Understanding Molestation

[TonyG]

I do not understand sexual molestation of children (of adults either for that matter). Once again some guy has been found guily in my area of molesting several young boys (10-14 years old). It went on for a few years.

I understand that it is a sickness BUT why do the men pick on young kids. Are they afraid of adults? Do they think they are getting back at their parents? Does it make them feel more superior? It also seems to me that there are more cases of men molesting young boys than girls. Why? I very rarely hear of a case of a woman molesting young children. Is this because the sickness is mostly male oriented or the males don't report it as often?

Has anyone studied this habit or read about the causes? Are there 'warning signs' in the individuals prone to this disease?

It might be a disease but am I wrong to want to hang them up and cut off their balls?

 

[Merelan]

You're not wrong. I will hold the dull, rusty knife while you hang them up.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

They are afraid or incapable of interacting on an adult level Tony.

Pedophilia is a paraphilia and the male/female ratio is something like 10-1. That's why you rarely hear of female sex offenders. Pedophiles just don't know how to interact with adults. That's why you find them as church youth leaders, boy scout troop leaders, school janitors...anything that puts them near kids.

You're not wrong. I often want to string up guys like that...more so since I had kids.

 

[Lil-Brandi]

They are disgusting!!!

I'm sorry, sickness or not, I have no understanding of that at all! I have never ever been in that situation thank God, but I have had old guys looking at me and even hitting on me since I was 12...I just think it is so sick!

The ones that disturb me even more so (one just happened here), are the ones where it is a priest involved. That happens quite frequently for some odd reason. That is just devistating I imagine. If that barrier of trust is knocked down, then who do you trust?

 

[Countess DeWinter]

Brandi, when did you finish puberty? I have a 12 year old daughter and she has a woman's body. That's not what attracts a pedophile. Perhaps a cradle robber, but not a pedophile. Not to be graphic, but if you have pubic hair, you're too old for a pedophile!

I've gotten "those" looks from older guys since I was about 12, but then I didn't look like a little girl at 12! Even now, I seem to attract the more mature man. Not that I mind, of course. I like older men.

And...sickness or not (which I think speaks to the issue of responsibility) society has declared that using a child sexually is wrong on a legal level not just morally. Thank God!

 

[Lil-Brandi]

Not quite that young...

Comparitively, Countess DeWinter, I was not all that at 12. I had a cute little figure, but obviously not that of an adult! Plus, I'm so tiny, which didn't help at all. I'm now, at 18, only 5' tall.

I would say at 14 to 15 years old, I could have passed as an 18 year old, in some eyes, but definitely not before that! The flirtatious behaviors of older males was very obvious...and very sad, at the time. There was a number of times that I felt very uncomfortable in those younger years.

I look back on it now, and hear stories on the news, and am grateful that I never put myself in a situation that could have been ugly!

 

[Kadee]

I used to type reports for a psychologist that worked strictly with sexual preditors (of children). It was amazing (and sickening) to see the reasoning that these men gave. I never once typed a report of a woman sexual preditor. All our patients (or criminals...my view) were men. There were many factors involved, but one of the key elements is the ability to be in control. Just as others have already mentioned...they are unable to relate to adults and are often reclusive and introverted.

There was also an element of curiosity. One guy molested two small children and his response was "I just wanted to see what it would feel like to do a kid." It's a sickness/crime and should be taken more seriously. Unfortunately, many of them walked away with probation or community service, with the agreement that group therapy would be part of their "treatment". Umm...what happened to PUNISHMENT. It was pathetic. Needless to say that particular profession I chose had a high burn-out rate. Way too damn depressing. Not to mention having to sit on the other side of the counter when they came in for group therapy and deal with them trying to flirt. UGH!!!!!

 

[Lil-Brandi]

Kadee...

I don't know how you did it...I think I would have left work the first day upset, mad, and crying, and probably never gone back! I think it is so sad what happens to these guys, their punishment just isn't harsh enough!!

 

[Kadee]

Lil-Brandi...

I definitely had days like that. Ironically, it was a job that helped me work my way through college to become an elementary school teacher. I love kids!!! I think my biggest concern is that these men are considered "patients" who need treatment instead of "criminals" who need to experience severe consequences for their actions. The men in the treatment program (coming in for weekly therapy) saw it as a joke. Whenever they were not under the eyes of the moderator/doctor they were lude and explicit and disgusting. They definitely need more serious consequences for their actions. I'm thinking a "dull knife" is even a little too nice. (and I hate any kind of violence...lol)

 

[Pyper]

While I believe that pedophiles are sick, disturbed people who need counseling, I also believe they should be locked up forever! Pedophiles have the highest relapse rate of any category of criminal, if you let them out, they WILL molest again. Personally, I don't think any sex offender should be let out of jail, because it has been proven time and time again that they just can't reform.

 

[TonyG]

Originally posted by Countess DeWinter
They are afraid or incapable of interacting on an adult level Tony.

Pedophilia is a paraphilia and the male/female ratio is something like 10-1. That's why you rarely hear of female sex offenders. Pedophiles just don't know how to interact with adults. That's why you find them as church youth leaders, boy scout troop leaders, school janitors...anything that puts them near kids.

This was an excellent explanation but in all of your studies have you learned why it affects men more than woman? Does it have anything to do with testosterone production?

 

[KillerMuffin]

Studies that I've read have indicated that it has more to do with brain formation than testosterone. Men and women's brains are shaped differently. Which is why we behave, react, and communicate differently. It has been theorized that a man's grunt being as acceptable an answer to a man as it is not to a woman has to do with the fact that the female brain has far more neural pathways connecting the brain spheres. Whatever those are called.

