Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Kinsey's Spectre: Is pedophilia a sexual orientation?

This the most alarming piece I've read this year:

Dr. James Cantor of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has spent the last decade
on research suggesting that pedophilia is a deep-rooted, unchangeable predisposition.
Pedophilia has been widely viewed as a psychological disorder triggered by early childhood trauma.

Now, many experts see it as a biologically rooted condition that does not change — like a sexual orientation — thanks largely to a decade of research by Dr. James Cantor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Cantor’s team has found that pedophiles share a number of physical characteristics, including differences in brain wiring. It’s now thought that about 1 to 5 per cent of men are pedophiles, meaning they are primarily attracted to children.

These findings have been widely accepted among scientists, but have had little impact on social attitudes or law. However, we are left with the alarming question: if some men are born pedophiles, what should society do with them?

Bolstered by this research, pedophiles who have never molested children are seeking social acceptance.  (more...)

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