2008-01-28 TVO/The Agenda: Rethinking Pedophilia (4/4)

A discussion, hosted by Steve Paikin, with scientist Michael Seto, psychologists James Cantor and Robin Wilson and police officer Gordon Whealy.
They talk about the latest scientific insights that pedophilia is a mental illness caused by a variation in the brain, stressing the difference between the preference it causes and the behavioral choices that are made on that preference; not every pedophile is a child molester, not even every child molester is a pedophile.
From their professional experience they plead for systems of support and accountabiltiy, counseling and monitoring to prevent recidivism or the preference to turn into detrimental behavior.
Furthermore they correct public opinion about recidicivism rates (much lower than for other crimes) and fear projected on pedophiles living in the vicinity (85% of child sex offenses are perpetrated by friends and family).

TVO website:
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/index.cfm?page_id=7&bpn=779115&a...

More background info:
http://www.tvo.org/secretlife/

© The Ontario Educational Communications Authority MMVII

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• pedophilia
• Michael Seto
• James Cantor
• Gordon Whealy
• Robin Wilson

[MeepullStewray]

Thank you for having a rational and truthful discussion about this.

I'm a pedophile and I would never hurt a child. It is a sad and unsatisfying life and I would take any other in its place.

No-one would choose this. Imagine being hated by everyone for something you cant control. Were hated irrationally like blacks once were, and gays once were.

We should get people like me help from a very young age to prevent it from getting to the point of child abduction. I'm glad i had good parents.

[popgrafix]

@MeepullStewray Thanks for sharing this. I believe a lot of people struggle with this kind of feelings in the same way as you do. It is important for society not to demonize these feelings but discuss them openly and realistically. These feelings should be acknowledged as early as possible and receive professional guidance to teach people how to cope with them to prevent damaging behavior.

[anoniem1961]

@MeepullStewray Just to let you and everybody else know, you're not alone. I'm a pedophile too, and I would like to see a solution to this problem, I don't know what, though. Fortunately, a sexual orientation is not just about a sex drive, but also about love. My love for little boys override my sexual desires, and ensure that I would never hurt them. Kinda like an HIV+ man that would abstain from his HIV- wife, because his love for her is more important than his own sexual desires.

[evyyaguibou]

@MeepullStewray Good for U. If most people had ur will, less people would get in trouble. Keep it up and stay positive.

[MeepullStewray]

@evyyaguibou I've told people about it, I've come to terms with it and I don't let it run my life. I have honestly and proudly never even thought about acting on any of my fantasies. I only wish it were so easy for all people like me. I haven't felt that I needed help from someone else to keep it under control but I can tell you that there were points in my life wen help would have been great.

[evyyaguibou]

@MeepullStewray Ur right, I'm 40 and all my adult life, I did demonize pedophiles until I saw this. I would lie if I said I now understand the illness, but I now have a different understanding and approach of it. Are u getting help? Do u even need help or do U deal with ur own demons, like most of us?

[xaltocan]

Finally a rational discussion abuot this subjekt