Pedophile is a term that refers to people who suffer from sexual disorders in the form of sexual desire for children or adolescents under the age of 14 years. Most pedophiles are men, but women can also experience this sexual disorder.
A form of sexual perversion of pedophiles is called pedophilia. This deviation is part of the paraphilic sexual disorder.
Paraphilia is a distorted sexual fantasy, urge, or arousal that involves an object, activity, or situation that in most people does not elicit sexual arousal.
Pedophile Behavior
Pedophilic behavior generally begins in adolescence or young adulthood. Perpetrators usually have sexual fantasies and urges towards children under the age of 14.
To be called a pedophile, the disorder must last for at least 6 months. Generally, the victim of a pedophile is a child he knows, for example the child of a neighbor or child of a relative.
Pedophilia is different from sexual violence against children. Pedophiles do have a sexual attraction to children, but this condition does not always make them want to force sexual contact.
Pedophiles will generally approach a child with the lure of gifts or attention by taking him for a walk. After that, the pedophile will continue with intimate conversation and sexual touch.
At this stage, the child usually feels close to the pedophile so he feels reluctant or even afraid to refuse.
Children who are lonely, depressed, or do not receive attention from their parents are the group of children most vulnerable to these special attentions from pedophiles.
Although most pedophiles do not use forced sexual contact, their behavior can have a negative impact on the mental health of their victims. Children who are victims of pedophiles will usually feel isolated, frustrated, experience anxiety disorders, to depression.
Pedophile Characteristics
To protect your child from pedophiles, you need to know the characteristics of a pedophile first. Following are some of them:
- Often familiarize yourself with children
- Often give gifts or take children for walks
- Often looking for excuses to be alone with the victim
- Often watch child pornography content
- Happy to see and pay attention to the child you like
- Tend to want to touch the child's body parts, usually starting from parts that are not private, such as embracing
- Rarely socialize and prefer to be alone
- Can admit and feel guilty for his sexual desire in children
- Could have drug abuse problems
Causes Someone Becomes a Pedophile
Until now, the cause of someone becoming a pedophile is not known with certainty. There are studies that say that this disorder can be obtained from the family. However, it is still unclear whether this is related to genetic factors or inherited behavioral patterns.
In addition, there are several things that can increase a person's risk of becoming a pedophile, including:
- Experienced sexual abuse as a child
- Have had a head injury as a child
- Have a brain disorder
Treatment for Pedophiles
Treatment for pedophiles usually aims to help pedophile individuals to be able to manage their feelings and interests in young children. That way, pedophile individuals are expected to be able to refrain from continuing their feelings into sexual activity.
The following are some of the treatments that can be done to treat pedophile individuals:
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy
This is talk therapy done to modify the thoughts and feelings of a pedophile towards children. Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally carried out by increasing the pedophile's empathy for children who are victims of sexual violence, so that he is not compelled to take the same action.
Through this therapy, a pedophile will also be trained to anticipate situations that can increase the risk of sexual abuse against children and how to avoid or divert their sexual desires with something more positive.
2. Drugs
In addition to psychotherapy, psychiatrists may also prescribe medications, such as: medroxyprogesterone acetate and leuprolide acetate. This treatment is done to suppress the production of the hormone testosterone, so that the pedophile's sexual arousal can decrease.
Treatment for a pedophile is usually done in the long term. Its success also depends on the person himself. The best results can be obtained if the pedophile voluntarily and seriously undergoes the entire series of care and treatment given to him.
While most pedophiles are horrific and unacceptable, remember that there are also pedophiles who are frustrated by their inner feelings. He knew this was wrong, but had a hard time holding it in.
Therefore, if you know people who have pedophilic traits or perhaps you are annoyed that you are attracted to young children, don't hesitate to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist to get the right treatment.