Pedophilia
Key points
- Pedophilia is the most common paraphiliac act involving the touching of a victim against his or her will or who is unable to give consent.
- In a stratified nationwide study of females in the United States, Saunders (1992) estimated that 21 million adult females have been sexually assaulted, 60% of those prior to age 18 years.
- According to pedophiles' own reports regarding children under age 14 years whom they have molested, nearly all molestations in which the child was not touched (e.g., voyeurism, exhibitionism) involved female children, whereas 62% of the molestations in which the child was touched involved male children (Abel 1989).
- Furthermore, contrary to data from treatment programs for child victims, child molesters report that the vast majority of their molestations do not involve incest, but rather are perpetrated against children outside of the home (Abel 1989).
Pedophilia
- Pharmacological Interventions
Treatment to Establish Adult Sexual Interest - Fading
- Exposure
- Masturbatory Conditioning
Treatment to Decrease Attitudes and Beliefs Supportive of Pedophiliac Behavior - Cognitive Restructuring
- Externalization of Cognitive Distortions
- Victim Empathy Training
Treatment to Develop Prosocial Behavior
Treatment to Resolve Intrapsychic Conflicts
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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