# WHY are psome people sexually aroused by children? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967 "2011-10-08T02:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/81 "2016-06-10T02:12:59Z")
I think I know the answer to why the “good” ones can be so bad. Taboo. They hate society and themselves in a cyclical fashion. (That is just one example of what could fuel a taboo) You have a pastor who KNOWS what evil is academically/technically. He sees it ALL OVER society (cause it is of course) and views himself as an elevated pure person, this is in contrast to the GOOD kind of pastor/priest : a pastor who loves society, realizes it is wrought with evil and dives in with compassion and real effort…gets it all over him, suffers, DOES the work. THIS pastor is almost immune to deviancy cause he is face to face with pain pain pain all day. The bad pastor/priest w/e is some kind of self deluded person, lazy, afraid. They know they can seem holy if they make everyone around them out to be evil. contrast. They point at it, yet deep down nothing happens so they “point harder and harder” and tries more and more to look different by contrast till it becomes an internally overwhelming problem. They have to make a choice. Realize nearly ALL they hold as good is hollow or weak, OR…That what is good in the eyes of society (the society they have demonized and spent their minds hating) isnt necessarily good. THEY are good. cause they arent society its all downhill from there. and since the thing this backwards priest does to be holy involves little to no compassion, they become detatched. at this point it could be a few different things that make them touch kids…or make them turn into westboro baptist church, or someone who bombs an abortion clinic, or just is the old woman in the house who wears a cross and mutters magic words while she lives in fear of all the sinners out there. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/82 "2016-06-10T02:15:06Z")
How many people who are sexually attracted to children are ONLY attracted to children? ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/83 "2016-06-10T02:17:39Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Do you just search the internet for debates on pedophilia? You realize no one has participated in this thread for over 5 years. Multiple people no longer even participate here. The person you quoted can’t even respond if he wanted to. > > You chose this thread as your inspiration to join this board so you can play devil’s advocate? I don’t expect your stay to be very long. Are you … serious? Tell me why it matters how old THIS thread is? Tell me why you think it is bad to join a thread to speak your opinion. Tell me why you would think i search the internet for debates on pedophilia. This is the first time ive ever gotten on and posted about it. Literally EVERYTHING you said is wrong, pointless, hypocritical. Please. Keep it up. I love the contrast. ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/84 "2016-06-10T02:20:40Z")
The person COULDNT respond? state your evidence? you mean they CHOSE to stop receiving notifications? And nearly all these things are my problem. What is yours? Your like a little internet fascist arent you. Seriously? Debate or get off the pot you whiney half wit. ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/85 "2016-06-10T02:31:18Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > How many people who are sexually attracted to children are ONLY attracted to children? Good question. I know a lot of them have wives they are sexually attracted to and love…normal lives. Most child molestation is also incest right? As for characterizing those only attracted to children…i feel like theyd be as many or slightly fewer. good question sir. I got a good question to go with that i think. How many causes of only being attracted to children are there? As in, how many distinct mental disorders or manias could result in that? OR how wide is the spectrum of disorder… ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/86 "2016-06-10T02:39:32Z")
> [@wrokro](#): > > The person COULDNT respond? state your evidence? you mean they CHOSE to stop receiving notifications? > > And nearly all these things are my problem. > > What is yours? Your like a little internet fascist arent you. > > Seriously? Debate or get off the pot you whiney half wit. This should be good. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/87 "2016-06-10T03:06:45Z")
> [@wrokro](#): > > Are you … serious? Yes. > [@](#): > > Tell me why it matters how old THIS thread is? This board has rules and guidelines. Before participating you should read them. Pay attention to the part about resurrecting old threads > [@](#): > > Tell me why you think it is bad to join a thread to speak your opinion. You can express your own opinion all you want provided you follow the rules. Don’t expect people to be supportive of your opinion. > [@](#): > > Tell me why you would think i search the internet for debates on pedophilia. This is the first time ive ever gotten on and posted about it. I’m curious how you came across this particular thread. This board has thousands of threads covering countless topics. I want to know why you chose to introduce yourself to this board with this particular topic? > [@](#): > > Literally EVERYTHING you said is wrong, pointless, hypocritical. > > Please. Keep it up. I love the contrast. I didn’t miss use the word literally so I have that going for me. > [@](#): > > The person COULDNT respond? state your evidence? you mean they CHOSE to stop receiving notifications? Is your browser working correctly? Do you know what the word ‘suspended’ means? > [@](#): > > And nearly all these things are my problem. I’m not going to argue you don’t have problems. > [@](#): > > What is yours? I don’t really have a problem. I figured I’d give you some information on the thread before you made a fool of yourself. > [@](#): > > Your like a little internet fascist arent you. > > Seriously? Debate or get off the pot you whiney half wit. Those rules I mentioned you may want to read them. Take a look at ‘personal attacks.’ ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/88 "2016-06-10T03:06:54Z")
There seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread about what a pedophile actually is. Being sexually attracted to a post-pubescent person (11 to 12 ish) is not pedophilia; it’s the people who are sexually attracted to children under the age of 11 or so who are pedophiles. I suspect there is a wide variation in why. Some are into power. Some have developed a fetish for a particular look and age. Some are just into opportunity-it’s easier to rape a helpless child than an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/89 "2016-06-10T03:44:51Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > There seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread about what a pedophile actually is. Being sexually attracted to a post-pubescent person (11 to 12 ish) is not pedophilia; it’s the people who are sexually attracted to children under the age of 11 or so who are pedophiles. I was going to say this, because there is a big difference. In some senses it doesn’t matter for the purposes of the OP; we label both “pedos” in normal conversation, and _To Catch a Predator_ mostly goes after guys that are attracted to teens (I think…never actually watched the show). But in terms of the answer I would say it does. If we’re just talking physical attraction then many of the things that men find attractive are tied to youth. Women’s secondary sexual characteristics also kick in pretty early. Meanwhile while women prefer youth in men in some senses: youthful skin, muscle tone etc, they are also attracted to features that kick in later and status, confidence etc (which often takes a while to build) What I’m saying with all this is that to some degree it’s “normal” for men to occasionally find girls close to the age of consent attractive (without condoning men who actually act on that attraction), while being attracted to children does simply appear to be a pathology. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/90 "2016-06-10T06:36:40Z")
> [@wrokro](#): > > Literally EVERYTHING you said is wrong, pointless, hypocritical. Do you own a mirror? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/91 "2016-06-10T08:45:43Z")
> [@wrokro](#): > > i mean…when you go to the bar and you see some ditzy party girl yelling yolo drunk off her ass complaining about stupid shit and acting slutty…its easy to see. > > women grow up and most of them turn less mature imo. when you loose the kindness, playful innocence and become “real” and “down to earth” you are just getting more complicated and giving up on ideals and beauty. not cause they are impossible. cause we want too much BS. …Whoa. That’s more than a little bit messed up. ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/92 "2016-06-10T14:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > You can express your own opinion all you want provided you follow the rules. Don’t expect people to be supportive of your opinion. I dont. Nor have I indicated that I expect that. You seem to be pretty hung up on technicalities. The way i found this post was i was talking with a friend about the definition of sick in terms of sexual deviancy. i read the discussion and had a lot to say about it. thats what google is. it is a search engine where you can type in something and it displays these things called results and you click them and…well…just google google. > [@](#): > > I didn’t miss use the word literally so I have that going for me. Have what going for you? You knew what I meant. The meaning of a word is in communication not some dusty dictionary. I could form an entire sentence out of websters dictionary that no one would understand using old words, it doesnt matter one single bit. I apologize for the attack. There was just not a bit of topical substance in that first message that couldnt have been in a pm. I got mad. I am not very familiar with forums in general. I do not know to look up rules. I dont “know” to look at avatars or the area around them. It is very prohibitive in my opinion to do so. This is probably why a lot of elderly people dont use the internet. I bet some will try only to have some angry lonely technicality thumping moderator piss all over them. Its not like im logging on and saying the n word over and over and over. i added my opinion and other people have come back and added theirs. we now have updated a 5 year discussion i see that as a good thing. you are right, i should have realized he was suspended and not addressed or quoted him at all. that is unfair. Point taken. I dont understand though - the fact someone hasnt responded to a post in a long time doesnt mean someone wont see it and add to it. Content is king. Im sure that rule has a purpose with a smaller footprint than the way it is applied and im guessing i didnt kill any babies with my comments. Im not trying to be disrespectful. Arbitrary rules and technicalities slow the world down though imo. ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/93 "2016-06-10T14:38:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by wrokro View Post > i mean…when you go to the bar and you see some ditzy party girl yelling yolo drunk off her ass complaining about stupid shit and acting slutty…its easy to see. > > women grow up and most of them turn less mature imo. when you loose the kindness, playful innocence and become “real” and “down to earth” you are just getting more complicated and giving up on ideals and beauty. not cause they are impossible. cause we want too much BS. > …Whoa. That’s more than a little bit messed up. I dont mean its easy to see why people should have sex with or be attracted to kids. I mean im just surprised that there arent a lot of people who see how someone would at least prefer the company of children to that of the overly materialistic or scatterbrained. Even if you chalk it up to the innocence of not having to work. Id still rather talk about jobs and work than football or drama. people should enjoy their jobs anyway. ---
