Persuasive Essay On Pedophilia

Pedophilia, which is defined as the sexual attraction to children who have not yet reached puberty, remains a vexing challenge for both clinicians and public officials. Part of this challenge stems from the fact that not all pedophiles are child molesters (or vice versa). Child molesters are defined by their sexual actions to children, whereas pedophiles are defined by their sexual desires for children. Essentially, one can be a pedophile without ever coming in contact with a child, and likewise, acts of sexual abuse can be committed by ordinary people not generally attracted to children. This topic brings up the question of whether pedophilia should be considered a legal issue or a mental health issue. Yes, the acts pedophiles commit on children

are certainly illegal, but is it a mental disorder that drives people to have pedophilic urges and act on them? Some research provides evidence as to why society should focus on the illegality of child molestation and implement stricter laws against pedophiles. Other researchers argue that pedophilia is a mental disorder, where it is unlikely to change, but can be managed. Both sides of this debate provide compelling arguments as to why pedophilia can be an issue of mental health and of the legal system.
Evidence Suggesting Pedophilia is a Mental Disorder
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Pedophilia is a classified mental disorder. In order to be diagnosed with a paraphilic disorder, the individual must experience distress about their interests in young children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This does not include feeling distressed about the way society thinks about them. It focuses on internally feeling distressed or guilty about their pedophilic desires. In addition to feeling guilt about their interests, the person also has to have a sexual desire/behavior that causes psychological distress, injury, or death in the other person without their consent in order to become diagnosed with pedophilia. Recent research has found evidence suggesting that there are biological differences in the brains of pedophiles. Research has also found evidence that nurture may also play a role in early childhood, which leads to people growing up and becoming child molesters.
One argument that would support pedophilia being a mental health issue is the biological evidence that has been found linking pedophilia to abnormalities in the brain.

Much like one’s sexual orientation, pedophilia is unlikely to change. People do not choose to be attracted to children or adults any more than they choose to be attracted to males or females. In the very early stages of fetal development, the brain of the fetus will either develop in the male direction due to a direct effect of testosterone on the developing neurons, or it will develop in the female direction due to the absence of such a testosterone surge (Bao & Swad, 2010). In regards to pedophiles, studies have shown that there is genetic involvement in pedophilia. Researchers wanted to look at which specific parts of the brain distinguish pedophilic from non-pedophilic men. Pedophiles were found to have lower volumes of gray matter in the ventral striatum compared to both homosexual and heterosexual subjects. Furthermore, they were also found to have smaller volumes of their hypothalamus, amygdala, septal regions, and substantia innominate. Finally, they found that pedophiles have lower white matter volumes of the superior frontooccipital fasciculus. White matter is the cabling that connects the different parts of the brain together and enables people to react appropriately to people and situations (Cantor, Christensen, Zipursky, Barbaree, & Dickey, 2008). Therefore, when there is a lack of this white

