HUMAN SEXUALITY Essays (1370 words) - Paraphilias, Pedophilia

Pedophilia : A Sexual Disorder? The first person that comes to everyone?s mind when the word pedophilia is mentioned is the late but great Michael Jackson. It is sad but true based on many of the things and activities that the children and parents claimed to have took place between Michael and the alleged victims. ?Pedophilia is charterized as a mental disorder in which the fantasy or actual act of engaging in sexual activity with children usually before they have reached puberty for exclusive means of achieving sexual excitement and gratification? (Wilson 2002). Although no one truly knows what went on in Michael?s home based on Michael?s responses when asked what happened between him and the children some of his answers do raise a few eyebrows and reflect responses a person with this disorder will say. To start with, for example Michael stated that he and the children slept in the same bed, he also stated that he was only befriending the children by making them happy and that he is not harming them in anyway. Looking at Michael statements from a logical point of view we do want to believe that maybe Michael is trying to relive his childhood through these children, but it is not logical to have children that he does not know to sleep in the same bed with him, seeing that he is not their parent. Many pedophiles feel they are only doing good by the children and have no remorse to touching their victims in inappropriate ways because they feel it is beneficially to the child in making them feel good. Although child molestation is related to pedophilia acts this behavior has to reoccur in order for pedophilia to be diagnosed in a person. Many pedophiles believe they are sharing a bond with their victims because to them children represent innocence and trust qualities they are looking for, pedophiles feel that engaging in sexual activities with this innocent child they are repressing some of their painful child memories as can be compared with Michael Jackson. Pedophilia offers the offender to have a safe heaven to make peace with his past. As sad as these statements are they are true the human mind is a remarkable but confusing organ. Pedophiles feel that they are doing no harm only loving the child and that sex is just one of many ways they use to communicate to the child how much they care about them. In some cultures pedophilia is not believed to be pathological or even a mental illness, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV pedophilia is a mental disorder ?only when over a period of at least six months, the affected person experiences recurrent, intense and sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or actual behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children aged 13 or younger? (DSM-IV). What causes this mental disorder is it biological or is this deviant behavior learned over time? There have been connections that there is a strong genetic predisposition among pedophilia running within the family. For example if a child is molested growing up there is a greater chance of them acting out what they have experienced on other children when they grow up. Next, according to psychiatrist Dr. Herbert Wagemaker who believes that pedophilia is caused by brain chemistry abnormalities that have a strong connection genetically. There has been research made showing mind blowing numbers among the number of children who were molested by their family members. In a recent study made there were 3.2 million people who reported being sexual abused back when they were children. (darkness to light 2007). Those statistics are out of control but is the pedophile to blame since pedophilia is a mental disorder, is there any type of cure or prevention method to help these people who suffer from this disorders to get help or cured. There is no known cure for pedophilia since majority of people with this disorder are repeat offenders, but there are some treatment methods that can be used in order to suppress some of the urges to violate children. Some of these treatments may include therapy sessions, in behavior modification therapy electric shocks are known