American Psychiatric Association 'Rethinking' Its Assessment of Pedophiles

Insight Magazine.com ^ | 6/27/2003 | Paul Warfield

[ClearCase_guy]

So what's the fuss?

If sexual urges toward children are "not a problem", then such people are not "dangerous" and cannot be legitimately watched. They can work as teachers or day-care providers, guidance counselors, bus drivers, ice cream truck drivers. If anyone shouts a warning, the response is: "But he hasn't done anything."

Can I put a ticking time bomb in your lap? It might go off -- but I assure you it is perfectly harmless (until it does go off). You're willing to take that chance?

[doc30]

Sounds like they are repeating the pattern with pedophillia as they did with homosexuality. At this rate, pedophillia will become legal in 15 or 20 years. Since sexual orientation is becoming a "protected class," it will be very easy for pedophillia to be labeled a sexual orientation and, hence, protected by all the anti-discrimination laws and regulations that protect gays. Look at it like this. Afer the past 10 or 20 years of legal manouvering to get special status for gays, pro-gay activists have nearly competed their goals. Once that is done, they need a new perversion to make acceptable or they will be in the unemployment line. Over the next hundred years, I could see their work creating a Hedonistic America where society values will be based upon whatever you want to do sexually wherever you want to do it can be done.

[joesnuffy]

the APAs Diagnostic and Statistic Manual (DSM) merely reflects the democratic view of its members
They hold a convention every few years and basically vote on who or what is a disorder and who or what is normal...yesterdays psycho is todays honest citizen..by proclamation

They were lobbied off their stand of homosexuality being a disorder by intimidation of aggressive homosexuals...

They rule by political machinations and popular vote...

Stroke of the pen law of the land....stuff

And the nations courts take their royal pronouncements as gospel....

The whole idea of this body being responsible in determining who is and who is not sane
is straight out of Kafka
imo

[doc30]

"If pedophilia is deemed normal by psychiatrists, then how can it remain illegal?"

Because if they don't jail the perpetrators, it will be open season on them for any father of a victim

But then the father would be sent to jail for life, not for protecting his children, but for committing a hate crime against a protected group - pedophiles. What is heresy today, suggesting pedophilia be legal, will become a reality tomorrow and it will be set in stone by the ultra-liberal, so-left-wing-they-almost-fall-over professors and elitists that it will be forced upon society. It happened with gay issues. What can we do to stop it?

[maryz]

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has a connotation of prestige, scholarly thought and authority.

Really? I thought it had been many a long year since anyone could say that with a straight face!

[sylar]

good point

[Uncle Miltie]

"For many psychiatrists in the APA, men and women who seek out little children merely are displaying a natural, not necessarily abnormal, desire."

Just like Mohammed.

[LiteKeeper]

INTSUM

[aristeides]

Somebody pressured the U.S. Supreme Court enough to get it to vacate at least the sentence of Matthew Limon, who sodomized a 14-year-old boy. On Friday the court issued an order suggesting that Limon somehow enjoys some protection under its Lawrence decision.

[RipSawyer]

"For nearly 40 years I have been at odds with much of the psychiatric and psychological professions."

Over twenty years ago, I met some of these "professionals" socially and spent some time with them and their families. My brief experience convinced me that most of those in the "mental health" professions are less mentally healthy than most of their "clients".

[tjg]

"Actually removing pedophilia from the psychiatric realm might not be a bad thing. If it's not an illness, there's no treatment. It becomes purely an issue of morality and criminal behavior. We won't be in the position of releasing "cured" pedophiles."

Excellent point. The cycle is offense, jail, 'cure', recidivism.

Remove the last two items in the cycle.

[onyx]

Let me interject a FACT, since my husband is a member of this august body!

As with the Catholic Church, the APA has seen, and is seeing, a concerted effort by homosexuals to infiltrate the medical profession of psychiatry!

Homosexuals are smart, smarmy and clever. By earning their medical degrees in psychiatry, it is their intent to eliminate the word "disorder" from all practices relating to homosexuality.

And, they're beginning to enjoy some success.

This is a very serious matter, folks. It's truly an assault on our children and on God, for that matter.

[summer]

I don't understand why the ACLU supports and defends NAMBLA. Or, how anyone can defend an adult who wants to have sex with children. That entire organization is extremely upsetting to me.

[onyx]

I view the ACLU as an enemy within. Rarely do I find them an advocate for anything resembling a conservative cause.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*Bump*

[MeekOneGOP]

Holy Cow !! Ban Perverts NOW !!!!!

[Kahonek]

This article is pretty far out there. It only approximates the truth in the vaguest of ways. Ever played the "telephone" game? Here's an example of what you get when you don't go to the primary sources (like our author friend, Paul Walfield).

"There was an objection to the APA simply deciding that pedophiles are "normal" at the convention held for that purpose on May 19 in San Francisco."

First, the convention was not held for any purpose related to pedophilia. It was the regular, annual convention of the APA, held every year, and covering an incredible number of topics.

Second, the APA decided NO SUCH THING. Check out their website (www.psych.org) for a story that attempts to clarify the situation without adding to the hype.

What happened was that two relatively undistinguished individuals from relatively undistinguished institutions, a psychiatrist and a psychologist, presented a paper during a session at the conference. The paper was one of thousands that are presented simultaneously at these conferences, reflecting the opinion of the authors themselves, and NOT the opinion of the APA.

These two yahoos asserted that it might not be helpful to characterize pedophilia as a mental disorder, though they did not suggest lifting criminal penalties for child molestation. This assertion would have garnered all the attention that other paper presentations typically do (namely, none) had it not been such a far-fetched proposal.

However, some journalist got ahold of it and made it into something it wasn't. CNSNews then got it from the mainstream press and wrote their own version. Then Paul W. got it from CNSNews (without bothering to check any other sources, apparently) and wrote this blurb. Now it's a virtual feeding frenzy that's making FR look like a ship of fools.

[jammer]

Well, I thought my first 2 or 3 sentences in #14 made it clear that I understood that; however, thank you for the info to "flesh it out." That is similar to what happens at meetings of my professional association. As you say in so many words, hysteria happens. Thanks again.

[friendly]

Post #38 nails it for a dead-on accurate view of this tempest in a tea-pot. Once again the claims by uninformed or malicious posters that the psychiatrists are supporting NAMBLA pedophila are slander and COMPLETELY BOGUS! The democrats maybe, but not the docs.