What is it with Pedophilia?

I am a psychotherapist, as most of you know, so I have spent a bit of time studying this psychopathology. I have seen, as clients, a few pedophiles, and although their desires obviously seem extreme, the ones I have seen are typically normal-seeming people. Granted, they have all been men, and their victims have all been between the ages of 12 to 17 or so (not saying at that this is the worst of it, only what I clinically have experienced). Yes, I agree with the culture’s laws that state a man who is sexually engaged with a 12-year-old is a criminal. And even psychologically, there is a serious problem with someone who cannot control sexual impulses toward a person this young in this culture with these laws.

I won’t go into a lot of detail with this because I don’t want to give the impression that I think “if the girl is going into puberty, and is sexually mature, then it is ok.” It is not, psychologically, legally, or morally. However, I do believe there is a psychological difference between being attracted to a sexually mature girl and a girl obviously too young to be attractive in a sexual way. Granted, little girls are “pretty”, “cute,” etc. But to a normal, healthy man, they are not sexually attractive. We have a built-in radar for that, and if it isn’t working, it is broken.