Not every pedophile is a rapist.

[Excited Penguin]

I'm glad that the discussion has mostly been non-hysterical. It's such a taboo subject that just talking about it is often a problem. That's the first thing that needs to change in my opinion.

If anyone gets the chance to see "The Missing" (series 1), it is a British drama which happens to touch on these issues. It is one of the few shows I've ever seen that shows any paedophile in a somewhat sympathetic light. I think it gives a good portrayal of the misery it can cause someone. I can't imagine how horrible it could be to live with a desire that you yourself most likely find morally repulsive, and one you can't tell anyone even in confidence because it's too risky.

Even though we're not all experts and it's probably still being understood even now, it seems pretty reasonable that it's not something someone can turn off. When you have a sexual urge or tendency, you can try and repress it but you can't just make it go away.

In my understanding, being a paedophile is in addition to any other more "normal" urges. It doesn't necessarily mean you're only attracted to pre-pubscents. (I find defining in terms of legal implications is pretty dumb, personally, since it's a psychological condition.)

But for those that aren't only attracted to prebuscescent kids, but also to adults, I can't see why it would even constitute a problem. They could just watch normal porn and have sex with adults. For men, especially, doesn't much matter where they get their gratification from as long as they do. So it seems to me that the real problem is with those pedophiles that are only attracted to children and to such a degree that they can't help themselves. They should either do something medical to lose their sexual appetite or seek serious psychiatric help if they have any sense of morality.