ricrisci (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

COSA is a step in the right direction, & "circles of support" have proven to be effective. At the World Congress of Sexology in Paris in 2001, Dr. Frans Gieles reported their effectiveness in his paper, "Helping People with Pedophilic Feelings." Read it at helping-people. info/background. htmYou make a good point about the conflation of the different terms, done purposely by mainstream media IMHO, of "pedophilia" & "child molestor." B4uAct addresses the need to change the language we use.

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

COSA is a Canadian-based organization that works with pedophile/ephibophiles.Something the public doesn't seem to get is that pedophile is not "child molestor" it descirbes someone with a primary sexual attraction to prepubesence, not someone who molests children.We don't know how common it is but some research suggests it is quite common. Nothing definitive though.

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It's just one aspect of the issue. Something which people will discuss in such a debate. I have prepared my opinions (to-date) of the subject and pre-emptively expressing them.

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Ok, your first statement is probably true. But what I'm refering to is: Brain response to visual sexual stimuli in homosexual pedophilesBoris Schiffer, PhD, Tillmann Krueger, MD, Thomas Paul, MD, Armin de Greiff, MSc, Michael Forsting, MD, Norbert Leygraf, MD, Manfred Schedlowski, PhD, and Elke Gizewski, MDIt may not be supportive of "vampire" theory but some other rational explanation. I personally will never accept "choice" as a valid explanation for any action, unless it is a metaphor

ricrisci (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Rybot9000, with this I absolutely agree. In fact, b4uact. org is a website devoted exactly to bringing together minor-attracted people and mental health professionals for that very much needed dialogue which you mention.I urge anyone interested to visit that website for more information.

ricrisci (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Why are you fixated on an age of consent? It is totally unnecessary. Without them, we would still have forcible rape laws which could protect people of ANY age from coercive sexual advances. And teens and their lovers would be protected from miscarriages of justice.You are right that any such AOC would be arbitrary, or "magical" in that a sex act before midnight of one's birthday would be a horrible crime, while afew minutes later a supremely loving act. It is simply bizarre.

ricrisci (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Not only are there are no known MRI patterns "consistent with early childhood sexual abuse," the hypothesis that early sex abuse causes one to become an abuser, known in the literature as the "abused abuser" hypothesis and informally as the "vampire" hypothesis, has been shown to be invalid.Read Garland & Dougher, "The abused/abuser hypothesis of child sexual abuse: A critical review of theory and research," in Feierman, J. (ed.), Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions, New York: Springer-Verlag

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It would seem the first place to start is an open and honest dialog between members of society.

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I think what is in order is a practical evaluation of the data. We are at a loss for basing our AOC on objective measures unless we settle for something like 25 or 7. What we can do is look at the efficacy of different ages and enforcement. It is notoriously difficult to prevent adolescence from engaging in sex with adults (ephibophiles). So increasing the AOC will undoubtedly prove more problematic. The question remains whether reducing the AOC will be more socially efficient in reduction.

Rybot9000 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Whie I tend to agree that young humans should be protected from sexual persuasion. I also cannot ommit the fact that some adult individuals primary sexual attraction is towards prepubesence. MRI studies of homosexual pedophiles also reveals brain activation patterns consistent with early childhood sexual abuse. I don't think the most efficient solution to this matter is through conflict. Hence picketing, harassing and threatening are not optimal solutions.