(April 11, 2015 at 3:08 pm)Exian Wrote: I think gay people can experience distress and interpersonal difficulties, but that's more of a societal issue, and noticing and feeling negatively about their differences; not directly caused by their sexual preferences. Are there studies showing pedophilia directly causing these things? I wouldn't have a hard time believing that genetics plays a large part of pedophilia, seeing as we have sexually selected preferences for adult mates that retain younger qualities. Neoteny, I believe is the term.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topi...pedophilia
Quote:pedophilia, also spelled paedophilia, also called pedophilic disorder, psychosexual disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child of the same or opposite sex.
In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; 2013), pedophilia (pedophilic disorder) is classified as a type of paraphilia—a category of recognized disorders defined by unusual fantasies, urges, or behaviours that are recurrent and sexually arousing. According to the DSM-5, in order for pedophilia to be diagnosed clinically, such thoughts and behaviours must cause distress or interpersonal hardship to the affected individual or cause distress, injury, or death to persons who are unwilling or unable to consent to sexual behaviours.
From what I gather, it seems that the distress accompanying pedophilia is actually one of the criteria for diagnosis.