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Forum: Polls

Thread (Discussion): Poll 1031 - Do you consider the terms "pedophile" and "child molester" to have the same meaning?

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Message 142514 (In Reply to Message 122858)

Posted by rebel51 on Dec 18, 2004 12:17 PM | Also by rebel51

Gender: Female, Age Bracket: 50 - 59, State: California, Country: United States

personally I think that there are 3 catagorys.

#1- pedophile, someone who can look at a child and have a sexual reaction.
#2-child molester, that is the pedophile who has gone to the next level...they have the child picked out and are 'working' on the child. Little hugs, compliments..whatever that person thinks will get him/her to the next level.
#3-rapist, that is the child molester who has accomplished what he/she set out to do, have sex with a child.

I know that on TV they use the word pedophile and child molester for the same thing, to me they are not the same thing and neither one should be used to describe an adult having sex with a child. That needs a bigger word..one that is as vicious as the act that was commited.

See an abbreviation or acronym, but don't know what it stands for? Consult the Glossary.

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Message 122858

Posted by steve on Dec 10, 2003 02:08 PM | Also by steve

Gender: Male, Age Bracket: 30 - 39, State: Virginia, Country: United States

> One of your optional answers was something like, they are not 
> pedophiles because they may not act on their feelings.

The choice you are referring to is "No, because not all pedophiles act on their thoughts."

> That's like saying  a murderer is not a murderer unless s/he
> murders.

I'll try to explain the intent of the poll in different wording than I used in the poll.  The goal was to determine whether users considered the terms "pedophile" and "child molester" to mean the same thing or if not, what they considered to be the difference between the two terms.  The word "act" in the choice I quoted above is vague, but the implication was whether the user believed that all people who are considered pedophiles act on their attraction to children.

> That's like saying  a murderer is not a murderer unless s/he murders.

It's more akin to saying that someone who has regular thoughts about killing drivers who cut him/her off while driving isn't a murderer until he/she murders a fellow driver.  The distinction is the difference between a thought and an act.  So the question is really equivalent to this 2 part question "Have all adults who are attracted to children actually molested a child and are all adults who have molested children attracted to children?"

A large percentage of child molesters actually are not considered pedophiles because their molestations were either situtational or motivated by power, not sexual attraction.  And since it's logical that not all pedophiles have molested yet and arguable that not all pedophiles will eventually molest, they are not equivalent.  
Pedophilia describes an attraction, molestation describes an act.  One may believe that all pedophiles have or will molest and all molesters are pedophiles, but that's actually not accurate and unfounded.  It's complicated by the media misusing the word "pedophile" to describe anyone accused or alleged of molesting.

The poll sought to see if users understood either (or both) of those differences.

> It really doesn't make any sense, at least not to me.

I hope that it's clearer now.  I'm glad to discuss or elaborate if you'd like.

> The term "child molester" is too soft.  It certainly does not describe
> with any accuracy, what a predator does to the life of a child.

I agree that the word "molest" is too soft, especially when describing sexual abuse that involves penetration and violence.  The word doesn't conjure up the severity.  Not to focus on a minor point, but a child molester isn't always a predator.

> "Pedophile" is too technical.  Let's call it what it is: rape/vicious
> assault/person who should be put in jail for the rest of his or her life.

Again, a pedophile is a person attracted to children.  An attraction doesn't necessarilly imply a current, past or future act will occur.  And it doesn't imply that if sexual abuse of a child does take place that it will be vicious or rape.  Obviously some pedophiles have or will sexually abuse children, but some won't, some that do won't rape or commit a violent act and some that do aren't predators.  I'm not trying to minimize child sexual abuse and when I used the word "some" throughout instead of other words like few/many/most because my point was simply that these terms are not equivalent.  I respect that some draw conclusions and correlations and prefer to generalize, but the fact remains that the two terms are not identical.  I'm not surprised that only 16% chose the answer that was actually correct though since the general perception is that the two terms are the same or that a high enough percentage of pedophiles are molesters and vice versa that people are comfortable to use them interchangably even though they are in fact different.

I hope that makes sense.  If you'd like to comment or discuss further feel free to.

Thread

121952, admin, Nov 19, 2003 04:30 PM [Introduction]
      122552, ericblair, Dec 01, 2003 10:36 PM [Options]
            122858, steve, Dec 10, 2003 02:08 PM
                  142514, rebel51, Dec 18, 2004 12:17 PM
                        142525, brennus, Dec 18, 2004 05:59 PM
                        142527, steve, Dec 18, 2004 06:07 PM
                              142545, rebel51, Dec 19, 2004 11:48 AM
                              143482, oioi, Jan 08, 2005 05:10 PM [poll 1031]
                        142538, orolan, Dec 19, 2004 02:47 AM [reb]
                              142546, rebel51, Dec 19, 2004 12:48 PM
                                    142557, orolan, Dec 19, 2004 03:27 PM
      165836, anti, Oct 30, 2005 06:11 PM [ No...]

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Forum: PollsThread (Discussion): Poll 1031 - Do you consider the terms "pedophile" and "child molester" to have the same meaning?

Message 142514 (In Reply to Message 122858)

Message 122858

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Forum: Polls

Thread (Discussion): Poll 1031 - Do you consider the terms "pedophile" and "child molester" to have the same meaning?