Paedophilia is a illness

[skinz]

I read a very good article last year by a well known (anti) - psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz which deals with the question of whether child molestation is an illness or a crime. Worth reading.

 

Below if anyone is interested:

 

http://reason.com/archives/2002/08/01/sins-of-the-fathers

 

 

Defining an illness as the result of a disease is a little misleading. Many illnesses can be the result of non disease related conditions. You can't catch pedophilia, you can't catch rape. The circumstances with which you find yourself over a life period and the effects those circumstances can have on you as an individual can effect you mentally, socially and emotionally..depending on you mental condition or state. The outcome for those with similar abused backgrounds can be varied. Because someone who is abused and doesn't go on to abuse themselves doesn't make them any less ill than those that do go onto abuse..the only difference is because that particular individual has managed to cope, has been given life tools directly or indirectly, or quite simply it isn't in their make-up. Ask anyone who has been abused and they will almost down to the last person say they are still dealing with it in some form or other...pain, memories, disgust, guilt, shame, bitterness, hate.

 

---------- Post added 17-03-2013 at 11:53 ----------

 

I would be proud to be labelled as anything if I could prevent more abuse against children

 

By you or I personally not abusing children you are preventing children from becoming abused...if that makes sense.