Sexual Deviance: What causes Pedophilia
Written by Mariam Feleyeh
Edited by Jasmine Jeon
January 5, 2023
Edited by Jasmine Jeon
January 5, 2023
For the last few centuries, Pedophilia has long been a source of interest for behavioral psychologists, forensic experts, and the general public. According to scientists, pedophilia is “the abnormal attraction to children by an adult for sexual purposes.”
Because of its nature, it is highly stigmatized to admit one's attraction to children. Behavioral scientists and forensic experts alike are curious about the act of pedophilic sexual deviance. It is debated in the scientific community if pedophilia is a genetic disorder and individuals are not to blame for their pedophilic attraction, or if pedophilia is a result of outside stressors. In a study conducted by the Central Institute of Mental Health, NIMH, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory, ten convicted pedophiles alongside ten control heterosexual males were placed in a matched pairs experiment. FRMI brain imaging along with the self-assessment manikin (SAM) were used to assess the relationship between pedophilic sexual deviance and the brain. The experiment exposed both groups to computer simulated images of girls, women, boys, and men. The FMRI then took pictures of both groups' brain activity, with scientists using the SAM to ask both groups a series of questions regarding their attraction to the images.
Scientists found that the convicted pedophiles had much more active amygdala activation. The amygdala is a part of the left side of the brain and is responsible for controlling and recognizing threatening or fearful emotions. Scientists determined this could be for two reasons. The first reason was that the pedophiles in the experiment were fearful of their attraction to prepubescent boys, especially since it was correlated to their incarceration and conviction. Another reason could be because pedophiles were so strongly attracted to young boys, the amygdala was triggered because of the desire pedophiles displayed. The control group of heterosexual males did not show abnormal levels of amygdala activity.
The scientists concluded that this research indicates that there may be a link between pedophiles and a reduced neural-mechanism in the brain that prevents attraction to young children, but need more evidence. Overall, it is hopeful that science is getting closer to understanding pedophilic sexual deviation and providing a solution.
Image Source: “Diagram showing the lobes of the brain” by Cancer Research UK licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0