Jay R. Feierman (ed.)
Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions
Springer-Verlag, New York (1990), ISBN 0-387-97243-9
Some chapters: here below.
The whole book: < feierman-pedophilia-bio-social-dimensions.pdf >
Introduction - Given in full
text
Most of the lay and professional literature although voluminous, reflect a narrow anthropo-, ethno-, and
chrono-centrism that precludes any real understanding of the topic with anything more than the preconceptions of our times. [...]
[...] This volume adds to this data base by including new, biosocial contribution from the perspectives of history, political science, sexology, biology, primatology, anthropology, experimental and developmental psychology, and psychiatry. What results is a transspecies, transcultural, and transhistorical perspective that gives new biosocial insights into the roots of pedophilia as the phenomenon is found in contemporary industrialized societies.
Chapter 1
A Biosocial Overview of Adult Human Sexual Behavior with Children and Adolescents
Jay R. Feierman - Given in full text
Summary
The biosocial basis of adult human sexual behavior with children and adolescents was related to culture, behavior, motivation, mood, sexual interactants, sexual attraction, and sexual arousal. The concept of the love map was related to stimulus discrimination and to stimulus fitness and potency. The relationship of the love map to love and to two components of reproductive behavior, i.e., mating effort and parental investment, was discussed.
The context in which reproductive behavior, i.e., its mating-effort and parental-investment components, occurs was used to provide an understanding of aspects of non-sexual reproductive behavior as well as non-procreative sexual behavior.
The relationship of pedophiles and ephebophiles to individuals with other erotic orientations was shown. The relationship of adult-child and adult-adolescent sexual behavior versus abuse was covered using the concepts of consent and harm.
Speculations were offered as to some possible proximate mechanisms involved in the development of pedo- and ephebophilia using the concepts developed earlier in the chapter. General conclusions were given regarding the need for conceptual and methodological caution as well as clarity in future research in this field.
Chapter 2
Bullough V.L., History in Adult Human Sexual Behavior with Children and Adolescents in Western Society
- Quotes are given
In fact, adult/adolescent sexual behavior has not simply been tolerated throughout much of history but, in some time periods, has been the norm. This attitude can be illustrated by a brief, descriptive listing of some famous or near-famous adult individuals in history who were involved in some form of sexual behavior with at least one adolescent or near-adolescent.
Chapter 3
Okami P.; Sociopolitical Biases in the
Contemporary Scientific Literature on Sexual Behavior with Children and
Adolescents - Quotes are given
This chapter explores certain tendencies within that body of vitimology-based literature sometimes referred to as the "new
research" and writing on the subject of incest and child sexual
abuse. [...]
Most of the writers in question view themselves not only as social
scientists but also as social critics. An assumption of moral purpose,
sometimes bordering on self-righteousness, repeatedly emerges from a
reading of their work. Indeed, these writers typically display many of
the attitudes associated with what Becker (1984) terms "moral
entrepeneurs."
Chapter 4
Gerhard Medicus & Sigrid Hopf, The Phylogeny of Malel/Female Differences in Sexual Behavior
This chapter offered a biology-based contribution toward a better understanding of the male/female dimorphism of human sexual behavior.
This dimorphism helps in explaining why adult human sexual behavior with children and adolescents is almost exclusively an adult male phenomenon.
However, the views elucidated in this chapter should by no means be misused to excuse or justify socially insensitive behavior toward any adult female, any child, or any adolescent or to reinforce socially unjust male dominance.
Rather, biological knowledge that clarifies human behavioral predispositions should encourage the prevention of negative behavior and enhance the personal and social aspects of human relationships.
Chapter 5
Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Dominance, Submission, and Love: Sexual Pathologies from the Perspective of Ethology
In human sexual behavior, strata of different phylogenetic origins can be distinguished. Sexuality based upon the mechanisms of male dominance and female submission, which characterizes the reptiles, also constitutes the basic layer of human sexuality. This reptilian heritage is superimposed, however, by a more recently acquired sexuality characterized by affiliation and love. The new potentiality to act in a friendly manner evolved with the development of parental care independently in birds and in mammals.
In normal human sexual behavior, the archaic agonal sexuality is controlled by affiliative sexuality and, therefore, is characterized by love. Agonal sexuality is still with us, however, as indicated, among other features, by the phallic male-dominance displays, by a male hormonal response linked to dominance achievement, and by the sexual fantasies of submission that are experienced by females. Agonal sexuality normally is under the control of affiliative sexuality, and therefore, humans correctly associate sex with love. Certain forms of sexuality, such as sadomasochism and a particular form of male homosexuality, are explained as being a regression to the archaic agonal sexuality.
Pedophilia and pedosexual behavior are explained within the regression context, too. Children have characteristics, such as small size, that facilitate adult males' feeling dominant to them, as occurs in pedosexual behavior.
Since human adult/adult romantic love is derived by phylogeny from parental caregiving behavior, it is easily seen how, in some adult humans, the feeling of love toward children has been retained and eroticized, which is the true meaning of the term "pedophilia."
Chapter 11
Mackey W.C., Adult-Male/Juvenile
Association as a Species-Characteristic Human Trait: A Comparative Field
Approach - Quotes are given
The purpose of this chapter is to explore, in a systematic manner,
the character, trends, and variations of the association between adult
males and juveniles across a wide array of societies.
The adult-male/juvenile relationship reflects patterns of behavior that
have been found in all human societies that have been studied. The
systematic availability of a stable adult male to the offspring of
mothers appears to be a universal event.
Chapter 14
Waal, F.B.M. de; Socio-sexual Behavior Used
for Tension Regulation in All Age and Sex Combinations Among Bonobos -
Quotes are given
Humans' close primate relative, the bonobo, shows a large amount of
intergenerational sexual behavior. [...]
Yet, the specific context in which intergenerational sex occurs among
captive bonobos suggests an important additional function, which also
applies to this species' intra-generational sex. Socio-sexual behavior
occurs in all possible age and sex combinations as a mechanism of re-assurance and appeasement. This function of sexual behavior patterns
does not interfere with the fertilization function of these patterns,
because males appear to limit penetration and ejaculation to contacts
with mature females.
Chapter 17
Money,
John; Pedophilia:
A Specific Instance of New Phylism Theory,
as Applied to Paraphilic Lovemaps
In society and in the criminal justice
system, there are the prevalent assumptions that pedophilia is a voluntary
orientation and a product of jaded depravity and that the next step will
be sadistic assault and molestation ending up in lust murder. These
assumptions are faulty and are based on rare and sporadic cases in which
there is an overlapping of pedophilia, which is a paraphilia of the
eligibilic/stigmatic type, with a paraphilia of the sacrificial/expiatory
type. Pedophilia, both androphilic and gynephilic, is its own syndrome,
unaccompanied by sacrificial or expiatory cruelty.
. . .
The pedophile's attachment to a child represents a merger of parental and
erotic love.
. . .
Based on its roots in the Greek language, "pedophilia" means
"child love." Two meanings of love are telescoped into the one
word. One meaning is love as in parental love and pairbonding between
parent and child. The other meaning is love as in making love and the
sexual bonding of two partners, one of which is a juvenile. The two
meanings share in common the reciprocality of bonding between two people
Chapter 22
Human Erotic Age Orientation: A Conclusion
- Jay R. Feierman - Full text is given. Here below the
"Conclusions" from this chapter "A Conclusion":
Conclusions
If Not But For the Grace of God and Natural Selection . . . .
In the course of professional work over the past 13 years, this author/editor has had the opportunity to attend, in numerous jurisdictions within the continental United States, sentencing hearings for pedo- and ephebophiles who have been found guilty of pedo- or ephebosexual behavior. During such hearings, because the individuals who were being sentenced were public figures of high social status in their respective communities, media, especially television, nearly always were present.
At the conclusion of such hearings, one could appreciate the meaning of the term "judgemental," inasmuch as virtually all sentences were handed down within the framework of castigating and derogatory comments. Such comments, I believe, are what the larger social group wanted to hear, along with the sight of television footage or newspaper photographs of the publicly humiliated, submissively postured defendant waiting to be banished.
Often I have wondered during such times whether the sentencing judge would be able to meet his own standards of continence if the object of his own adult male sexual desires were similarly illegal.
Acceptance
Pedo- and ephebophiles with strong religious convictions, which is the population with which I am the most familiar, often take solace in their belief that "this is the way God made me." Most pedo- and ephebophiles with whom I have had contact over the years have begrudgingly accepted the reality that the object of their sexual desires is socially proscribed as illegal. Most, I believe, could have lawfully lived with this reality with a little help before their downfall.
Most were not given the opportunity to receive this help, however, because of the way that their behavioral proclivities were received by their societies. Perhaps much of this reception was a result of the lack of understanding of pedo- and ephebophilia. I hope so.
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