Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00251)

Hi Kym,

The reason I think CWL might have dealt differently with his
drives now is that it wasn't really children he was attracted
to, but adolescents as best I can tell from the evidence.  And
that indicates that sexually, but not psychologically mature
teenagers were what appealed to him.

Now, living in a society that said all homosexual desire was
monstrous, and in which approaching an adult could lead to
disastrous consequences, I think perhaps CWL displaced his
drives to "safe" targets.  That is, adolescents who were
relatively powerless and whom he could control.

Our society is still pretty hung up on equating youth with
sexual desirability.  Lust after an 18-year-old, and you're a
normal red-blooded American.  Lust after a 17-year-old, and
you're a perverted monster.  Unless you're in a different
country with a different age of consent, which can go as low as
14.

Don't really know enough about the psychology of all this to
answer in detail but I do think pedophiles are quite
specifically fixated on prepubescents and it is that group that
is absolutely incurable.  Those drawn to teenagers are
responding to the mixed messages given in our society, and to
the power differential that makes them seem "easier."  They
still do tremendous damage, of course, which is inexcusable in
any case.

Just speculating.

KPJ