Pedophiles and Child Molesters
The Slaughter of Innocence
Pedophile Characteristics
A pedophile will usually exhibit a series of personality
characteristics that are common in this type of offender. It is
important to understand that these characteristics alone do not
conclusively determine that a person is a pedophile. But if these
indicators, combined with a pattern of behaviour that arouses
suspicion, are present then there may be enough probable cause to
believe that the person is a pedophile.
He carries on what can be termed "a special relationship" with a wife.
Often pedophiles have failed marriages due to their sexual interests
but remain in the marriage to mask their true intentions. Sadly, the
wife sometimes knows about her husband's preference, but prefers to
keep quiet to avoid social stigma and disgrace.
He displays a fascination or unusual interest in children. If an adult
has an inordinate amount of interest in pre-pubescent children, it
doesn't confirm he is a pedophile, but it should at least arouse
suspicion.
He makes frequent references to children in exalted or exaggerated
terms such as "pure," "innocent," "God sent," "blissful" and other
descriptive labels that seem inappropriate and excessive. Remember that
a pedophile cannot help the way he behaves and therefore will
inadvertently reveal aspects about himself during speech.
He has hobbies or interests that commonly belong in the realm of a
child's world such as toy collecting, building models of cars or
planes. His home or room is decorated in a child's theme. And often,
that theme will reflect the age bracket of his preferred victim.
He is over 30 years of age, single and has few or no friends his own
age. He may also have frequent and unexplained changes of residence. He
may be unable or unwilling to discuss why he lost his last job. He may
have a military discharge that he cannot explain and a past that he
cannot easily talk about.
He has systematic and prolonged access to children. Pedophiles, because
of the wide age disparity between themselves and their victims, cannot
just hang around children. The pedophile has to find a way to
legitimize his contact with kids. He usually accomplishes this by
obtaining employment in a field where he is forced to deal with
children on a daily basis. Jobs like schoolteachers, bus drivers, camp
counselors, photographers and sports coaching serve their needs
perfectly. They will always volunteer for activities in which they are
left alone with children with no parental supervision..
Pedophiles are also very adept at locating troubled or withdrawn
children. They have acquired this skill through years of trial and
error. They have come to identify what usually works and what usually
doesn't. The most common technique used by pedophiles to obtain sex
from children is the seduction method. This process is very similar to
the classic boy/girl courtship. Though the child might be under
10-years-old, the pedophile will lavish gifts upon the target, take him
or her to amusement parks, museums, restaurants and other places of
interest. This author recalls a case in which a pedophile attempted to
seduce a child who had an interest in music. The suspect escorted the
boy to expensive Broadway plays like Phantom of the Opera and Miss
Saigon. Afterwards, they ate in fashionable Manhattan cafes and went
sightseeing. The child was just 8 years old. In another recent case,
reported by the New York Times (February 2, 2000), a Bronx man lured
neighbourhood children to his apartment with Pokemon cards and Chinese
food. He then abused a number of children after giving them marijuana
and screening pornographic videos. The abused children later got
together and attempted to set fire to the suspect's apartment.
If the target is a troubled child, the pedophile will comfort and
sympathize with him or her. Often, over a period, the child will
develop feelings for the offender even though he is being actively
abused. The dynamics at work in this type of situation are well known
to psychologists. This process of sympathizing with the offender has
been called Stockholm syndrome. It was first recognized in 1973 after a
notorious bank robbery in Sweden in which the hostages taken by the
suspects began to develop feelings of attachment toward their captors.
Children who are sexually victimized can feel the same way. This is
often the case when the offender happens to be a member of the clergy
or another traditional figure of trust. In early 2002, an elementary
school bus driver pleaded guilty in Westchester County Court, New York,
to abusing 9-year-old children on his bus during the trip home each
day. The abuse may have gone on for as long as 15 years with a
succession of students. In cases such as this, the events will not be
reported because of the emotional attachment between offender and
victim. Remember that pedophiles are masters in the manipulation of
children. However, as the victim matures into adulthood, these
benevolent feelings toward the abuser often dissipate and the painful
truth of the abuse sets in.
More information available at a very informative Website:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/
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