Why are pedophiles (reported in the media) seemingly only men?

[Invincible Summer]

Note: This thread is not to turn into a shitstorm with people being accused of pedophilia or whatever the fuck. It's a question about sociology and biology.


Now...


I've noticed that in almost every account of pedophilia reported in the mainstream press, the pedophile is a man.

So I've got a few questions:
1) Is pedophilia almost exclusively a male thing?
1b) If so, why?

2) In cases where female teachers have sex with younger (sometimes primary-school aged) students, it's not considered pedophilia... seen more as "desperately slutty." Why is this? Is it just because women are expected to be sex machines to males of any age?

[¿Que?]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajzpd-ONOdo&feature=related
Sorry I couldn't resist...

But I guess you deserve an real explanation, which I can't offer. I can say that male pedophiles target boys at rates comparable to girls. And these kids can often be very very young. Not exactly the same thing as a women taking sexual advantage of a teenager of the opposite sex, who will be more likely to welcome the advances, as well as have a better understanding of what is occurring.

[Adi Shankara]

Note: This thread is not to turn into a shitstorm with people being accused of pedophilia or whatever the fuck. It's a question about sociology and biology.


Now...


I've noticed that in almost every account of pedophilia reported in the mainstream press, the pedophile is a man.

So I've got a few questions:
1) Is pedophilia almost exclusively a male thing?
1b) If so, why?

2) In cases where female teachers have sex with younger (sometimes primary-school aged) students, it's not considered pedophilia... seen more as "desperately slutty." Why is this? Is it just because women are expected to be sex machines to males of any age?

Actually, it's interesting you brought this up. In the West, there are many many female pedophiles, it's just that, our culture views that the male victims (because they are victims) should have "enjoyed" their abuse/rape, and that any male would be lucky to be in the position of forced sex by a woman.

as far as females, there are very famous cases, such as this woman, who raped and kidnapped a young girl:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Media/melissa-huckaby-confessed-murderer-year-girl-sentenced-life/story?id=10910285

and for an example of society's attitudes towards female pedophiles as some sort of sexual fetish, look at this:

http://forums.gametrailers.com/thread/44-yr-old-woman-arresting-for-/1045709

I was molested as a child by a female pedophile. I still haven't told anyone about it except my girlfriend and my therapist, since I told someone a while back and got laughed at it for it basically. because there is a large stigma associated with it, that you should "enjoy it" if you were raped by a female.

[Adi Shankara]

http://www.kalimunro.com/article_mother_son_sexual_abuse.html

This article is interesting, as it highlights the societal views of males abused by females, which is interesting because it's a topic rarely taken seriously, even though it's widespread, and female pedophiles can be just as destructive and sick as male pedophiles.

http://www.jimhopper.com/pdfs/Lisak_(1994)_Male_Survivor_Interviews.pdf

and this is a clinical profile composition on how males feel after being raped as children from both sexes. What's interesting to note is how all those abused by females say how trivialized they were by others when they confided in them. I can agree and say this is indeed the case.

[¿Que?]

There have also been cases where women have assisted men in acquiring victims and keeping them subdued. These cases pose real analytical challenges to some people since the woman is both enabler of abuse, and also more than likely a victim of it as well.

But the basic point is that gender hierarchies exist, there is ample evidence for this widely available from many credible sources. If you want to understand heteronormative presumptions, then the best place to begin is by understanding patriarchy.

[Adi Shankara]

There have also been cases where women have assisted men in acquiring victims and keeping them subdued. These cases pose real analytical challenges to some people since the woman is both enabler of abuse, and also more than likely a victim of it as well.

There are also many many more cases where women aren't the victims, but the abusers, and are scum, just like male pedophiles.

[¿Que?]

There are also many many more cases where women aren't the victims, but the abusers, and are scum, just like male pedophiles.
Statistically speaking, male pedophiles outnumber both. So there's no sense in treating them as if they were the same thing.

Just to be sure:

Most child sexual abuse is committed by men; studies show that women commit 14% to 40% of offenses reported against boys and 6% of offenses reported against girls.[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#cite_note-Whealin-10)[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#cite_note-Finkelhor1994-11)[14] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#cite_note-13)
Child Sexual Abuse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#cite_note-Whealin-10)
Citing three separate studies no less.

In any case:

But the basic point is that gender hierarchies exist, there is ample evidence for this widely available from many credible sources. If you want to understand heteronormative presumptions, then the best place to begin is by understanding patriarchy.

