Psychological Profile Of The Pedophile: 8 Common Traits And Attitudes
It is not uncommon for news to be published from time to time in the media regarding cases in which one or more adults have been arrested for pedophilia or aspects linked to the practice of sexual activities with minors.
This is a phenomenon that is not so isolated: It is estimated that around 10 to 25% of the adult population has suffered at some point in their childhood. They have suffered throughout their childhood some type of sexual abuse (one in four girls and one in eight boys).
That is why psychology, criminology and other disciplines have analyzed the characteristics of those who carry out such abuse: pedophiles. Although due to the high variability in the cases there are a large number to take into account, below are a series of characteristics and elements that have been frequently found when establishing a psychological profile of the pedophile.
Pedophilia is considered a situation in which a minor suffers sexual abuse by an adult This includes all types of conduct or behavior in which the minor is used as a sexual object, taking advantage of the difference in maturity, age or power between the minor and the other subject.
In general, these subjects tend to have preserved mental abilities, being able to discern at a cognitive level between what is good and what is not. That is why they are considered fully aware and responsible for their actions, and therefore attributable.
Types of pedophile
Attempts to classify behavior and establish a basic profile of the pedophile and pedophile have led to the development of some typologies in this regard. Specifically, the presence of two basic types has been reflected
1. Situational or incidental pedophile
This type of sexual abuser does not have a sexuality restricted to minors, frequently having a partner with whom he or she can establish relationships normally. This type of individual He does not have a specific preference for a type of victim, but rather takes advantage of the opportunities he has to commit abuse
It is not uncommon for pedophiles of this type to have also suffered abuse in childhood. This is the most common type of pedophile and the one who most tends to attack members of his own family.
2. Preferential pedophile
These types of pedophiles usually have a greater number of victims. They establish a series of characteristics that attract them more than others, and they tend to have a life more linked to the search for their object of desire
They do not usually have a partner or if they do, they use it as a cover, and they generally tend to be dedicated or located near places with access to minors. They tend to have more compulsive behavior than situational ones.
Common aspects between this type of subjects
Although the circumstances surrounding each case are particular and not all characteristics are applicable to all situations, there are a series of elements that are usually common to the various types of pedophiles.
1. Sex and age
Generally, the typical profile of a pedophile is that of a middle-aged or elderly pedophile These are usually men between thirty and fifty years of age, although in many cases criminal behavior appears from adolescence.
Although the majority are men, there is a certain percentage of cases that varies between 10 and 25% in which the abusers are women. For the most part, male perpetrators tend to attack victims between eight and thirteen years old. In the case of sexual assaults carried out by women, it has been especially detected that the victims tend to be either under five years old or adolescents.
2. Personality characteristics
As in the case of rapists, as a general rule pedophiles do not tend to exhibit strange behavior. Their behavior is typical and habitual in most areas of life.
However, it is possible to observe, especially in those preferential type pedophiles, the existence of some relatively consistent personality patterns.
In general, the presence of very low self-esteem and little tolerance to stress stands out. In many cases the behavior is carried out impulsively, as a way to get rid of psychosocial stress. Besides, many also present feelings of inferiority, difficulties in their interpersonal relationships (although it is not something defining), and a certain level of immaturity. They tend to be reserved and withdrawn.
3. Lack of empathy
Although it could be included in the previous section, this characteristic deserves a special mention, and that is that As a general rule, pedophiles have a considerable lack of empathy in the sense that they are not able to connect with the suffering that their actions generate in the attacked minor or they voluntarily choose to ignore this fact.
However, this lack of empathy is usually expressed only in some cases, not in all types of social relationships they maintain. Somehow, they stop empathizing with certain people as they see fit, depending on their purposes and motivations.
4. They are usually linked or related to the victims
In the vast majority of cases, the abuser and the abused maintain some type of relationship generally family, work or neighborhood, it being uncommon for the act of pedophilia to be carried out by a stranger.
This is because it allows the creation of some type of pact that commits both parties and provides a certain security, a protection thanks to which it will be more difficult for the alarms to go off and for the authorities to find out what is happening.
5. They seek contact with minors
Linked to the previous point, as a general rule pedophiles and pedophiles tend to seek frequent contact with their object of desire, minors. That is why in many cases they are linked to the world of education or seek residence in places with easy access to minors.
In fact, pedophiles are usually capable of investing months or even years of almost daily contact with boys and girls before committing a crime. They create an alibi in the eyes of acquaintances and neighbors so that at first it does not seem strange that they are surrounded by minors, and during this stage they minimize the risk that they may be detected. Thanks to this strategy, they are gaining more and more opportunities to be alone with the little ones, since they have the trust of third parties, and they take advantage of it.
Although it is not a defining fact of pedophilia It is not uncommon for those subjects who carry out behaviors of this type to have in turn been mistreated and abused in childhood. This can cause learning from the stimulating situation in which the child ends up associating sexuality with an abusive situation, replicating the same situation in adulthood.
7. They do not usually use violence
Although in some cases there have been sadistic and cruel elements in the practice of their sexual activities, normally the result of previous traumatic experiences or the product of other mental disorders, as a general rule pedophiles do not usually use violence.
Their modus operandi is usually based on approaching and establishing a relationship of trust with the minor victim of abuse , something especially evident when we take into account that the vast majority of known cases have occurred between individuals who already knew each other beforehand. They gain access to minors through their work, blood ties or through networks (a phenomenon known as grooming), pretending to understand the minor’s life circumstances and producing curiosity and affection in them, trying to get closer little by little.
In fact, in many cases the victims themselves do not initially experience the abuse as such, being manipulated in such a way that they come to think that it is some kind of game or a way of relating to the adult in question.
8. They tend to justify themselves
Although in many cases detained pedophiles have expressed a certain relief upon being arrested, especially those cases in which they feel guilty, As a general rule, pedophiles tend to minimize the importance of the act or the damage caused to the victim
They frequently indicate that the relationship is not harmful to the minor, it is accepted and/or desired by the minor, or that there is an emotional bond that legitimizes the act, with no remorse for the abuse committed.
