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Pedophile Definition:
Popular VS Professional Terminology

Want the pedophile definition? Be careful who you ask. Some will say "he's a child molester." Others will say "he's an innocent victim of sexual abuse in his childhood." Who is right? Maybe both... maybe neither.

Did you know that not all pedophiles are adults? Did you know pedophilia is technically a disease, not a crime?

Be careful here. Technically, he may be one thing - but in reality he is another.

A Pedophile in 5 Words or Less:

Someone sexually attracted to kids.

Spell Pedophile... Or Is It Paedophile?

Let's clear up one common question: how do you spell it? Common misspellings are “pedifile”, “pedofile”, “pediphile”, and “pedaphile”.

The correct spelling depends on where you live.

English-speaking European countries use the spelling “paedophile”. English-speaking North Americans delete the “a” and spell it “pedophile”.

All spellings (pedophile, pedophiles, paedophile, paedophiles) identify the two-faced child predator that often goes undiscovered until too late.

Pedophiles may claim innocence, but don't be fooled. Most will use child pornography and other explicit material to feed their addiction. And feeding this hunger only fuels more child exploitation.

Psychological Pedophile Definition:

Most pedophiles never see a psychiatrist, although it is a real diagnosable illness. Pedophilia is a psychological disorder that occurs when someone turns to children for sexual pleasure.

Most instances are found in adults, although older teens can also have the disease.

Teenagers must be at least 5 years older than their would-be victims to meet the criteria of the diagnosis. Most teenage pedophiles were victims of sexual abuse in their early childhood.

Actually, most adult pedophiles were molested as children also. This shows a level of "recidivism" (or "lapsing into an old state of being").

>>Side Note here... not every molested child grows up to be a pedophile, just so you know.

Old experiences and new fantasies haunt pedophiles time and again throughout their adult lives. These obsessions interfere with the pedophile’s ability to work well, socialize, and have healthy adult relationships.

To be officially diagnosed, a person must…

1) have repeated urges to be sexually involved with a child,

2) fantasize to the point that relationships with other adults are damaged or destroyed, and

3) be so obsessed that the person can't function well in society anymore.

Textbook Pedophile Definition:

A pedophile is any person - adult or child - that fantasizes about sexual activities with a minor.

Legally, a minor is anyone under the age of 18 years, although most medical dictionaries define a pedophile's target as a prepubescent child or younger.

Most of these “child lovers” claim they have never touched a child. But convicted pedophiles will tell you about the hundreds of children they molested before they were ever caught or even suspected.

Each pedophile has a "favorite flavor". Some pedophiles prefer older youth, some small children, and others prefer prepubescent kids right around the age of 12.

Acting on these fantasies is illegal, whether it is physical molestation or just possessing child porn. The crime can even be as simple as looking at materials portraying "inappropriate sexual contact" with kids (by the way, this "contact" doesn’t have to be physical).

Pedophiles are only officially guilty of fantasy. Pedophilic daydreams are only considered a mental illness - not a crime - in the legal world.

Until they sexually abuse a child (or use child pornography and the like), pedophiles do NOT fall under the legal and criminal definition of "child molester".

But remember, just because someone isn't convicted doesn't mean they are safe. Don't be misled by the technicalities of the "pedophile definition". Learn how to protect your kids from would-be molesters.

Return from Pedophile Definition to The Child Molester.

Return from Pedophile Definition to Child Safety for Parents.

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