A pedophile as defined by mental health experts is someone who has a sexual interest in pre pubescent children, not teenagers. So why is it when a priest is caught molesting a lot of teen boys, he is labeled a "pedophile" instead of a homosexual that he is. I believe the media is being politically correct by calling them pedophiles just so they dont hurt the feelings of gays.
A priest having sex with a 15, 16, or 17 year old male doesnt make him a pedophile, it makes him a homo! Why doesnt someone just tell it like it is.
[quote]The term pedophilia (or paedophilia) has a range of definitions as found in psychiatry, psychology, law enforcement, and the vernacular. As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children…
In law enforcement, the term “pedophile” is generally used to describe those accused or convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor (including both prepubescent children and adolescent minors younger than the local age of consent)[/quote]
In your example, the priest is a pedophile by the legal definition but he is not a pedophile by the clinical definition.
[quote]forlife wrote:
There are different definitions for pedophilia:
The term pedophilia (or paedophilia) has a range of definitions as found in psychiatry, psychology, law enforcement, and the vernacular. As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children…
In law enforcement, the term “pedophile” is generally used to describe those accused or convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor (including both prepubescent children and adolescent minors younger than the local age of consent)
In your example, the priest is a pedophile by the legal definition but he is not a pedophile by the clinical definition.[/quote]
Just so we’re clear, something can be illegal or immoral regardless of what a multitude of major mental health institutions might say/think? That’s what you’re saying, right?
[quote]lucasa wrote:
forlife wrote:
There are different definitions for pedophilia:
The term pedophilia (or paedophilia) has a range of definitions as found in psychiatry, psychology, law enforcement, and the vernacular. As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children…
In law enforcement, the term “pedophile” is generally used to describe those accused or convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor (including both prepubescent children and adolescent minors younger than the local age of consent)
In your example, the priest is a pedophile by the legal definition but he is not a pedophile by the clinical definition.
Just so we’re clear, something can be illegal or immoral regardless of what a multitude of major mental health institutions might say/think? That’s what you’re saying, right?[/quote]
In your example, the priest is a pedophile by the legal definition but he is not a pedophile by the clinical definition.[/quote]
Yes but experts on it (i.e. those who know what theyre talking about) say a pedophile i something else. It seems that the media is convieniently leaving out the fact that these prests are homosexual and not pedophiles.
And the universal definition of a pedophile is someone attracted to children younger than 13. In Illinois it is 17, in California its 18. So you have a 17 y/o that lives in Chicago that has a boyfriend in his 20’s that also lives in Chicago. And they have sex on a regular basis. They take a trip to Los Angeles one week and have sex in the hotel room, but in California the age of consent is 18. Does that make him a pedophile? No it doesnt.
The same would hold true if it was a same sex couple. If its illegal just say its illegal, but dont try to play word games to get around the facts.
[quote]lucasa wrote:
Just so we’re clear, something can be illegal or immoral regardless of what a multitude of major mental health institutions might say/think? That’s what you’re saying, right?[/quote]
I didn’t say that at all. I’m sure the legal and mental health organizations agree that sex with anyone underage, whether a teen or a pre-pubescent child, is both immoral and illegal.
A better term for these people would be ephebophile - one with a sexual preference for adolescents (think jailbait).
It’s not generally considered a disorder, as many adolescents have levels of physical development that make them similar, if not identical to, most adults. Of course, age of consent still matters under the law.
As for why the term pedophile is used - as stated, these crimes usually occured when the victim is younger (IIRC) and didn’t come to light until many years later. Plus, pedophile is an uglier word and sells more papers. Most people would need a dictionary to tell you what ephebophilia is.
[quote]forlife wrote:
lucasa wrote:
Just so we’re clear, something can be illegal or immoral regardless of what a multitude of major mental health institutions might say/think? That’s what you’re saying, right?
I didn’t say that at all. I’m sure the legal and mental health organizations agree that sex with anyone underage, whether a teen or a pre-pubescent child, is both immoral and illegal.[/quote]
Then I must tell you that those mental health organizations are in the business of making value judgments and that their opinion is worth shit when they take a stance on any public issue.
It’s the responsibility of the medical and mental health organizations to advocate policies that support public health and well being. Obviously, pedophilia has significant potential to hurt children, and it would be irresponsible for them not to oppose it.
[quote]forlife wrote:
It’s the responsibility of the medical and mental health organizations to advocate policies that support public health and well being. [/quote]
It is?
What is public health and well being, who decides that for whom and who is forced to pay for all of it?
No, either they are scientists or they get to be politicians.
An ephebophile is someone that prefers exclusively teens.
There are men who are attracted to teen girls but also adult women so wouldnt fit this definition. I knew a 16 y/o girl who was very developed and men would talk to her all the time and when she walked down a busy street guys would honk at her. But I think it would be far fetched to say those men have a mental disorder of some sort.
Because “pedophile” is not even close to being socially acceptable whereas “homosexual” nearly is all the way, therefore “pedophile” is worse to be of the two terms.
And why of all sexy women on earth do you have a square shaped woman in your avatar?
[quote]clip11 wrote:
An ephebophile is someone that prefers exclusively teens.
There are men who are attracted to teen girls but also adult women so wouldnt fit this definition. I knew a 16 y/o girl who was very developed and men would talk to her all the time and when she walked down a busy street guys would honk at her. But I think it would be far fetched to say those men have a mental disorder of some sort.[/quote]
Sexual preference for adolescents.
And no, it is generally NOT considered a mental disorder for the exact reason you described - many girls in that particular age bracket are sexually developed to a large (if not full) extent. Unless, of course, the individual in question is engaging in some sort of destructive behavior as a result of it.
My guess would be that the attraction is more to the psychological aspects of the adolescent than a purely physical one.