Pedophilia

Pedophilia is a disorder in which an adult shows a strong and consistent preference to engage in sexual relationships with a prepubescent child younger than 13 years of age. The person with pedophilia must be at least 16 years of age and at least five years older than the child (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition [DSM-IV], 1994). Persons with pedophilia may be exclusive, that is only sexually attracted to children, or nonexclusive, where they are sometimes attracted to adults. Some restrict their interactions to children of their own gender, while others are attracted to children of both genders. Incidence reports about the disorder vary widely across studies and reflect a number of differences in its operational definition. Approximately 0.1% of men ...