Com 150 Final Project

What Psychiatrists Believe to be the Underlying Cause of Pedophilia

Nancy Harbison

Com/150

March 26, 2010

Beth Mabee

A pedophile is a person sexually attracted primarily to prepubescent children. When people act in this manner, they are labeled pedophiles. Pedophilia is in no way normal behavior (Dr. Laura, 1999). Pedophilia is a very complex disorder, not one that is easy to treat. Psychiatrists and scientists have been researching to find the causes and treatments behind pedophilia. Research thus far has shown that pedophilia is a mental illness. “Pedophiles often initially deny, minimize, or rationalize their abusive behaviors and he first goal of treatment must be to get the offenders to admit their past behaviors and overcome their rationalizations”(ipt-forensics.com/journal/…j3_1_2.htm).

A few of the causes of pedophilia found are chemical imbalances, learned behavior, and chromosomal abnormalities. Stress, marital problems, unavailability of adult partner, is also found to be causes of pedophilia. Brain scans show that a deficit of activation in the frontal cortex is also associated with pedophilia. Research shows a presence of abnormal brain chemistry with strong genetic connections are included in pedophilia. Continued research is hoped to find more conclusive evidence on the causes of pedophilia.

Treatment of pedophiles is complicated and is found to be unsuccessful. Treatment of pedophilia has little or no effect, nor does incarceration. Behavior attempts of rehabilitation show to be at a high failure rate. Although treatment of pedophiles is often court ordered for child sexual abuse perpetrators. “One of the major focuses of treatment for sex offenders is to prevent sexual offenses in the future” (ipt-forensics.com/journal/…/j3_1_2.htm). The effectiveness of therapy is measured by its contribution to the restoration of emotional health. Treatment also involves the changing and redirecting of the behaviors. The means of...