Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Study Finds Pedophiles’ Brains Wired to Find Children Attractive
The Daily Beast ^ | May 23, 2014 | Charlotte Lytton

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: brain; homosexualagenda; moralabsolutes; pedophileagenda; pedophilia; psychology
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-129 next last
To: billorites

Can they use this technology on liberals, why they find marxism and terrorism attractive and why they support pedophiles?


21 posted on 05/25/2014 1:02:08 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Hitlery: Incarnation of evil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

That’s what I think. It will mean ‘they are born this way’ and need special laws and special treatment. And if you say, “They are pervs and it is evil,” YOU will be in the gulag. Scientific studies are really going to hell in a handbasket.


22 posted on 05/25/2014 1:03:18 PM PDT by bboop (does not suffer fools gladly)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: billorites

GTFO!!


23 posted on 05/25/2014 1:03:47 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper
Our brains are wired to execute pedophiles.

Yeah, but we must be conditioned to reject what we are wired to do. This is because we are "normal."

It would, on the other hand, be a violation of their civil rights to try to do anything to force pedophiles to suppress their "impulses."

24 posted on 05/25/2014 1:03:56 PM PDT by Steely Tom (How do you feel about robbing Peter's robot?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: billorites

LOL


25 posted on 05/25/2014 1:04:12 PM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: FlingWingFlyer

Hey, just like homos they are just born that way so they’re behavior is excused and endorsed by the WH and the Gaystapo. There’ve been a higher number of attempted children abduction lately. Coincidence? I think not...


26 posted on 05/25/2014 1:04:23 PM PDT by jsanders2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: billorites

The first step to saying its a medical issue and not a criminal one. Next is to normalize it completely.


27 posted on 05/25/2014 1:04:48 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites

So basically the study is telling us that pedophiles find children attractive.


28 posted on 05/25/2014 1:08:00 PM PDT by Junior_G (Funny how liberals' love affair with Muslims began on 9/11)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
"The first step to saying its a medical issue and not a criminal one."

I suppose it could well be both.

29 posted on 05/25/2014 1:08:51 PM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: billorites

I imagine Barry is “evolving” about pedophilia. He and his toads in the state controlled “media” will have his low information morons admiring and loving pedophiles before you know it.


30 posted on 05/25/2014 1:09:08 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Obama's smidgens are coming home to roost.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites

There is an element of truth to this. The question is how does it get wired?

Much of this wiring happens because of imprinting. Exposure to porn and other perversions at just the right moment can “wire” the brain to this. And continued exposure, “hard wires” it in.

So societies answer to this in the past has been to reduce exposure to bad things and increase exposure to good things like family, etc.

Some here will say porn doesn’t harm them and that may be true because they weren’t imprinted but I will give up my “right” to help others not being imprinted.


31 posted on 05/25/2014 1:11:25 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites

There might be some genetcs involved. But I believe it is contagious caused by a perverts who ‘infects’ children that they molest.


32 posted on 05/25/2014 1:12:29 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites

This is to make it sound like “gayness.” In other words, they can’t help themselves. Pretty soon the UN will make pedophilia a protected behavior. Muslims “marry” very young girls and also routinely abuse boys, including their own sons, who are still beardless. So let’s protect this gross invasion of the human rights of powerless children and young people.

If there’s a different wiring (meaning electrical impulses go along a different path) that’s probably culturally induced. In Islam, it’s habituated behavior. In the US, it’s years of being dysfunctional and watching porn, which is worse and worse every day, from what people in LE tell me, and which will make brains respond to different stimuli.

And in any case, it doesn’t matter. They still have no right to abuse children or adults, no matter what their perverted brain may accept.


33 posted on 05/25/2014 1:12:47 PM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FlingWingFlyer

Sad but true. Pedophilia will be the next “sexual orientation” the left will demand to make a protected class and they’ll demonize all who disagree with it as “racist.”


34 posted on 05/25/2014 1:14:13 PM PDT by ReformationFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: GrandJediMasterYoda
"Can they use this technology on liberals, why they find marxism and terrorism attractive and why they support pedophiles?"

Homosexuals, pedophiles, and farm-animalophiles make up a major voting block in he Democrat Party's constituency.

35 posted on 05/25/2014 1:14:36 PM PDT by DJ Taylor (Once again our country is at war,and once again the Democrats have sided with our enemy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: billorites

Two things wrong here. 1). It’s not their fault. 2). We can identify all sorts of undesirables before they’re born.


36 posted on 05/25/2014 1:15:10 PM PDT by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: albie

Good one!


37 posted on 05/25/2014 1:15:19 PM PDT by Lizavetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: livius

“And in any case, it doesn’t matter. They still have no right to abuse children or adults, no matter what their perverted brain may accept.”

Bingo. But will our dumbed-down uber socialistic society still retain the common sense to realize that?


38 posted on 05/25/2014 1:15:38 PM PDT by ReformationFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: billorites

Only a pedophile could supposedly find that pedophile brains are wired that way. We have heard similar claims regarding homosexuality. WE hear that said about every moral failing.

Word to the world: It’s called “Sin Nature”. WE are ALL wired to sin (proclivity, not a specific sin). That is why we have to guard ourselves - reject sin. Flee from sin.

God is not the author of sin, nor does He tempt us to sin.


39 posted on 05/25/2014 1:16:02 PM PDT by TheBattman (Isn't the lesser evil... still evil?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites
oh, so now its a genetic defect and we'll have to have laws against discriminating against them....

we are Sodom and Gomorrah.....if we ever allow open pedophilia, its really, really all over, said and done....

40 posted on 05/25/2014 1:16:02 PM PDT by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-129 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson