
There is no cure for Paedophila
Jaycee Lee Dugard was found this week. After going missing for 18 years, Jaycee now a 29 year old woman, was reunited with her family. Jaycee had been kidnapped when she was 11 years old and kept by a man and a woman. She had been raped and had mothered two children. Her rapist and captor was a convicted sex offender. No one can imagine what may have been going through the mind of the 11 year old girl. To survive Jaycee would have had to adapt to her captors needs. Jaycee has been learning for the last 18 years to adapt to someone else’s requirements and demands.
Do Paedophiles have a hard rap? Or is society too lenient on them.
There are special groups in the United States and a subterranean world that believes ‘sex before 8 is great’
Sex with young men was thought as acceptable in Rome and Greece. The love of children sexually was thought as the highest form of love.
Paedophiles have had many treatment programmes created for them.
What is interesting is that it is assumed there is a cure for paedophilia. Unfortunately there is no cure for paedophilia.
It can be managed but not cured. Even physical castration is not a cure. Chemical castration is not certain either. It makes sense that castration would be a cure but look at male dogs that have been castrated. They still have their old habits and learned behaviours within them. They still mount other dogs and play sexually with other dogs even after years of castration. Our sexual nature is very deep within us and our brain is our main sex organ. All sexual offenders should be monitored even more closely. Paedophiles, until we are completely sure should not be released into society. There is talk about rates of re-offending and recidivism but the truth is they really do not know.
The profile of the paedophile is usually male and of high intelligence. They are articulate and able to explain themselves with clarity. They easily learn how to manipulate the system and are able to sound like they are ‘cured’ and have changed. But our sexual preferences are very much fixed. When someone likes sex with a woman they like sex with a woman. Hence it follows when they like sex with a child they like sex with a child. We cannot just change our preferences. The experiments of John Money with gender in the 1960’s and his failure to change the sexual preferences of an individual based on surgical procedures was unsuccessful.
I will leave you with what one convicted paedophile told a group in therapy
‘I wish I were an alcoholic. At least as an alcoholic I could be more accepted. I would rather see bottles of alcohol. Instead I see children.’
© 2009 Y
Simply put, there is no similarity between alcoholism and pedophilia. The Economist a couple of weeks ago had a very good article the subject of sex offenders.
Hi, thank you for your comment.
The individual in my article was referring to his obsession with children and how he would love to have an obsession that was easier to manage and control. The obsession is there but alcoholism can be managed more easily and we all know alcoholics who are no longer alcoholics. The article in the economist was referring to lower level offences and people who were committing them as being undeserving of the labels with being sentenced as a sex offender. In that case it is understandable. On another level, it was an article which is unaware there is no cure for paedophilia. In the case of Paedophiles, it is best assumed there is no hope unless we as a society do not mind putting children at risk and this normally means female children. There tends to be a larger public outcry against offenders who commit crimes against male children then there are against female children. If there is a cure out there – I would love to know of one and of any research on the area on a way forward. I welcome comments and thoughts.
Your blog is really interesting – lots of different topics and you express yourself really well. Keep it up!
Very interesting to read your take on this story, Yasmin.
pskillings….Thanks for looking at it…..
Lucie, Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated 🙂
WOW. This post is quite provacative. I’ve been watching the Jaycee events on TV, but your post really made me think. Great job!