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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
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To: ilovesarah2012

People were pointing out during the sodomite “marriage” debate that the next step was to unshackle “intergenerational intimacy”. What you are seeing is part of the process. The sodomites have been after this forever - it’s included in their first “manifesto” from the 70s, and abolishing the age of consent (or lowering it) is openly promoted in Europe.


81 posted on 05/25/2014 2:27:19 PM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
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To: billorites

IOW, it won’t be their fault so they won’t be punished.


82 posted on 05/25/2014 2:32:27 PM PDT by bgill
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To: Salamander

I was thinking that the only “wiring” involved would need to take into account the standard color code - black is hot, white is neutral.


83 posted on 05/25/2014 2:32:31 PM PDT by Bob
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To: albie

Good point.


84 posted on 05/25/2014 2:33:30 PM PDT by discipler (How's that 'hope and change' working for 'ya? - RL)
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To: billorites

“exposing them to “high arousing” images of men, women, boys, and girls”

Anyone see any problems here?


85 posted on 05/25/2014 2:37:24 PM PDT by JimSp
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To: billorites

Easily re-wired.

86 posted on 05/25/2014 2:42:44 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: driftdiver

You seem to be a lonely voice on this thread, but you are entirely correct. This is what they did with homosexuality. They defined it as normal and worked to decriminalize it. Once decriminalized, they moved on to make it socially acceptable. We are now at the stage where any criticism is considered a hate crime.

Pedophilia will follow a similar path. The difference is that children have zero chance of defending and protecting themselves against pedophile adults. Once society is forced to stop protecting them, our society will be doomed.


87 posted on 05/25/2014 2:43:00 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: billorites

Anyone doing real science anymore? How about putting a hypothesis out there first? It is always easy to assign a pre-determined answer to chosen evidence if you want to make an argument go your way.


88 posted on 05/25/2014 2:49:12 PM PDT by jettester (I got paid to break 'em - not fly 'em)
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To: billorites

Great, problem solved definitively. Check their wiring, if it is hooked up wrong take them out and shoot them. Problem solved.


89 posted on 05/25/2014 2:52:23 PM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ("There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: billorites

My #32 Louisville Slugger is attracted to pedophiles maws and noggins.


90 posted on 05/25/2014 2:53:31 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: billorites

Folks, I understand the gut reaction and share it. But you are all missing one big fact. this scientific finding supposedly has medical proof of ...quote “A B N O R M A L”.

It’s all in the verbage folks.

Now also, it holds that homosexuals will also have their brains ‘wired’ in a similar manner. This is NOT going to go over well as they just gave our side the holy grail to put the brakes on this gay/pedo insanity. IF we scream it long and loud and not ever stop.


91 posted on 05/25/2014 3:01:24 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart (How's that 'lesser evil' workin' out for ya?)
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

I agree.


92 posted on 05/25/2014 3:05:59 PM PDT by jch10 (The Democrat mascot shouldnÂ’t be the donkey; it should be the tick.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper
Our brains are wired to execute pedophiles.

Channeling Gen. Sir Charles Napier?

93 posted on 05/25/2014 3:06:59 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: driftdiver

Isn`t the purpose of medicine to FIX medical issues? So why are doctors fixing ANY birth defects,cleft palates,heart problems etc if it`s “all good”. Doesn`t the medical profession treat(and hope to cure) miswiring that causes epilepsy? So miswiring that explains pedophilia_and homosexuality -is ok and no fixing needed?? If it can be fixed in childhood who would WANT a pedophile for a child?? Why look for the causes of anything broken if there is no interest in fixing it??


94 posted on 05/25/2014 3:14:14 PM PDT by ClearBlueSky (When anyone says its not about Islam...it's about Islam. That death cult must be eradicated.)
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To: billorites

I’ve beleived this for a long time - it’s hard wired with no cure.

One thing - I also believe that many more are hard wired in this way, but don’t act out this ‘fantasy’ either fearing getting caught or simply because it’s the wrong thing to do.

Therefore, it’s those that act out that are the horrenous problem and once identified - jail for life or death.


95 posted on 05/25/2014 3:22:01 PM PDT by relentlessly
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To: billorites

What a cra* study. First of all, they used only males. And I believe they knew who was a pedophile to start with.


96 posted on 05/25/2014 3:23:31 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: billorites

“Pedophiles’ brains are “abnormally tuned” to find young children attractive,”

Then wouldn’t homosexuals be just as “abnormally tuned”?
Or liberals for that matter?


97 posted on 05/25/2014 3:30:10 PM PDT by Slambat
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To: knarf

“Now, all we have to do is map the DNA, find that “sexual orientation” section, determine who’s got the bad wiring and kill them.”

Nope. That and that alone would kill the abortion industry
over night.


98 posted on 05/25/2014 3:33:31 PM PDT by Slambat
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To: billorites

I don’t think it is inherent that Pedophiles are wired differently, but that the brain becomes rewired due to repeated experiences of associating fantasy sex and children.


99 posted on 05/25/2014 3:33:40 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: Gumdrop

The connection isn’t understood, but the rate of left-handedness amongst pedophiles is about 3 times. It’s not a small correlation.

http://rense.com/general67/left.htm


100 posted on 05/25/2014 3:42:06 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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