Biomaterial Database

Child molestation and pedophilia. An overview for the physician. 1989

A K Fuller

Archbold Mental Health Center, Thomasville, Ga.

Child sexual abuse is a serious, pervasive problem with clinical, social, moral, and legal implications. Between 100,000 and 500,000 children in the United States are thought to be sexually molested annually. Physicians in all specialties may detect sexual exploitation of youngsters and are mandated to report such cases. Failure to diagnose child molestation and pedophilia and to treat their cause can have serious, long-lasting consequences for innocent victims and continued distress for the perpetrator and for the professional who missed the diagnosis. A single child molester may commit hundreds of sexual acts on hundreds of children. The etiology of paraphilic syndromes is multifactorial. There are substantial differences among sexual abusers of children in their personalities and psychopathologies. Although available interventions are symptomatically palliative rather than curative, many pedophiles can benefit from appropriate treatment. Primary prevention may be the key to reducing the frequency of child sexual abuse.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010262	Paraphilic Disorders	Disorders that include recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors generally involving nonhuman objects, suffering of oneself or partners, or children or other nonconsenting partners. (from DSM-V)	Paraphilias,Sex Deviations,Deviation, Sex,Deviations, Sex,Disorder, Paraphilic,Disorders, Paraphilic,Paraphilia,Paraphilic Disorder,Sex Deviation
D010353	Patient Education as Topic	The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.	Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D010378	Pedophilia	A sexual disorder occurring in a person 16 years or older and that is recurrent with intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child (generally age 13 or younger). (from APA, DSM-IV, 1994).	Pederasty,Pederasties,Pedophilias
D010819	Physician's Role	The expected function of a member of the medical profession.	Physicians' Role,Physician Role,Physician's Roles,Physicians Role,Physicians' Roles,Role, Physician's,Role, Physicians',Roles, Physician's,Roles, Physicians'
D011613	Psychotherapy	A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication.	Psychotherapies
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002650	Child Abuse, Sexual	Sexual maltreatment of the child or minor.	Child Molestation,Child Molestation, Sexual,Molestation, Sexual, Child,Sexual Abuse of Child,Sexual Abuse, Child,Abuse, Child Sexual,Child Sexual Abuse,Molestation, Child,Sexual Child Abuse,Sexual Child Molestation
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man