Not every pedophile is a rapist.

[Catholic_Lady]

People who are attracted to kids don't choose to be that way. Whether they are born that way, or whether they developed it due to environmental factors in their early life, or whether it's a little of both, we do not know. We only know that they do not choose to have this attraction. 

They can, however, choose not to *act* on it. Whether that be by looking at child porn, statutory rape, or full on rape, I can imagine it can't be easy to completely suppress such a strong compulsions. I don't think it is something they can do on their own without intensive psychological care, which they should seek. 

People who are attracted to children, and who, instead of acting on it, come forward to seek help instead, should be applauded for doing the difficult yet moral thing. Not shamed for an attraction they have no control over.

I agree with you. I would make one distinction though. When I've read anonymous comments from people who claim to be pedophiles not only do they not seem to have a strong urge to act on their desires but most seem to be the opposite. They're sexually attracted to children but they don't want to have sex with them because they have no desire to violate another human being or to hurt a child.

That to me is a huge distinction that people often mistakenly do not make between rapists and pedophiles. A pedophile is a person who by no choice of their own happens to be sexually attracted to children. A rapist is a person who willing robs a person of their own bodily autonomy because they wish to exert their power. I'm not saying a rapist can never be a pedophile but being a pedophile doesn't make a person a rapist. I would wager that most rapists who rape children are not pedophiles. That's just my opinion based on what I've read in the past. I don't have any evidence and I'm clearly not psychiatrist.

Good point. I'm glad to know despite their sexual attraction to children, most of them have no desire to forcefully do anything with one.