Exclusive pedophiles are attracted only to children. Pedophilia can be characterized as either exclusive or non-exclusive.
Pedophiles can be classified in several ways. Those who suffer from pedophilia have a compulsion to abuse young children. In most cases, the pedophile is at least sixteen years of age and at least five years older than the child.
#DID ANYONE EVERESCAPE FROM CATCH A PREDATOR MANUAL#
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) defines pedophilia as recurrent sexually arousing fantasies, impulsive desires, or behaviors involving sexual acts with a child and that occur over a period of at least six months. What is pedophilia? Do people choose to be pedophiles or are they born that way? This post will address these questions. The increasing attention on pedophilia has caused many Americans to question what this disorder entails, its characteristics, and what type of treatment should be sought for abusers. Yet children still remain vulnerable to sexual offenders regardless of their public façade. Not only do television shows expose pedophiles, but there are new sexual offender disclosure laws, websites that track convicted sexual offenders, and more investigations of pedophilia, especially after the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. However, recent television shows, such as To Catch a Predator, have exposed pedophiles as local neighbors, trusted friends, clergy, babysitters, teachers, and even family members.Ĭonceptions about pedophiles have been changing rapidly, and pedophilia has recently become a topic of increased awareness and concern.
Most people imagine pedophiles as ugly old men dressed in trench coats, hiding in the bushes, waiting to snatch young children off the street.