**Author:** ![wrokro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2bfe46/32.png) [@wrokro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wrokro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/94 "2016-06-10T14:42:51Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by wrokro View Post Literally EVERYTHING you said is wrong, pointless, hypocritical. > [@panache45](#): > > Do you own a mirror? ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/95 "2016-06-10T16:10:23Z")
> [@IAmError403](#): > > I don’t think pedophiles WANT to be pedophiles myself. If we just had a commercial on TV that would recommend those attracted to children receive free and anonymous counselling I think our children would be safer. > > There are many people who voluntarily check themselves into mental institutions for help. Even though they know they will lose control over their fate once they enter. Some people are pretty much in there for life once they enter because their is no cure for their conditions. > > Possibly there are pedophiles who do this, but perhaps we should be more proactive about offering help to them. Of course if it was a free service it would be more appealing. If we’re willing to pay taxes to put in jail, I’m not sure why we would be against getting taxed to put them in an institution where they will get real help. > > I think in about 20 years we will have cures for many mental illnesses. Possibly using nanobots to change neural pathways. We will also probably be able to detect them with simple brain scans and blood tests. Then this will be a non-issue. I always figured that, for every person who has committed a pedophiliac act on a child, there are probably ten others out there with similar desires, but much better self-control. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/96 "2016-06-10T17:59:19Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I always figured that, for every person who has committed a pedophiliac act on a child, there are probably ten others out there with similar desires, but much better self-control. IIRC, a stand-up comic once said, picture a regular guy holding down a mundane job: he’s maybe thinking, _I’d sure like to buy the Elephant Man’s bones, and sip tea with my pet chimp, and have kids sleep over at the amusement park that’d be my home,_ but we’d never _know_, because – well, he _can’t_, so it never comes up. Say he’s exactly as Michael-Jackson-y as Michael Jackson was; what would he suddenly _do,_ in bed, during an innocuous sleepover at his amusement-park home? That’s a trick question; he doesn’t have an amusement-park home, and parents wouldn’t okay the sleepover; he’ll never ‘innocuously’ be in bed with a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/97 "2016-06-10T19:48:28Z")
> [@wrokro](#): > > The person COULDNT respond? state your evidence? you mean they CHOSE to stop receiving notifications? > > And nearly all these things are my problem. > > What is yours? Your like a little internet fascist arent you. > > Seriously? Debate or get off the pot you whiney half wit. wrokro, I’m going to welcome you to the Straight Dope Message Board. I hope you enjoy your stay. Unfortunately, you seem overly aggressive and belittling of other posters. It is our rule that insults are not allowed against others here on the SDMB - except in the BBQ Pit where other rules may apply - and you’re making some real insults. I’m giving you a warning for this and encourage you to stop, read our rules, and become a member of our community. There’s a lot to be gained from participating here and I hope you do so. ---
**Author:** ![cid\_arthur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@cid\_arthur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cid_arthur)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/98 "2016-06-10T20:04:51Z")
> [@IAmError403](#): > > I don’t get this. > > I don’t think it’s mechanically harder to rape a boy (if it’s an older woman). I think it’s MUCH easier. I believe the average male adolescent is much more curious about sex than a female. I am not sure how sexual orientation affects it, but certainly a woman would have an easier time seducing a young boy. > > Keep in mind, I am not saying I don’t think it’s gross or wrong (perhaps I have given the impression that I would be accepting of it). I just don’t think there is any trauma. I am almost certain most boys would consider it to be something to boast about (even later in their life). > > This is completely untrue in the case of the girl. > > My question is: should it be this way? I personally don’t even want to think of it, but imagine a girl talking a way a boy might. If she spoke of her sexual conquests as an adolescent it would seem quite out of place wouldn’t it? If a man talked about how he had sex with his teacher when he was 14, suddenly I am not quite as disgusted. Probably because the person boasting about it views it as something positive. > > But a female could NEVER look at her sexual experiences as a child in a positive light. > > Perhaps it has more to do with the intentions of the adult involved. Maybe I see encounters with females to be less malicious. i would posit that there’s harm done to victims of child sex abuse of both sexes. i’m just makiing this up without as much as anecdotal evidence to back it up, but that’s how it feels. if the measure of mental health is adjustment to the culture that says it’s okay to have sex as a child if you’re male then i can’t see a way to tell what harm it might be doing. maybe we should start putting pressure on young girls to lose their virginities as early as boys are expected to, then we can measure the differences better ---
**Author:** ![cid\_arthur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@cid\_arthur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cid_arthur)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/99 "2016-06-10T20:10:39Z")
here’s what i think and i’m a complete ignoramus but information’s democratic now- it’s a paraphilia like other paraphilias, you built your brain wrong, attraction to feet is such a common paraphilia because in the homunculus in your head the genitals are close to the feet, unless i’m making this up. maybe it’s a short circuit, a loose wire’s gotten reconnected in the wrong place and now children are put in the ‘sexy’ file in their brains. this is in the case of people who are attracted to children, who aren’t necessarily the same people who abuse children, there are other unrelated reasons why that happens. mental disorders, but of different kinds. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967/100 "2016-06-10T20:29:10Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > There was a time when pre-marital sex was _very_ rare for women My comment is definitely a topic for another thread, but i’ve never bought that. At least not the “very” part. At the end of the day biology wins. I find it hard to believe that aside from a few outliers, most people dont reach age 19 or 20 without having sex. Regardless of societal or religious pressures. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-psome-people-sexually-aroused-by-children/598967.md?page=6)