if sexual orientation is "fixed" then what of ...

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... pedophilia

"Pedophilia has been described as a disorder of sexual preference, phenomenologically similar to a heterosexual or homosexual sexual orientation because it emerges before or during puberty" [see source 1]

So, if we accept that sexual orientation is fixed, then what can be done to help these people?

sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia ... rientation

There are therapists, specialized on that topic. Just as hetero- or homosexuality, its something that cant be really "fixed". However, you can work with a therapist on increasing your willpower and similar, just as accepting your treat makes it easier for you to handle it. So someone not accepting it, is easier to come into an bad situation, and then do victim blaming afterwards. While someone being aware of the problem, can avoid dangerous situations on purpose by avoiding them. If nothing works, there is also medication, lowering your sex drive "mechanical".

Sexual orientation can't be changed, but sex drive can. Can people switch to asexuality, by eliminating their sex drive?

But certainly, accepting that you have a problem is the first step to dealing with it. It's a shame people can't be honest about struggling with such things without having to worry about being ostracised.

I don't buy it.

Most pedophiles were victims of pedophilia. Sexual attraction to children is not normal by any sense of the word.

Pedophilia (especially of pre-pubescent children) is no good, period---neither for the pedophile, nor (ESPECIALLY) for the kid.

There is a high frequency of child murders by pedophiles--partially because of fear of prosecution, ostracization, being a sex offender, etc.

There has to be intervention. Otherwise, tragedy will occur all around.

Children are just not physically or emotionally ready for anything sexual.

I think sex drive can be mostly eliminated with modern medical technology - but it has to be attacked on multiple fronts. It's not just chemicals, or just therapy, or just castration - you have to do them all if you seriously want to kill sex drive. If you only want to suppress it to the extent that the person is no longer a threat to children, then it might not require all the interventions; they will still have some traces of sex drive (and be tortured by it) but the only person suffering then is the paedophile.

If I had those inclinations I would want to do everything to wipe them out and I believe I could successfully do it. It would save me from wanting to kill myself. I sometimes feel bad enough about my sexuality as it is and I only like fully-grown adults (of both sexes) so I can imagine paedophilia would make me extremely suicidal if I had it.

Who said sexual orientation is fixed?

My sexual orientation is certainly innate, and for my own part, my orientation has not changed since puberty, but I don't pretend that my own experience is either universal or even typical. Acknowledging that sexuality is fluid does not admit of sexuality being a matter of choice.

The LGBT groups argue that sexual orientation is fixed when they argue against 'conversion therapy' (i.e., sexual orientation is fixed so conversion therapy does not work).

source, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_therapy

I would imagine the same argument would apply to a pedophilia sexual orientation as well.

Re. sexual, romantic, aesthetic attraction - I honestly don't know at what age it is usually first experienced, and towards people of what age. Certainly, it is considered normal for people to experience attraction towards 11, 12 year olds when they themselves are that age. Do 7, 8 years often experience attraction (not necessarily sexual) towards others who are the same age? If so, could pedophilia arise from that part remaining underdeveloped? Also, what causes it to shift as someone grows up - it is not common for people to still be attracted to 12 year olds when they are adults, even though it be normal when they are that young.

More research needed. It is not known, khaleesi.

My response to the question is: that that's a good question!

Ive wondered about it myself for decades.

Changing a heterosexual into a homosexual, or vice versa is practically impossible. So changing a pedophile an adultophile would presumably also be.

I just recently heard a pedophile on the radio who ran a support group for pedophiles who DONT want to act on it (ie be child moloesters). Kinda like AA. Thats the first and only time Ive ever heard of any kind of way of dealing with it.

Except, don't paedophiles have sexual orientations too? I mean, you have gay and straight paedophiles, they don't all go for children regardless of sex...

What's the current knowledge re. the origins of paedophilia? Nature, or nurture?

Correct.



I don't think anyone knows.

Note
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Nepiophilia (Infantophilia) is pedophilia but is used to refer to a sexual preference for infants and toddlers (ages 0?3 or those under age 5)

Hebephilia is defined as individuals with a primary or exclusive sexual interest in 11-14 year old pubescents

So, some of these people are ones who develop a sexual orientation towards children ages 0-3 years old exclusively. This makes me wonder how such a sexual orientation could develop.

source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia

Hebephilia is understandable, and I don't think it can really be considered a disorder - people who are pubescent are, by definition, beginning to develop the features that make them sexually attractive. I wonder if it may be due to insecurity, then - going for younger people due to a fear that they can't make it with anyone their own age? If so, then therapy might help.

Even if pedophilia is fixed and unchangeable, the fact remains, it is illegal and immoral for adults to have sexual relations with children as the latter are not yet of the age of consent.
More likely, adult pedophiles had been victims of sexual abuse as children themselves, or for whatever reason, are sexually stunted.
A friend who has gained first hand knowledge about sex offenders and drug offenders told me in fact, drug offenders have a higher rate of recidivism, and that therapy for sex offenders can be very effective - if said offender wants it to work.
Therapy for pedophiles can be effective, but so called reparative therapy (or pray the gay away) is a fraud based on homophobia. Pedophiles are confronted with their crime, that it's wrong, and luckily will discover why they have such abnormal drives. Reparative therapy for gays tries to change someone's nature by electric shocks to the genitals, and sniffing one's own feces when the gay "patient" thinks about sex with the same gender. Or in other words, one is scientifically sound, while the other is a pseudo-scientific sham.