest ways in which my ordering of sexual ethics might prove more effective.
Homosexuality is not a new trend, sexual orientation, or identity, in fact homosexuality is believed to date back over 5,000 years ago (Adams, 2011). Same sex couples have existed for thousands of years and research will show how the social and political stigmas that are known today, have stemmed from religious point of views and political opinions.
R. 1966, p 5). Even though in the early time of the history, the Roman church has greatly influenced the society and the western view the tradition sexual morality. But as the rise of social scientist, more scientific researches and questions are raised and our society today seek for more freedom. Many of us start to have a different view and standard on sexual morality.
In Sigmund Freud’s “Sexual Morality and Modern Nervousness”, contained in Sexuality and the Psychology of Love, the writer presents separate roles for men and women as it relates to sexuality, even referring to a “double code of morality” (22) for the genders. In his paper the former often takes the role of the subject while the former becomes the object. In fact, women are described as the “true sexual guardians of the race” glorified, it seems, instead of truly studied. However, in one particular section of the essay, Freud turns his focus onto the female sexuality. In specific he references the various factors that, in his eyes, can influence the female sexual formation. The primary influences being that of the society, primarily the institution of marriage, and that of the family, which would include both a woman’s parents and children. After discussing these elements, Freud then
Believe it or not, one in three women have experienced being raped at a party while being intoxicated or unconscious. Because of the recent events involving sexual assault all over the world, many conversations and controversies have come to light, showing a disturbing lack of clarity about the topic of consent. Sexual assault is when someone is coerced into a sexual act or forced. Consent is when someone basically gives you permission or they agree to do something with you, in this case they agree to have sexual intercourse with you. But, if someone were to give you consent while they are intoxicated then that is actually not consent. With so many people not knowing what consent is or how to clarify it, a group of young people, ages 18 and
Another aspect of this theory is the idea that deviant behaviour is learned in interactions with others. This can also be applied to pedophilia. Sexual conversations about young girls and women, occasionally diminished as ‘locker-room talk’, describe girls as ‘jail-bait’, a term which is often used when an adult is attracted to a minor, and would otherwise act on this
I am writing this letter with the intention to advocate for more health services to individuals who identify as pedophiles. For years pedophiles have been discriminated against because of their sexual interest. Individuals who identify as pedophiles are often associated with sex offenders even though pedophilia is a mental disorder and does not mean they committed a crime. Individuals who molest children are not always identified as a pedophile. According to the DSMV in order to be diagnosed as pedophile the urges must be recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving activity with a prepubescent child or children. These feelings or urges must present for 6 months. The misconception of pedophilia makes these individuals feel that they cannot talk to anyone about their urges because of the fear of losing their employment or being criticized by peers and family. Providing health services for pedophiles will help them
Choosing a sexual preference is considered one of the biggest decisions of one’s life. Among the human race, heterosexuality (the attraction to persons of the opposite sex) is considered normal. However, over the years, homosexuality (the attraction to persons of the same sex) has become more common. The origin of homosexuality dates back as far as the 5th century B.C. Homosexuality became very popular in ancient Greece. The Greeks approved of same-sex relationships. When homosexuality first became popular though, the relationships were rarely sexual. Most relationships were usually between older men and younger boys. These relationships were more of courtship rituals than anything. In other parts of the world though, homosexuality was kept a secret among couples for many years. Unbelievably, it is still hidden today. It is kept a secret because in society, homosexuality is not considered normal. Therefore, to avoid being judged, ridiculed and belittled, homosexuality is conducted in secrecy. Over the years however, homosexuals have grown tired of not being able to do what they believe in, when and where they pleased. Many homosexuals began to fight for their rights to do as they pleased. What non-supporters of homosexuality thought or said about homosexuals no longer affected the homosexual community. Although many people still disagree with homosexuality, our society today has begun to accept homosexuals as a norm.
The issues of sexual ethics in relation to morality and perversion have been addressed in depth by each of the gentleman at this table. Sexual activity as described by Solomon and Nagle is comprised of a moral standard and ‘naturalness’ aspect. So, in claiming an act is perverted we must first examine it through a moral framework and understand how this interacts with the ‘naturalness’ of a particular act. Solomon makes the distinction as follows “Perversion is an insidious concept…To describe an activity as perverse is not yet a full blown moral condemnation, for it need not entail that one ought not to indulge in such activities.” Along with the examination of the nature of an act, there must be clear justification as to why sexual acts deserve special separate ethical principles. The question arises: does an act simply due to its sexual nature deserve a separate form of moral inquisition than other acts that occur in nature? In this essay I shall argue that perversion and immorality are not mutually exclusive. By this I mean that a sexual act that is, by my definition, immoral must also be perverted. It is also my contention that if an act is perverted we must also define it as immoral. This second part of the argument is contrary to what many of you have claimed. At the outset of this paper I would also like to state my support of Thomas Nagel’s argument holding that the connection between sex and reproduction has no bearing on sexual perversion. (Nagel 105)
To understand how to prevent child sexual abuse, one must begin by understanding what child sex abuse is. When a perpetrator intentionally harms a child physically, psychologically, sexually, or by acts of neglect, this crime is known as child abuse. Child sex abuse consists of any sexual activity that includes a minor. A child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity. More importantly, when a perpetrator engages with a child this way, they are committing a crime that can have lasting effects on the victim for years. Moreover, child sexual abuse does not need to include physical contact between a perpetrator and child, some forms include but not limited to; fondling, intercourse, sex trafficking, exposing oneself to a minor, masturbation
Child abuse is a very serious problem that continues to happen all over the world. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, defines child abuse as a failure to act as a parent or caregiver which results in physical/emotional harm, sexual abuse, and in some cases death. There are many different types of child abuse such as emotional, physical, neglect, and sexual. With each type of abuse there are warning signs you can spot before it is too late. When a child is abused there is a huge possibility that it can cause them to have many long term effects.