Term Paper on "Pedophiles and Methods of Rehabilitating"

Term Paper 31 pages (8600 words) Sources: 25

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Human sexuality manifests itself in many ways, such as intimacy between two people that might lead to forming life-long bonds of partnership or marriage. As an expression of the sharing and intimacy that arises out of the bonds of partnership and marriage, children are born. They are socially the most treasured members of society, and their vulnerability, innocence, and clean slate of human experience leading to a curiosity and constant discovery of the world around them and of their selves as feeling, emotional, thinking and participating beings in that world often brings them to the attention of people who would exploit for those same traits. The pedophile, whom often moves amongst us upstanding and even outstanding members of society, lives a life secret urges and compulsions that, when he or she seek to satisfy those urges and compulsions, presents a threat to young children.

Only recently has the behavior of pedophiles become an open and widespread topic of discussion in all levels of society, largely as a result of the media coverage surrounding the Catholic Church whose many cases of priestly pedophilia have resulted in many large claims for damages against the Church dioceses where those crimes were committed. These cases brought to the attention of the American public some important areas of consideration, such as the question of: Can pedophiles be rehabilitated to a degree and level of self-control, or even cure, for the condition that poses a threat to our most vulnerable members of society, our children? To date, just as the causes for pedophilia continue to elude experts, so, too, does the answer as to whether or not pedophiles can be rehabilitated to a level and degree where they can resume roles in society where they pose no risk to children.

The reasons that so little is understood about pedophilia is that is, first, a less than desirable topic of conversation, and one that causes people to fear an unknown predator, and an unknown psychological condition. Second to the fear that people have about the threat posed by pedophiles, is that it has not been diagnosed in the ways that depression or other psychological disorders might be, because the behavior is one that can be secreted by the individual pedophile in ways that prevent the pedophilic compulsions and condition to never be known to others. It is usually because of the discovery of the pedophilic behaviors, as is the case of the priests, brought to light by victims seeking help or remedy through the legal and criminal justice systems. By which time, of course, much damage has been done to the child whose innocence has been abruptly ended by the pedophile, and whose emotional, psychological and physical state remains irrevocably altered by the experience.

However, once in the criminal system, the pedophile, when incarcerated, must be prepared for return to society if, and when, the prescribed criminal penalty for the offense has been met. What are the treatment modalities into which the pedophile is transitioned, and how is that treatment connection maintained upon release? What are the treatment alternatives for the pedophile? What are the success rates of the treatment programs for pedophiles? Each of these questions will be addressed through the research of this dissertation.

This dissertation is divided into four chapters; Chapter I, introducing the research subject, the background, the problem statement, the goals and objectives of the research, the methodology employed in the research, and the limitations on the research. Chapter II is a literature review, presenting the sources from the body of existing research and investigation emanating from the disciplines of psychology, therapeutic intervention, rehabilitative services, and pharmacological treatment support that are available and being utilized in treating pedophiles towards the elimination of the risk that they pose to society.

Methodology is discussed in Chapter III of the study, and provides an analytical examination of the facts arising out of the study. Those facts are sorted and manipulated to yield data comparisons that prove useful in understanding the treatment outcomes that will be discussed in relation to the various treatment modalities and tools.

Chapter IV considers the results and outcomes of the methodology through analysis of the data. The limitations that impact the analysis will be identified and discussed as to how they impacted the analysis of the data.

This study is important to the continued understanding pedophilic behavior, which in turn is important to society in order to help to bring about a safer environment for raising children. The study will touch on some very sensitive areas of discussion, because pedophilia is not a condition embodied in strangers, but can arise in those individuals closest to our children from within the family itself. This closeness to the victim is in and of itself controversial, but must be addressed in order to bring to light the ways in which pedophiles move amongst us in society.

BACKGROUND of the STUDY

Pedophilia has existed since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the Hellenistic period in ancient Greece, society was heavily influenced by homosexuality and pederasty (man-to-boy sex). In order to justify this behavior, writers of the Hellenistic period adopted the myth of Ganymede. Ganymede was the beautiful boy given to the bisexual god Zeus to have a homosexual relationship. It appears the Greeks wanted a religious example to justify their homosexual behavior in society, their sexual exploitation of boys and the practice of pederasty (Wright, 2002).

The keyword in considering the more ancient perspective on pederasty is "justify." That the ancient peoples sought to justify those behaviors or urges is the indication that even in those times, society as a whole did not approve of pedophilia. Indeed, there was some social acceptance of a man indoctrinating a young boy into his manhood through an experience with a grown man, but even those events were frowned upon by society at large (Bloch, 2001, p. 183). Certainly ongoing adult man/boy relationships were frowned upon.

In those times, the Greeks and the Romans viewed pedophilia not as a normal practice, but as a necessary one that initiated young boys into citizenship and manhood (Bloch, p. 183). The controversy of pederasty in ancient society is revealed by Plato's discussion of it (Bloch, p. 183). Sex in Greek society was not gendered, and, in fact, it was an act that was perceived on a solitary level (Bloch, p. 183). In other words, the experience was not a partnership experience as much as it was an individual one (Bloch, p. 183). Enid Bloch helps put this concept into perspective by explaining:

The Greeks seemed to have regarded sex as an activity one does by oneself, even though the other person is there to be acted upon. This self-centered notion of male sexuality was especially evident in pederastic relationships. The man fulfilled his desire while the boy was presumed to be feeling nothing at all, certainly not erotic arousal. Indeed, a boy who too obviously enjoyed such passive sex would have seemed perverted (p. 183)."

It was this notion of perversion that became the focus of greater analysis among the ancients over time. For instance, Plato remarked upon pederasty and homosexuality in the Symposium (p. 183), and if Plato's lack of condemnation of the act, or his lack of support of it confuses the scholar looking to gain insight as to the social perception of it as a whole; then the fact that the philosopher cannot commit is in and of itself at least indication that pederasty was controversial, and unresolved as an acceptable social practice in society as a whole. That social evolution took civilized society away from that practice and has to date brought us to a place where pederasty is not socially accepted, suggests that the ancients had a role in the evolution away from that practice as being acceptable.

Bloch supports the notion that the ancient Greeks were in part responsible for bringing about the evolutionary social change with regard to pederasty (p. 183). The position of the man and the boy, Bloch says, was a major consideration in defining whether or not there was shame in the act between the man and the boy. Bloch clarifies, writing:

As the "passive" partner the boy was being used "like a woman," a humiliating experience in itself, and one that could have lifelong consequences. The most shameful thing that could happen to any Greek male was penetration by another male. It was up to the boy to try to prevent this from occurring, to keep his lover within certain limits. Intercourse was acceptable if it took place intracrurally, that is, between the thighs, or in other ways that did not involve actual penetration. It is unlikely, however, that a young boy could control an adult male, and many must have had to submit to whatever the man desired (p. 183)."

Likewise, Bloch says, to penetrate the young boy anally would have jeopardized the boy's future as a member of the "citizen class (p. 183)."

In Athens a… READ MORE

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