Studies done on schitzophrenic patients postmortem have also shown that their brains are also constructed differently than non-schitzophrenic individuals.

Since pedophilia is generally not a sexually motivated crime, but a crime involving power and control that the perpetrator is unable to exert with normal adult to adult relationships, the testosterone theory is unlikely. However, chemically castrated men have shown in studies that with no sex drive, they don't commit sex crimes. They've been rendered sexually harmless, but have studies been done to indicate whether or not they still seek out children to control in other ways?

 

[TonyG]

KillerMuffin

Great thoughts about the brain development. That would explain why more men than women do it.

I mentioned testosterone because I had read that one of the treatments for sexual deviants is to give them a drug which reduces the manufacture of testosterone from a certain gland. (can't remember the name let alone try to spell it).

I guess our children still need more education when it comes to 'good touch-bad touch'. Is that theory still mentioned in grade schools?

 

[Countess DeWinter]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but...

the post-mortem brain studies of schizophrenics do not show a cause/effect relationship. It could be that schizophrenia is caused by a malformation of the brain, or it could be that the medication taken for schizophrenia causes brain malformation. And it could be that some third factor causes both. It can really only be said that the two are related.

As for chemical castration...if pedophilia (and other sex crimes) are not sex driven, then chemical castration should have no effect on recidivism. Molesters and rapists of the more generic variety have been known to use other phallic objects in the place of their penis to rape and molest their victims.

Sadly, the information that would be most beneficial - the CAUSES of the various paraphilias - is the one thing that cannot be scientifically researched and "proven" (I hate that word, it's not really scientific. You cannot manipulate the necessary variables to experiment on them. It is far too unethical.

Personally, I tend to believe there is a stress/diathesis working. The particular biological/genetic makeup of a person, combined with the right environment can create any kind of monster you want. Or it can create a saint.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I'm in a pissy mood and this topic makes it worse.

To extend the rainy parade, biological studies of that nature usually don't show cause and effect. They just make more questions. You may wish to re-read what I wrote. Try it again and see what sort of cause and effect conclusions that I may have drawn. You will, no doubt, be astonished to see that I drew none. I offered no possible conclusions as to why, just more options and why I think that. I'm not stupid CdW. Really, I'm not. I speak Korean, not student psychologist.

In my layman's read too many books opinion, estrogen is just as powerful, if not more powerful, sexual motivator as testosterone. Yet women don't usually become sexual predators. Therefore, in my own tiny little non-thinking brain, testosterone has little to do with sexual predation and more with brain formation.

It takes a combination of being born that way and being made that way via experience to make a pedophile, in my opinion.

As far as chemically castrated men, they have proven, in the limited studies that have been done, that they don't commit sex crimes. No studies have been done to see if they commit other crimes or if they are harmless. Or do I need to reiterate again.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

surrendering the field

...just don't wanna argue.

I don't subscribe to the biological paradigm. I don't think biology can ever explain everything about human nature. I don't think it explains very much at all about human nature. I am naturally, then, skeptical about any studies regarding biology and psychology. Studies can be picked apart quite easily. Why else do research scientists have jobs?

Muff, what did I say to get such a type-lashing? I certainly didn't mean to offend you and I apologize if I did. I'm not very good at talking to girls.

 

[KillerMuffin]

You just misinterpreted what I said and that made your reply come across very condescending. Particularly with all the psychobabble tossed in. I apologize for jumping on you. Just, next time, use english, please. Pretty please.

Having experienced PMS, I have to respectfully disagree with the final thought that biology doesn't explain much about human behavior at all.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

so we disagree...'salright! makes the world a better place.

And I really don't mean to use all the psych terms...I graduate in *counting* 13 weeks...it should stop then! But maybe you could add something nice to that pretty please? (okay, it's shameless flirting - hey! it's what I do!!)

I don't like this topic either...but whatever can be done to understand and prevent this sort of behavior is a good thing.

 

[Golden]

nature or nurture?

I haven't made a particuolar study of the problem, but from my catholic reading I have understood that what most characterises sex offenders of all types is that they were victims themselves. The abused child grows up much more likely to be an abuser. Same with domestic violence: boys beaten and humiliated as children grow up more likely to beat their own wives and children.

Of course all sterotypes are just that - every rule has exceptions etc. My brother and sister and I were all abused but as far as I know all three of us grew up non-abusers.

But what it means is that we have a social problem which will take generations to resolve, and we only START to resolve it when we aggressively as a society tackle head on such domestic issues. However since in most western political environments there is great pressure on "government" or "society" not to intrude ... prevention is not easy.

 

[TonyG]

It is an offending topic

I started this thread because I was upset that another male was guilty for going after boys. I have no decent thoughts for people who commit those types of crimes yet I wanted to try to understand why it happens. I think we all have had great ideas but, as it was stated, I don't think anything can be proven. Whether we use plain English or Psych language we all seem to agree on one thing; These guys are sick in the mind and they are sickos.

Thanks everybody for offering your opinions.

 

[Weinergirl]

Lending my two cents many women when abused tend to turn inward as far as blaming themselves. They hurt themselves instead of hurting others. I'm not saying it's a rule just a lay observation.

I also wonder why it happens. I'm really into the "why" of things. I don't think that once a victim always a victim (who may or may not act out). I think behavior can be modified to varying degrees so whatever the reason -you can always do something.

Life sucks sometimes but the point is the what are you going to do now! That's a choice for the individual not their past.
just a thought...
Wg