A
pedophile is a person, most frequently a man, who focuses his sexual
fantasies and behavior toward children. People who enjoy child pornography
are pedophiles. Some pedophiles are sexually attracted only toward children
and are not at all attracted toward adults. Pedophilia is usually a
chronic condition. Main characteristics are:
Repeatedly for at least 6 months, the patient has intense sexual desires,
fantasies or behaviors concerning sexual activity with a sexually immature
child (usually age 13 or under).
This causes clinically important distress or impairs work, social or
personal functioning.
The patient is 16 or older and at least 5 years older than the child.
State whether:
Sexually Attracted to Males.
Sexually Attracted to Females.
Sexually Attracted to Males and Females.
Specify if: Limited
to incest
State whether:
Exclusive type (aroused only by children).
Nonexclusive type.
When
a pedophile becomes sexually active with a child he/she may:
Undress the child.
Encourage the child to watch them masturbate.
Touch or fondle the child’s genitals.
Forcefully perform sexual acts on the child.
Associated Features:
Abuse (past or
present)
Somatic or Sexual Dysfunction
Sexually Deviant Behavior
The idea of Sex as a Requisite for Affection.
Differential
Diagnosis:
Some disorders have similar or even the same symptoms. The clinician,
therefore, in his/her diagnostic attempt has to differentiate against
the following disorders which need to be ruled out to establish a precise
diagnosis.
Impulse
Control Disorder
Delirium.
Dementia.
Cause:
Most
paraphilic fantasies begin in late childhood or adolescence and continue
throughout adult life. Intensity and occurrence of the fantasies are
variable, and they usually decrease as people get older.
Treatment:
Treatment option
can be a mixture of psychotherapy and medication.
Cognitive,
behavior, and psychoanalytic therapies are used to treat individuals
with paraphilia's.
Pharmacotherapy
[ See Psychopharmacology
Section ] :
Some prescription medicines have been used to help decrease the compulsive
thinking associated with the paraphilia's. Hormones are prescribed occasionally
for individuals who experience intrusive sexual thoughts, urges, or
abnormally frequent sexual behaviors. Almost always the treatment must
be long-term if it is to be effective.
