Child Abuse

Pedophilia is a mental illness. Pedophilia in some cases is diagnosed as a mental illness, but in other’s it is just a lack of moral values. Why is pedophilia a form of child abuse that is rarely reported in the media? In this research, I shall discover some truth about pedophilia as a mental illness and find out under what circumstances is pedophilia an illness. I will discuss why pedophilia is most likely unreported. Pedophilia leaves a scar in the minds of the children become victims due to the humiliation of the abuse.

Pedophilia involves sexual activity by an adult with a prepubescent child. Some individuals prefer females, usually 8 to 10 year olds. Those attracted to males usually prefers slightly older children. Some prefer both sexes. While some are sexually attracted only to children, others also are sometimes attracted to adults.

It is hard to diagnose pedophilia as a mental disorder. Psychiatrist finds it very difficult to determine if the person is lustful, because as humans we all lust to a certain extent (Michael Karson 62). Karson’s point is that a good diagnosis addresses good questions (Michael Karson 63), like how predictable are the situations? When does a pedophile strike out? How quickly does the person gain?

Composure? What occasions this recovery? How disruptive are the regressions? Which reactions by others exacerbate them? Pedophilia can not be diagnosed scientifically according these questions.

Psychiatrist believes that in most cases pedophiles molest children for various reasons. Some find companionship, some like the fact that they can manipulate a child. Some have been molested as a child so they repeat the cycle. Not all people that molest children because they are attracted to them.

Like most diagnoses, victims get treated for their illness. Diagnosis of pedophilia does not lead to treatment. There has not been a pill invented to stop a pedophile’s sexual desires for children.

Pedophilia goes unreported because the abuse is not physically evident. Henry observes that only severe cases of child abuse are reported; resulting in death or something very devastating (Henry 21). The main reason pedophilia goes unreported is that it often happens in the home or a private setting where a powerless child cries for help cannot be heard. It is very hard to detect. Most children feel too frightened or ashamed to tell an adult that they have been sexually abused because they know that it is a serious and sensitive matter. Most children who have been molested believe that it is their fault. Henry makes appoint that children do not know that they have power as an individual not to be sexually abused (Henry 22).

Not all cases of child abuse leave easily identifiable scars. Although sexual abuse is another form of physical abuse, it is more difficult to gather physical
evidence by sight. Most child victims of pedophilia communicate their pain through their behavior, or in a sad vacant stare in their eyes. Sexual abuse involves forcing, tricking, bribing, threatening or pressuring a child into sexual activity.

Dr. Kim is a psychiatrist that works with children who that has been sexually molested. Dr. Kim estimates that every hour 17 children are sexually molested in the United States. Most authorities agree that that sexual abuse is vastly unreported. Dr. Kim also estimates that 85 percent of the cases are unreported.

Children are most likely abused by someone that they know and trust. It could be a relative, a friend, or a caretaker. In particular, the abuse of boys has not been well dominated because boys fear they will not be believed, or will be labeled as a homosexual. Dr. Kim reports that only 5 percent of reported cases involve boys.

There is not a cure for pedophilia but there is therapy for the Sex
Offender. It is called psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is often ordered for child sexual abuse perpetrators. Of possible treatment modalities, the most common approach has been group therapy that relies heavily upon punitive and hostile confrontation and a nonsystematic blend of psychoanalytic concepts and traditional talking therapy. There is often little or no effort to provide a theoretical base for the program. The result is a procedure that is essentially highly moralistic and reflects the judgmental emotional response of the society rather than an empirically based healing technique.

Psychotherapy is a venture much studied and researched and there is an extensive

literature on psychotherapy processes and outcomes. There is sufficient information to have some understanding of what may actually work to change behavior. The scientific knowledge available permits more than an educated guess or a trial and error methodology.

Unfortunately, many current treatment programs for sexual abusers fall to use techniques known through research to be effective. The effectiveness of therapeutic treatment is often measured by its contribution to restoration of emotional health and normal functioning along with the subjective sense of well-being of the individual. Normal behavior may be defined either by reference to the applicable social norms or by statistical frequency. With treatment for a person guilty of child sexual abuse the essential goal is the prevention of sexual offenses in the future. Subjective well being or conformity to generally accepted norms in other areas is not sufficient to measure treatment outcomes.

When a person is sentenced to sex offender treatment as part of a plea bargain or sentencing, the therapy itself may become punishment. The person is ordered to attend treatment with an indeterminate sentence and usually cannot select the therapist or the program; therapy programs must be approved by the agencies in control. The distortions and dangers inherent in this situation are reflected in the formation of a group of psychologists in Washington who have initiated a class action lawsuit against the state and against prosecutors who have limited sexual offender treatment programs to a small group approved by the system (www.medem.com).

The therapist who provides such court-ordered treatment for sexual offenders must make regular reports to parole officers, judges, and child protection workers. The therapist is given the power to judge when the treatment has been successfully completed and discharge is granted. This puts the therapist in the role of the jailer. Also, any information given by the sex offender about other victims or offenses must be reported by the therapist.

This difficulty is illustrated by a recent Minnesota case. The client, who was in a sex offender treatment program following his conviction for rape, was asked as part of the treatment to write detailed accounts of other times in which he had sexually assaulted women. He complied and produced a written account of several other incidents. This was then given to the police by the probation officer. The man was later convicted on the basis of this written account and sentenced to nine years in prison .

These circumstances also provide a subtle opportunity for any hostility or pathology in a therapist to affect the therapist’s behavior and the process of therapy. A hostile therapist can cause serious emotional harm to patients. The seductiveness of the powerful level of control available to a therapist can cause the therapy to be destructive and damaging. If an admission of guilt is required before being admitted into a program, additional complications and potential hindrances to successful treatment are generated. There are no empirical data to demonstrate that a threshold admission of guilt has any relationship to outcomes. It may, however

prevent both actual perpetrators and innocent people from being able to progress in resolution of their individual situations. It may increase the likelihood of error in the justice system.

When an accused person who is actually innocent enters treatment with the hope of eventually having a relationship his children or of getting some benefit from therapy, it can be disastrous. Successful completion of treatment is often defined by the requirement that the accused admit guilt. It cannot be a general, bland admission, “Yes, I am an abuser,” but often must be specific, detailed, given regularly in group, and may include an admission and apology to the victim.
The most important goal of treatment for sex offenders is that they refrain from committing sex offenses in the future. This goal is more important than emotional health or adjustment, self-esteem, feelings of well-being, self-actualization, reported satisfaction with therapy, or improvement as measured by psychological tests.

In conclusion to my research about pedophilia, this type of abuse leaves a scar in the minds of the victims. Pedophilia is diagnosed according to the minds of his pedophiles. According to my research pedophilia is not a severe case of child abuse because the symptoms are not life threatening. Pedophilia is the most common form of child abuse that goes unreported. Pedophiles can be sentenced to time in jail, if convicted, but that doesn’t

mean that they have to get treated for their illness. This research proves that most pedophiles don’t get past their ill state of mind. I encourage anyone who has been molested or know someone who has been molested to seek professional help. Society does not look at pedophilia as a severe case of child abuse, but the pain and suffering that goes unresolved is a mentally terminal.