matter, there is either not enough of this cabling, not the correct kind of cabling, or it's wiring the wrong areas together. For example, instead of the brain arousing protective or parental instincts when these people see children, it's instead triggering the wrong (sexual) instincts. This research indicates that there is abnormal brain development in pedophiles, which leads to abnormal brain structures and processing in regards to their sexual behavior.
Not only is pedophilia classified as a mental disorder in the DSM 5 and proven to have a biological component, research also suggests that Pedophilia has a strong connection to people who were sexually assaulted as young children. According to research conducted by Abel and Harlow (2001), more than 47 percent of child molesters had been sexually abused as children. Also, molesters that were sexually abused as children have three times the number of child victims as compared to the molesters that were not abused as children. Pedophilia should be considered a mental health issue because it is a learned behavior that is occurring from generation to generation. When pedophiles are molested as children, it is a form of modeling that tells them that what they are doing is an okay thing to do, thus creating a cycle that is difficult to break.
Lastly, after researching pedophilia and reading numerous articles that interviewed pedophiles and asked them to talk about their experiences, a common trend occurred. All of the people interviewed talked about having an intense amount of shame and guilt about their desires. Whether they acted upon them or stopped themselves at the last moment, these people appeared to be horrified about what they did/ almost did. One man said that “The force of the label [of being a pedophile] was like a nuclear bomb going off inside my head. The word is just so ugly, and I felt evil and dirty” (Mckenzie-Murray, 2014). The man continued to explain how he felt restless and depressed to the point where he contemplated suicide after the first time he acknowledged that he was sexually interested in children. This helps support the mental illness side of the debate because nobody would willingly choose to put themselves through that. People don’t want to live with shame and guilt, and if they had the choice to change their sexual preferences, then they would likely choose a sexual preference that they would feel less ashamed about.
Evidence Suggesting Pedophilia is a Legal Issue
It is also important to examine the legal concerns that are associated with pedophiles. Pedophiles normally have little interest in adolescents who are starting to sexually mature. Rather, it is the lack of development and childish innocence that arouses pedophiles. Simply being a pedophile is not illegal, and one cannot be arrested for having sexual desires for children. However, when a person chooses to act upon his/ her pedophilic urges, then a legal issue arises. Actions associated with being a pedophile, such as having sexual interactions with children who are not old enough to give informed consent and/ or possessing child pornography, are against the law.
Although looking at child pornography is not causing direct harm to a minor, it is the principle behind it. Children that are involved in the production of child pornography are abused. When people continue to watch or possess child pornography, the purchaser of the child pornography is keeping the rapists and abusers in business. One study found a strong association between child pornography possession and pedophilia, suggesting that there is an empirical link between sexual interests and pornography choices (Seto, 2010). So, if there weren’t any buyers or website visitors, fewer children would be exploited and harmed. Child pornography also promotes and reinforces the idea that taking advantage of children is acceptable.
Any sexual interaction that occurs without consent is against the law. Some would argue that it is illogical to think of pedophilia as a psychological disorder because by labeling it as a disorder, it is giving offenders an opportunity to describe the crimes they commit as some type of relapse. Once they get out of jail for molesting a child, employers and employees are then expected to be accepting and kind about their mental illness, despite the fact that they still have the desire to molest children, which is also an illogical way to think. It is wrong to use the label of a disorder as an excuse for their behavior. One can even approach this situation from a different perspective. Let’s say that pedophilia is a psychological disorder. Even if they are labeled with that disorder, they still should not be granted protection under the law. Their actions are still illegal, and they should still be punished accordingly. When pedophiles molest children, they are essentially committing the same crime that sex offenders do. Sex offenders are not labeled as having a psychological disorder, so pedophilia should not. If pedophiles had more severe forms of punishment, and weren’t able to use the disorder as an excuse for why they acted on their impulses, they would be less likely to commit an illegal act.
Pedophilia can also be a legal issue when pedophiles are purposely seeking out jobs that involve working with young children. Since pedophilia is the most significant cause of child molestation, it should be made illegal for pedophiles to be able to work in direct contact with children (Abel & Harlow, 2001). In a study conducted by the FBI that examined 40 pedophile cases, almost half of the sexual offenders claimed that they used their jobs as a way to encounter children. By doing this, children are put in direct danger. By making laws that prohibit pedophiles from working directly with children (daycare workers, Cub Scout leaders, athletic coaches, etc.), children would be substantially safer.
Which Side Provides the Best Support?
Due to the physical and psychological harm child molestation has on the victims, it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

The best way to fight this problem is by focusing on the cause of pedophilia. Pedophiles are responsible for molesting 88% of the children that are victims of sexual abuse (Abel & Harlow, 2001). By looking at the research support, I think that pedophilia is more of a mental health issue than a legal issue. One reason may be that being labeled a pedophile in itself is not a legal issue. Rather, it is the impulses that pedophiles act upon that make it illegal. It is more difficult to find research support when not all pedophiles are acting on their urges. However, it is easier to examine the physical differences in the brain that provide evidence that pedophilia is a mental disorder. This should be more of a focus in our society because we can help treat the mental illness, which would ultimately reduce the amount of children harmed. If pedophiles were given treatment to help reduce their desire to act upon their sexual urges, then less incidents of child molestation would occur. Our society should be establishing an environment where pedophiles can come in and receive either therapy or medication that would lower their sex drive. By focusing on the mental health issues of pedophilia and increasing treatment options, it will lead to a decrease of sex crime rates in the future. This research provides evidence that there is an association between

pedophilia neurocognitive disturbances.
In conclusion, pedophilia has proven to be a puzzling issue for mental health professionals and law enforcers. The acts of pedophiles certainly are illegal. However, it appears through research that the bigger challenge lays within the mental diagnosis. By looking at the issue from where is begins will allow doctors to find adequate methods of treatment to help prevent the illegal acts that pedophilia causes.