Psychiatric Association Debates Lifting Pedophilia Taboo

CNSNews.com ^ | 6/11/03 | Lawrence Morahan

[D. Miles]

yes, Let's change the definitions of "normal" behavior. Then we can all be part of a "if it feels good do it society"! The truly sick people are in charge in the mental ward!!!!

[jimt]

Someone can't understand whether they're a boy or a girl, and that's NOT abnormal?

[LizardQueen]

While obviously "normalizing" pedophilia is crazy (no pun intended), would removing it from the DSM-IV actually help court cases against pedophiles? It would still be illegal, and this could remove the mental-illness defense.

Burgulary is illegal and socially condemned. but a taste for it is not listed as a mental illness and can't be used for defense (though they certainly try a bunch of other avenues).

Just a thought,
LQ

[Kevin Curry]

Every last one of these f***ing nutcases should be locked in a crazy ward.

The "crazy ward" already exists. It's called "progressive, post-modern America" and it was built by feel-good liberals with the implicit support of the "ain't nobody's business if ya do" libertarians.

[Labyrinthos]

I think we're over-reacting. Nothing in the article even suggests that the APA is actually going to remove pedophilia from DSM-IV, and I bet that a poll of all APA members would show that the overwhelming majority (like 99%) are against the change. There is nothing wrong with debate, which often stimulates and focuses the mind and redefines the issues, and that's exactly what the APA was doing at this point in time.

That being said, removing pedophilia from DMS-IV might prove insignificant for several reasons. First, lots of behaviors are not specifically defined in the the DMS-IV, but that doesn't make the behavior any less deviant. Examples include homocide, rape, burglary, arson, assault, fraud, tax evasion, etc. Second, if pedophilia is not a mental illness under DSM-IV, then it is no longer subject to the insanity defense or similar defenses that try to excuse behavior on account of mental illness, and the perps will no longer get sentenced to mental health therapy because if pedophilia is not a mental disease, there is no sense wasting tax dollars on a mental cure. Just lock the sicko's up.

[goldstategop]

I'm afraid... if you haven't watched TV lately, you wouldn't understand. I confess I don't understand either why people have hangups about what sex they are supposed to be.

[nuconvert]

sounds scary at first, but reading the entire article, doesn't sound like anything will change. A bit alarmist.

[drlevy88]

Nothing in the article even suggests that the APA is actually going to remove pedophilia from DSM-IV, and I bet that a poll of all APA members would show that the overwhelming majority (like 99%) are against the change.

If these people are not VERY careful they will see a repeat performance of the weasely skullduggery that took homophilia out of their book. I.e. a late night vote with almost nobody there except the activists.

[Kevin Curry]

It would still be illegal, and this could remove the mental-illness defense.

Mental illness has NEVER been a defense to a charge of child molestation. On the contrary, the peculiar nature of the mental sickness of pedophilia (e.g, as evidenced by the extremely high recidivism rate) has always been used to ENHANCE punishment because long confinement has been considered the only practical way to keep the sickos away from children.

[Kevin Curry]

Second, if pedophilia is not a mental illness under DSM-IV, then it is no longer subject to the insanity defense or similar defenses that try to excuse behavior on account of mental illness, and the perps will no longer get sentenced to mental health therapy because if pedophilia is not a mental disease, there is no sense wasting tax dollars on a mental cure. Just lock the sicko's up.

Wrong. See post #29.

[William Terrell]

Homosexual activists have long argued that gender identity disorder should not be assumed to be abnormal.

My nomination for the Most Conflicted Statement of the year. Wonder what the reaction of any of these Honorable Doctors would be if they barged in and found "Uncle" Ben diddling their little boy, or little girl?

[epluribus_2]

And other psychiatrists have written, again in scientific journals, that if children can be forced to go to church, why should 'consent' be the defining moral issue when it comes to sex?" she said. this is the defining quote... it is not just the lunatics but rather the spawn of Hell running the ABA and the debate.

[LizardQueen]

Gender identity disorder and pedophilia are 2 different things - the gender thing is when a man feels like he's a woman trapped in a mans body or vice versa.

LQ

[from occupied ga]

It's called "progressive, post-modern America" and it was built by feel-good with the implicit support of the "ain't nobody's business if ya do" libertarians.

Near as I could tell this thread didn't have anything to do with libertarians until you brought them up. I gotta ask, was your mother frightened by a libertarian while you were in the womb? You are like the creationists trying to change every thread they can into an argument in favor of creationism (which btw is either the the third or fourth biggest pile of horse hocky known to modern society)

On one hand you libertarian bashers say that libertarians will never be able to do anything because of their numbers ie there are so few of them, and on the other you blame all of the ills of society on them. Which is it?

[epluribus_2]

it takes a village to steal the souls of your children.

[cardinal4]

long confinement has been considered the only practical way to keep the sickos away from children.

Its the only way next to a bullet, gurney or gallows.....

[drlevy88]

"it takes a village to steal the souls of your children."

I nominate this for quote-of-the-day

[Kevin Curry]

Again, if pedophilia is no longer considered by the medical community to be a mental disorder, it will be harder to keep the sickos locked up for long periods of time. Do you think that is a good idea?

[Kevin Curry]

Libertarians are DIRECTLY complicit in the moral destruction of this nation. They are, to paraphrase Edmund Burke, good men who see evil and do nothing.

If the shoe pinches, wince.

[from occupied ga]

An alternative title for this article could be, "Psychiatric Association Vastly Overrates Its Importance in Determining Criminal Behavior" Like anyone other them them thinks that they define normalcy.