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| Local View: Churches, and All of Us, Need to Better Understand Pedophilia By Barbara Dickenson Duluth News Tribune May 30, 2010 http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/170057/group/opinion/ The Catholic Church and society at large are paying a dear price for the church’s apparent rejection of the science of psychology. Years ago, when behavioral psychologists were denying the concept of sin and individual responsibility for behavior, when they were saying man is controlled by his environment and is unable to rise above it, the church declared war on psychology as a science. The Catholic Church and society at large are paying a dear price for the church’s apparent rejection of the science of psychology. Years ago, when behavioral psychologists were denying the concept of sin and individual responsibility for behavior, when they were saying man is controlled by his environment and is unable to rise above it, the church declared war on psychology as a science. Priest friends of mine have told me they were not allowed to study psychology, so knew little about it. We can assume that a lack of information about psychology extended to the very top of church hierarchy. Recently, a church official suggested publicly that homosexuality was to blame for pedophilia, demonstrating a lack of knowledge of facts related to pedophilia. Pedophilia is a mental disorder under the classification of obsessive compulsive disorder that cuts across all societal strata. Homosexuals are as likely or as unlikely to be pedophiles as blondes or brunettes; pedophiles can be anyone, according to the American Psychiatric Association. They can be old or young, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, professional or nonprofessional, male or female; or of any race. They can be teachers, parents, priests, pastors, businessmen, businesswomen or those of vocational persuasion. The vast majority of sexual abuse of children occurs within families, perpetrated by the natural father of a child or by a man living with a child’s mother. Whether a pedophile has a normal sexual partner or is celibate is irrelevant. Pedophilia’s classification as a mental disorder in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is based upon scientific research. Pedophilia is one of the “paraphilic” disorders. The manual states, “The paraphilic disorders have the essential feature of recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors that generally involve non-human subjects, children or other non-consenting adults.” Pedophilia is treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy; treatment usually also includes medications such as anti-androgens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Relapse prevention is extremely important with monitoring necessary to help individuals avoid a compulsion to repeat their crime. An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is, of course, performing a criminal and immoral act, and this is never to be considered behavior that can be excused because of a mental illness. Perpetrators must seek treatment immediately and subject themselves to monitoring and to whatever assistance is necessary to prevent a crime. Anyone who is aware of a crime should make a report to police. Often in the past, young men who applied to enter Catholic seminary were not properly screened. Screening entails a battery of psychological tests that can identify obsessions, compulsions or sexual deviancy. Results offer applicants a great deal of personal insight and would exclude some from the priesthood. Those rejected could have been counseled to seek vocational areas in which they could avoid exposure to children. It is unfortunate the church failed to use this opportunity to afford them this feedback. Later, as priests, when they confessed to their bishop or pastor that they had abused a child, had “sinned,” the bishop or pastor, completely ignorant of their probable compulsion to repeat the act and unaware of their need for professional help, often granted absolution and sent them on to do penance at another parish. Though the clergy was, and may still be, unaware of the guarded prognosis of pedophiles and their need for treatment, much of society has been ignorant both of pedophilia as a mental illness and of the traumatic effects of sexual abuse upon victims. We all are growing in understanding as information is more widely publicized. The church needs to recognize psychology as an important science and to take from it whatever can assist the church to protect children and to take better care of those who would serve in the clerical state. Barbara Dickenson of Superior is retired from private practice in clinical social work but maintains licensure for purposes of teaching and writing. She did her master’s work at a Jesuit university, worked with sex offenders in the Wisconsin prison system and was employed by Hennepin County Child Protection Services. |
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