Moral attitudes toward adult-child sex among men with and without pedohebephilia

This study attempts to measure cognitions about adult-child sex by approaching the issue from a perspective of moral attitudes. We assessed ratings regarding direct and indirect harmfulness, nonconsent, exploitation, and differences in adults' and children’s sexualities based on a description of adult-child sex without apparent child discomfort among an online sample of 120 pedohebephilic and 89 nonpedohebephilic German-speaking men. The results show that only 7.5% among pedohebephilic men had equal or less permissive attitudes than the average control, while 4.5% of nonpedohebephilic men had equal or more permissive attitudes than the average pedohebephilic man. Both groups did not, however, differ in their appraisal that children may suffer indirect harm via stigmatization. The findings also indicate that the moral perception of adult-child sex shows little differentiation among German-speaking lay people. We discuss the relevance of these findings for clinical practice and propose ideas for subsequent research.

source: Abstract from the study 'What if the Child Appears to Enjoy It? Moral Attitudes Toward Adult-Child Sex Among Men With and Without Pedohebephilia' by Sara Jahnke, Sabine Schmitt & Agustín Malón; www.researchgate.net/publication/311583631_What_if_the_Child_Appears_to_Enjoy_It_Moral_Attitudes_Toward_Adult-Child_Sex_Among_Men_With_and_Without_Pedohebephilia; The Journal of Sex Research; January 2017