[Demogorgon]

Until the early nineties it was believed that only men abused children. Victims who claimed they had been molested by a woman were simply not believed. We now know that not to be true, but old attitudes die hard.

[EvilRedGuy]

Actually, it's interesting you brought this up. In the West, there are many many female pedophiles, it's just that, our culture views that the male victims (because they are victims) should have "enjoyed" their abuse/rape, and that any male would be lucky to be in the position of forced sex by a woman.

as far as females, there are very famous cases, such as this woman, who raped and kidnapped a young girl:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Media/melissa-huckaby-confessed-murderer-year-girl-sentenced-life/story?id=10910285

and for an example of society's attitudes towards female pedophiles as some sort of sexual fetish, look at this:

http://forums.gametrailers.com/thread/44-yr-old-woman-arresting-for-/1045709

I was molested as a child by a female pedophile. I still haven't told anyone about it except my girlfriend and my therapist, since I told someone a while back and got laughed at it for it basically. because there is a large stigma associated with it, that you should "enjoy it" if you were raped by a female.

What asshole did this shit? Should have punched him in the face, geting molested is a fucking serious thing.

[EvilRedGuy]

Dosen't matter if they are male or female, both mentally ill/sick or a sadist fuck. :mad:

Allso isn't that sexist?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Rational discussion of this subject is fine, but could we please knock off the tabloid newspaper bullshit and the Internet Tough Guy posturing?

[¿Que?]

http://www.jimhopper.com/pdfs/Lisak_(1994)_Male_Survivor_Interviews.pdf (http://www.jimhopper.com/pdfs/Lisak_%281994%29_Male_Survivor_Interviews.pdf)

and this is a clinical profile composition on how males feel after being raped as children from both sexes. What's interesting to note is how all those abused by females say how trivialized they were by others when they confided in them. I can agree and say this is indeed the case.
To be fair, this is a qualitative study, which precludes any type of generalization. The sample size was 26, and half were abused by women. Throw Shankara in the mix, and you have a total of 14 cases. Not a representative sample by any stretch of the imagination.

Also, since the sample is not representative, there is no reason to assume that anything near half of abuses against children are committed by women. In fact, as my previous post shows, the data varies between 14% and 40% for boys and 6% for girls. This comes out to roughly 19% of reported cases of sexual abuse, for both girls and boys, are perpetrated by women. I'll go ahead and spare you the calculations, which I did myself, based on the data from the high estimate of 40% for boys. That is, 19% is the highest possible estimate, although admittedly this does not take into account unreported cases.

To be crystal clear, I am not arguing that Shankara is making generalizations based on the qualitative study, although I will say he is veering dangerously close by his choice of language: "This is indeed the case" as opposed to "Indeed this has been my experience too."

For a more nuanced argument on generalizablity and qualitative research, this article looks promising:
http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/viewArticle/291/641
At the time of this writing, I've only read the abstract and conclusion, and sort of did a quick skim of the rest. Can't really say I understand what he's getting at, but I intend to eventually read it carefully since he seems to tackle some crucial epistemological issues with a certain degree of sophistication.

Conclusion: We can say that, speaking in quantitative terms, the social impact of women pedophiles is significantly lower than their male counterparts. In qualitative terms, that is, taking into account the divergent effects of abuse by women between girls and boys, and considering the indirect effects that such divergent effects can have, it is not hard to imagine that the social impact of women pedophiles could indeed be greater (particularly when perpetrated against boys).

This concludes today's lesson on social science research methods. Please feel free to ask questions.

[Adi Shankara]

Statistically speaking, male pedophiles outnumber both. So there's no sense in treating them as if they were the same thing.

Just to be sure:

Child Sexual Abuse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#cite_note-Whealin-10)
Citing three separate studies no less.

In any case:

Notice though, it says the word reported. It's been proven that men are much much less likely to report rape or sexual abuse by females or women, and that they're even much less likely to be believed. Therefore, the number could be much much higher, just, Western culture doesn't take these cases seriously.

personally, I think the number by sex is probably close to 50/50. Women just rape and abuse in different ways. personally, I didn't even know really that I was sexually abused until recently, I thought I was just being "wimpy" for not enjoying it.

as Demogorgon says, most males simply aren't believed if they report that they were raped by a woman, and if the media gets hold of it, they'll make light of the situation, like they did with the Debra LaFave case.

