Posted on 05/25/2014 12:50:22 PM PDT by billorites
Pedophiles’ brains are “abnormally tuned” to find young children attractive, according to a new study published this week. The research, led by Jorge Ponseti at Germany’s University of Kiel, means that it may be possible to diagnose pedophiles in the future before they are able to offend.
The findings, published in scientific journal Biology Letters, discovered that pedophiles have the same neurological reaction to images of those they find attractive as those of people with ordinary sexual predilections, but that all the relevant cerebral areas become engaged when they see children, as opposed to fellow adults. The occipital areas, prefrontal cortex, putamen, and nucleus caudatus become engaged whenever a person finds another attractive, but the subject of this desire is inverted for pedophiles.
While studies into the cognitive wiring of sex offenders have long been a source of debate, this latest research offers some fairly conclusive proof that there is a neural pattern behind their behavior.
The paper explains: “The human brain contains networks that are tuned to face processing, and these networks appear to activate different processing streams of the reproductive domain selectively: nurturing processing in the case of child faces and sexual processing in the case of sexually preferred adult faces. This implies that the brain extracts age-related face cues of the preferred sex that inform appropriate response selection in the reproductive domains: nurturing in the case of child faces and mating in the case of adult faces.”
Usually children’s faces elicit feelings of caregiving from both sexes, whereas those of adults provide stimuli in choosing a mate. But among pedophiles, this trend is skewed, with sexual, as opposed to nurturing, emotions burgeoning.
The study analyzed the MRI scans of 56 male participants, a group that included 13 homosexual pedophiles and 11 heterosexual pedophiles, exposing them to “high arousing” images of men, women, boys, and girls. Participants then ranked each photo for attractiveness, leading researchers to their conclusion that the brain network of pedophiles is activated by sexual immaturity.
“The critical new finding is that face processing is also tuned to face cues revealing the developmental stage that is sexually preferred,” the paper reads.
Usually children’s faces elicit feelings of caregiving from both sexes, but among pedophiles, this trend is skewed, with sexual, as opposed to nurturing, emotions burgeoning. Dr. James Cantor, associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, said he was “delighted” by the study’s results. “I have previously described pedophilia as a ‘cross-wiring’ of sexual and nurturing instincts, and this data neatly verifies that interpretation.”
Cantor has undertaken extensive research into the area, previously finding that pedophiles are more likely to be left-handed, 2.3 cm shorter than the average male, and 10 to 15 IQ points lower than the norm.
He continued: “This [new] study is definitely a step in the right direction, and I hope other researchers repeat this kind of work. There still exist many contradictions among scientists’ observations, especially in identifying exactly which areas of the brain are the most central to pedophilia. Because financial support for these kinds of studies is quite small, these studies have been quite small, permitting them to achieve only incremental progress. Truly definitive studies about what in the brain causes pedophilia, what might detect it, and what might prevent it require much more significant support.”
Ponseti said that he hoped to investigate this area further by examining whether findings could be emulated when images of children’s faces are the sole ones used. This could lead to gauging a person’s predisposition to pedophilia far more simply than any means currently in place. “We could start to look at the onset of pedophilia, which is probably in puberty at about 12 or 14 years [old],” he told The Independent.
While Cantor is correct in citing the less than abundant size of the study, the research is certainly significant in providing scope for future practicable testing that could reduce the number of pedophilic crimes committed. By being able to run these tests and examine a person’s tendency toward being sexually attracted to underage children, rehabilitative care and necessary precautions could be taken to safeguard children and ensure that those at risk of committing a crime of this ilk would not be able to do so.
Following the horrors of the Sandusky scandal and the endless conveyor belt of children kidnapped as sex slaves, finding the root of the problem and stopping it in any way possible has never been more important.
They grew up thinking they were “different” perhaps it has some affects on some of them.
I remember a news story from ten or more years back where there were plans to use the latest in brain scan technology to study tendencies toward criminal behavior. But plans for that study were scrapped after much protest from some groups who didn’t want such studies performed.
Lots of controversy surrounding the study of the brain and human behavior.
It’s probably closer to being an interruption in the normal development in the human sexual process.
Normally a man, and most pedophiles are men, will normally become sexually aware of the female gender around the time of ten-twelve, or so. Normally a boy that does this will start to interact with girls and learn to have relationships with them and have first dates with them, etc until it culminates in a marriage.
However, if one’s ability to interact is short-circuited because he’s too short or that he’s unattractive, he’s still developing his sexual awareness but he’s unable to go through the normal process that other males get to go through when it comes to interacting with young women and women in general. Consequently, he gets stuck at those first steps, but his other processes continue normally, so he ends up being imprinted to find young girls attractive.
James Dobson had the same general theory in regards to how homosexuality develops, it’s an interruption in the normal psycho-sexual development of a human being.
Nothing 440 wont fix.
I foresee “pedophile parades” along with the “gay parades” if this nonsense gains any traction. I wonder who paid for this stupid study.
I would like to “wire” something on them...with an electric wire....a live electric wire.
Either way, we have to keep children safe from pedophiles and homos.
OVER 100 RESPONSES AND NOT SINGLE INSTANCE OF CAPTAIN OBVIOUS. Just imagine how many children would have been spared death and degradation if these degenerates had been horse whipped for their first offense, castrated on the second, and shot between the eyes for their third. Sad news is that they are allowed to breed.
There is no question that, regardless of the reason for its existence, there can be no toleration for anybody acting upon their desires.
However, it is useful to try and determine what could cause it in hopes helping those overcome any possible delays in their personal developments.
I agree....It’s a learned response
The base is too huge for any small study.
The problem is....they’re already used brains. We don’t know the changes in the brain since birth. What makes the brain change....obviously repeated stimulation plays a role
Agreed.
And unless you take a purely religious point-of-view, we don't know the state of the brain at birth.
I think it is generally accepted that many things can go wrong during the nine month gestation period of human development. Some birth defects take place during development in the womb and we are far from knowing how such might affect the brain.
So back for another round of “born this way” so its only fair you makes it my right to do what I want
that is an observation, not an excuse. doesn’t matter in the end.
Or gays?
What if “moms” elect to abort them?
I foresee massive cognitive dissonance and many exploding heads in liberal land.
Sounds to me like these predatory freaks could be cured. With a massive LOBOTOMY.
While a larger study will give more accurate results, one can form some general observations which can be later tested on smaller studies.
Now that's something I would pay to see!
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