General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMoore suffers not from Pedophilia but Ephebophilia
So far as we know at least
Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.
Ephebophilia is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19.
hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)Maybe the 16 and 17 yo looked YOUNGER. Regardless, we are lucky if his ignorant constituents know the term pedophile. they surely will not know the term EPHEBOPHILE.
delisen
(6,044 posts)But is he actually or was he ever a danger to prepubescent children ?
hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)Are you defending sexual conquest of a 13 yo first cousin TODAY?
delisen
(6,044 posts)non-authoraritarian society raising issues and discussing them is a responsibility of citizenship.
You have made a factual error. Myra Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis are third cousins, not first cousins
A person whose closest common ancestor with another person is a great-great-grandparent.
hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)"first cousin once removed"
I'm not his genealogist and quite frankly could not care less whether she was his first cousin or a total stranger. It really is immaterial, but interesting that you focus on THAT and not her non-consenting age.
delisen
(6,044 posts)reasoned opinion to offer rather than personal attack,let me know and I will be glad to converse as equals, in a framework of mutual respect.
Many things are "reported," many of these are not facts. Therefore I fact check because discussions built on alternative facts are a waste of time to me.
hlthe2b
(102,292 posts)quite appropriately that sexual contact with a 13 year old is both illegal and socially unacceptable IN THIS TIME.
I don't condone pedophilia-- even while I accept that the practice was once "accepted", especially under the guise of "RELIGION". So too were many really horrific sexual practices. If you want to have a "devil's advocate" debate on that, do so with someone else. It repulses me far too much, even among those who maintain they are not defending it, while they argue its appropriateness under other circumstances.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)Sneederbunk
(14,291 posts)HAB911
(8,904 posts)Little Star
(17,055 posts)the bible thumpers in Alabama? lol
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)How exactly does he suffer? He has used his power to manipulate and exploit women whose youth probably made it easy. Apparently that creepy pattern has brought him some satisfaction with no negative consequences until now. He has had some professional success that led to a prestigious position as a judge, and is one his way to becoming a US senator.
HAB911
(8,904 posts)a pedophilic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)This man has satisfied himself, and has been living a long and successful life. Psychological disorders create personal and social dysfuntion that cause a person emotional pain. His leanings did not destroy his marriage, land him in jail, and he didn't lose his professional or social standing. If he has experienced pain because he knew it was wrong but did it anyway, it is strange that it hasn't kicked in and led him to crawl away in shame.
It may be listed as a pathological condition, but he does not appear to be suffering because of it.
I see little difference between him and sexual predators who use their power differential to sexually exploit women.
unblock
(52,253 posts)Paraphilia covers these but is overly broad as it also covers all kinds of fetishes.
Like it or not, we seem to be settling on using "pedophilia" for this purpose, even if psychiatrists use it more narrowly.
Codeine
(25,586 posts)I'm okay with either
unblock
(52,253 posts)A molester's victims could be adults. Same goes for a pervert. In fact, pervert could even apply where there is consent or no other person at all.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)I'm sure psychiatrists feel there is some importance in doing so, but for us lay people it shouldn't matter.
I guess this is an example of true pedophilia: Man filmed himself repeatedly sexually abusing three-year-old
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/man-filmed-himself-repeatedly-sexually-13706834
I feel like the only way shrinks can deal with these acts is to label them and remove themselves emotionally. We should not do that.
unblock
(52,253 posts)I have no problem with psychiatrists making a distinction if it helps treatment and do on.
But for the rest of us, I agree that there's little value in drawing such lines as they're all unethical and, for most of that age range, illegal.
delisen
(6,044 posts)in confusing sexual attraction toward prepubescent children with, for example, sexual attraction between two teenagers who are possibly just a few years apart in age.
Yet both may be placed on a sex offender registry for life-even though one is no danger to children or society.
unblock
(52,253 posts)in particular, the sex offender registry lumps together even more largely unrelated problems.
a couple caught on a security camera having sex in the back of a car in a secluded parking lot is quite different from someone who stalks playgrounds looking for victims.
also, as you note the statutory rape laws are problematic in the over-reliance on the concept that the ability to give legal consent depends on a fairly artificial chronological age. a minor couple can legally have sex, and the same couple can legally have sex after both have reached the age of consent, but there might be a gap of as little as a single day where one is of age and the other is not. it seems a bit silly that sex the day before is legal and sex the day after is legal but the same act on that one specific day would be considered a felony.
in practice there's a role for prosecutorial discretion and an actual trial and judgment on a case-by-case basis.
lastlib
(23,248 posts)Covers anything under legal age.
"Serial Statutory Rapist". "Ted Nugent Disease", anyone?
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)The nomenclature is not particularly relevant to whether this sort of behavior is acceptable for persons aspiring to be US Senators.
There is no indication that, whatever you might call it, he has "suffered" from it in the least.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)HAB911
(8,904 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)SandyZ
(186 posts)blogslut
(38,002 posts)Note how Moore claimed he "asked their mothers" for permission to "date" some of the girls?
To me this signifies that he sought out girls with absent fathers because that means there would be no male parent to confront. Textbook predatory behavior.
sarisataka
(18,663 posts)so I don't need to split hairs. "Child molester" works for me.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)HAB911
(8,904 posts)tells CNN: It was common knowledge that Roy dated high school girls, everyone we knew thought it was weird...We wondered why someone his age would hang out at high school football games and the mall..."
Link to tweet
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)And some will be, I'm sure. Watch for further revelations next week about Moore. He's toast.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)moriah
(8,311 posts)... a person likes to molest to older children who still can't give consent or appreciate the consequences of their behavior and may be unduly influenced because of the power differential...
They are still a child molester.
And while I do think people who have an exclusive attraction to prepubescent children have been dealt a rough lot with whatever is wrong with their brains and/or personality development, if they act on it they have moved to *causing* suffering.
We need to be emulating European countries that are attempting to give people who have yet to molest a child access to cognitive behavioral therapy and shrink-led support groups to learn strategies to keep from offending. Whether that's deciding to not date people with kids, not let children who are naturally cuddly kids cuddle on you but say your knee got hurt or something, etc. Right now any "treatment" is only getting to people who have crossed the line. And there may not be much coming back once a person has decided to cross that moral line.
LeftInTX
(25,380 posts)He probably was immature, a jerk, lacked self confidence etc
I dated a few Roy Moores when I was in high school. They did seem to prey on vulnerabilities. Sometimes I wouldn't fit in at events and these guys made the move then. The relationships were not healthy and I would dump the guy after a few dates.
My mom was mentally ill and for some reason she encouraged these relationships. (These guys were in their early 20s and not their 30s) They weren't "wild" like my peers. She liked the fact that these older guys were "settled down".
Roy Moore will never admit to this.
Wounded Bear
(58,670 posts)Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)Hes an ffffing CHILD molester
Hes made children suffer
Lord knows how many others
They probably will stay hidden now
May he rot forever in some putrid hellhole
Along with all who excuse him, for whatever reason
Monsters all
Dave Starsky
(5,914 posts)That's what they would call him in prison, which is where he belongs.