Actually, like depression and bipolar disorder, the urges and feelings exist on a spectrum. No two people are identical, and some people do not have 'VERY strong' urges. But this article is talking about the ones who desperately need help, so they're probably the ones with the strongest urges to overcome, same as…

Semantically, "pedophilia" refers only to desires, not to actions.

Well, because the question is specifically about how mutable sexual desire is. Talking about the urge to murder isn't relevant. In the source article, they discuss some of the forms of sexual retraining "treatment" that used to be used to "cure" homosexuality, in the context of wondering if they might help pedophiles.…

Is that really a thing? (Not being snarky; honestly curious.) I'd always thought the primary reason was an overwhelming attraction to youth. Like, most people are wired to find youth (and outward signs of health) sexually appealing, but with pedophiles...something just went too far in that direction.

Hmmm... that doesn't fit with the description of powerful physical urge described here. Perhaps being being attracted to the lack of consent is what distinguishes offenders and non offenders?

So you're for punishing people for thought crimes? Way to go Captain 'Murrica....

Neither is the young man in the article. He has an attraction he feels is completely natural to him that he can't change. Its not substantively different from an orientation. His orientation necessitates that fulfilling it is criminal, which is why we use different semantic terms, but substantively they are more…

I have to agree. I can't understand this attitude people have of not wanting to treat these people before they offend. Shouldn't that be the goal? What I find interesting is it seems that this disorder, or sexuality, has an obsessive/compulsive component to it as well. For example, I've known many gay and straight…

Does your gut say "throw people with bipolar disorder" in a volcano too? Because again, mental disorder.

Fair enough, but from the little you've written it seems like you're inventing two different words for the same thing in order to make pedophilia seem artificially curable. Maybe if you could explain what distinguishes a sexual orientation from this second thing that pedophilia is.

What is the operational difference between a "sexual orientation" and a "paraphilic disorder"? It seems like they both mean a "more or less immutable desire for a certain kind of sex".

Are you just trying to prevent guilt-by-association "pedophiles and LGBT people are the same!" type stuff? I feel for you in that…

Did you read Adam's account of his desires? The way he describes it, it doesn't sound like it's about dominance or non-consent for him. Of course I know he has every reason to spin the truth into something more palatable. I just wondered what you and others who think it's a dominance issue thought of what he had to…

seems like a mere semantic difference.

This has nothing to do with individuals who are members of the LGBTQ community. Nothing.

Doesn't matter, and it's useless to try and draw those distinctions. What does it do? Make you feel better about yourself? Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean society is forced to condone it. Likewise, just because something is "chosen" doesn't mean that society can condemn it.

Which you have decided for the species based on...what exactly? Decades of academic work? Your years as a professor of psychiatry? Your personal research into neuroscience?

In 1999, a friend of mine at the time said to me, "We should just round up all gay people and shoot them in the head." I said, "REALLY???" like he was a crazy person. I think that was a teachable moment for him, maybe. At least about the fact that not everyone agreed with him. So yeah, if you're hurting children,…

What's the actual difference? Male homosexuality was thought to be a disorder linked to narcissism until recently, but that thinking has been dropped.

That's it - I've heard of pedophiles even entering monastic situations so they have no chance of being in contact with children. If people want to get help and are smart enough to get it before they do anything to hurt anyone, they should not be punished.

I applaud the bravery and compassion of all of the doctors who are addressing this issue. It sums up my thoughts on pedophilia, which are not acceptable by the vast majority of people.