[khad]

I'm just going to leave this here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer#Publications_since_1990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_Boy


The book generated some controversy because "society is not accustomed to seeing beauty in young males", Greer claims. Greer has described the book as "full of pictures of 'ravishing' pre-adult boys with hairless chests, wide-apart legs and slim waists". She goes on to say that, "I know that the only people who are supposed to like looking at pictures of boys are a subgroup of gay men," she wrote in London's Daily Telegraph (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Telegraph). "Well, I'd like to reclaim for women the right to appreciate the short-lived beauty of boys, real boys, not simpering 30-year-olds with shaved chests."

[Adi Shankara]

I'm just going to leave this here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer#Publications_since_1990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_Boy

Can you imagine the outrage if such a book was made about young girls? such is the double standard in society.

[hatzel]

I don't usually like to cite South Park as an authoritative source, but the episode 'Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Teacher_Bangs_a_Boy)' actually gave a pretty decent overview of this whole thing. And I do think, in the case of teacher-pupil relationships, people often seem pretty happy (or, happier, at least) to say that a female teacher was just 'foolish' for letting herself be seduced by some horny little schoolboy, whilst the male teacher is instantly 'sick', without doubt. Even if he was seduced by the girl. Double standards run all the way through this kind of stuff. Almost as if one needs to have a penis to be physically capable of raping anybody, adult or child. I admit, it's more difficult for a female paedophile to get any kind of physical stimulation from her actions, whilst a male might be able to, but last time I checked, it wasn't the physical pleasure these people were looking for. If it was, they'd just sit in their room masturbating. Maybe that's a reason. The idea that one needs a penis to be able to really 'violate' anybody. Any females, who can merely 'touch', apparently, aren't committing an act deemed as abhorrent or intrusive as their male counterparts. Thus, it's hardly considered worth mentioning in the press, just like we don't hear about every boss who squeezes their employees bum.

[¿Que?]

Notice though, it says the word reported.
Yes, I did notice and took it into account.

It's been proven that men are much much less likely to report rape or sexual abuse by females or women, and that they're even much less likely to be believed.
You need to clarify what exactly you're comparing men abused by women to. There are at least two possible interpretations to this statement.
1. Men abused by womenare much less likely to report it than women who are abused by women are.
2. Men abused by women are much less likely to report it than men who are abuse by men are.
...and the same goes for likelihood of being believed.

In any case, both are unsubstantiated claims, so unless you provide a source, I will not accept this premise.

Therefore, the number could be much much higher, just, Western culture doesn't take these cases seriously.
Since I didn't accept the premise, I must reject the conclusion.

personally, I think the number by sex is probably close to 50/50. Women just rape and abuse in different ways.
I don't agree, but since it's a personal opinion, there's no sense in belaboring the point.

personally, I didn't even know really that I was sexually abused until recently, I thought I was just being "wimpy" for not enjoying it.
I'm sorry you had to go through that. Without getting too personal or too specific, as I child I went through what could be considered a traumatic sexual experience, although since there were no adults involved, I see it as a crime without a criminal.

as Demogorgon says, most males simply aren't believed if they report that they were raped by a woman, and if the media gets hold of it, they'll make light of the situation, like they did with the Debra LaFave case.
It's important not to paint sexual abuse with a broad brush. A 14 year old is much more capable of understanding sexual relations than an 8 year old. This does not excuse Lafave, because ultimately she got off easy. But before we go off half cocked crying out reverse sexism, you need to understand the original point that I made (not in my first post which was undeniably trivializing the issue a bit) which is that all these double standards you guys keep complaining about are heteronormative presumptions. And if you want to understand heteronormative presumptions, then it is absolutely, without a doubt, crucial that you understand the nature of gender hierarchies or otherwise referred to as patriarchy.

So...Let's explore the issue a bit deeper. Lafave, a young, and attractive woman, who no doubt manipulated a 14 year old boy/teen/young man (semantics, irrelevant to my argument) received, after pleading guilty "three years of Community Control (house arrest) and seven years of probation, along with various other requirements" -wikipedia article on Lafave.

The other case that you cited. That of a less attractive, much older (44) woman, manipulating a boy of the same age into sexual activity faced between 15 to 30 years in prison.
Source (http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/volusia_news/040110deltona-woman-indicted-in-sexual-exploitation-of-teen)

So maybe you guys should reassess where you stand on gender issues.