Coercive Paraphilic Disorders: <br />Pedophilic Disorder
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Pedophilic disorder is a widely known coercive paraphilic disorder. It is the recurrent intense sexual urges and sexually arousing fantasies involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child. Pedophilic disorder is different from "child sexual abuse," "child molestation," and "incest," which all denotes sex with minors. Pedophilic disorder, as defined by the APA, is a psychiatric disorder. Not all of those who sexually abuse minors would be considered people with pedophilic disorder unless the APA criteria are met. Sexual contact with a minor is not, in itself, a determination of pedophilia. It is, however, illegal. The child must be 13 years of age or younger. Female victims are usually 8 to 10 years old and male victims are slightly older. The person offending must be at least 16 years old and at least 5 years older than the child. The offenders are mostly male and some are aroused by only children and some by both children and adults. Also, some offenders prefer only one sex and others are aroused by both.