Pedophilia Brain Defect

[brewer]

Right temporal lobe pole and right amygdala, less of gray matter volume.
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Brains of Individuals with Pedophilic Disorder

Joel Yager, MD: Schiffer B et al. Transl Psychiatry 2017 May 16.

Individuals with histories of sexual offenses against children, but not those with pedophilic interests alone, show small gray-matter volumes in the right temporal pole.

DSM-5 distinguishes individuals with “pedophilic sexual interests” (who have pedophilic impulses and fantasies that do not impair them and who have never acted on their impulses) from those having “pedophilic disorder” (who have acted on their impulses or are otherwise impaired). Investigators in Germany examined brain-imaging differences between these groups in a convenience sample recruited from e-mail lists and online advertising.

Participants were 58 sexually offending pedophiles (victims' mean age, 8 years), 60 pedophiles with no contact offenses, and 101 nonoffending men attracted only to mature adults. All completed structured clinical interviews and other assessments.

Analyses controlled for age, education, IQ, sexual orientation, drug misuse/dependence, other Axis I or II disorders, and criminality. On magnetic resonance imaging, whole-brain gray-matter volumes did not differ between the nonoffending-pedophilia and healthy-control groups. However, significant differences were seen between nonoffending and offending pedophiles, with the latter showing lower mean gray-matter volume in the right temporal pole. The degree of decreased volume in this area correlated with heightened risk for future offenses (based on screening scores). Other areas (e.g., in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) showed no significant differences. Post hoc analyses showed significant gray-matter volume reductions specifically in the right amygdala, only in comparisons of pedophiles attracted to boys and healthy controls attracted to women.

COMMENT

This study is the first to show structural brain differences between offending and nonoffending pedophilic men but no differences between individuals with pedophilic interests and healthy controls. Affected areas have been associated with empathy, social and sexual cueing, and behavioral inhibition. If confirmed in larger studies, these findings will raise numerous developmental, therapeutic, and forensic questions.

[Shell B]

It would make sense that there would be an impulse control problem. I wouldn't be surprised if some other forms of rapists have the same sort of issue. Still, not an excuse by any means. If you have an impulse control problem, it's your responsibility to tell someone who can hopefully help.

[Jehanne]

From what I have read, sexuality is something that is hard-wired, and hence, people cannot help who they are attracted to.  But, still, acting upon those impulses is where the line is drawn, but if someone is in their basement not bothering anyone, should they be a target of law enforcement?

[Shell B]

As long as they're not in their basement with a child or child porn, then obviously not. A thought is not a crime or we'd all be guilty of rape.

[Mr.Obvious]

@Jehanne , whatever anyone spanks the monkey or strokes the clam to is none of my business, as long as it doesn't involve in any way, shape or form people that don't give consent or are inable to give consent.

Regarding OP, If it is a brain-deficiency, finding it is the first step to curing it. Though this could get us in different troublesome moral waters.

[Jehanne]

As long as they're not in their basement with a child or child porn, then obviously not. A thought is not a crime or we'd all be guilty of rape.

Well, that's the point; even if you are alone in your basement with an Etch 'N Sketch, you could be guilty of underage pornography just by making drawings, under the Law, that is.

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@Jehanne , whatever anyone spanks the monkey or strokes the clam to is none of my business, as long as it doesn't involve in any way, shape or form people that don't give consent or are inable to give consent.

Regarding OP, If it is a brain-deficiency, finding it is the first step to curing it. Though this could get us in different troublesome moral waters.

Oh, I agree, but the point is that society used to classify homosexuality as being a deviance, also, along with transgenders, transsexuals, etc.

[Angrboda]

This sounds like bad news for the hopes of treatment for offendors.

[Shell B]

I mean, it depends. Neurological disorders are quite hard to treat, so there is that. However, if this is a cause, which I'm not sure it is, at least they have something to work with. That said, I'm not very sure I care about the treatment of offenders. Once you have offended, you should be incarcerated and never allowed near children again. However, I do care about the treatment of non-offending pedophiles, both for themselves and for potential future victims.

Jehanne, I will not put homosexuality and pedophilia in the same category. It's good that society classes pedophilia as a deviance. Even pedophiles who do not offend know it's fucked up. They would have to rape the people they are attracted to by default. That's not the same as homosexuality on any level.

[Jehanne]

I mean, it depends. Neurological disorders are quite hard to treat, so there is that. However, if this is a cause, which I'm not sure it is, at least they have something to work with. That said, I'm not very sure I care about the treatment of offenders. Once you have offended, you should be incarcerated and never allowed near children again. However, I do care about the treatment of non-offending pedophiles, both for themselves and for potential future victims.

Jehanne, I will not put homosexuality and pedophilia in the same category. It's good that society classes pedophilia as a deviance. Even pedophiles who do not offend know it's fucked up. They would have to rape the people they are attracted to by default. That's not the same as homosexuality on any level.

My claim is that society, even the Academy, used to view homosexual tendencies as being a neurological disorder that was listed as such on the DSM into the 1970s.

[Shell B]

It was listed as a mental disorder, if I'm not mistaken. Psychological and neurological problems are different. For me, it's unimportant what society thinks. Science is what really decides whether there is a disorder or a person is just a sick fuck.