Hebephilia
Encyclopedia
Hebephilia refers to the sexual preference for individuals in the early years of puberty
(generally ages 11–14, though onset of puberty may vary). Girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11; boys at age 11 or 12. Hebephilia differs from ephebophilia
, which refers to the sexual preference for individuals in later adolescence
, and from pedophilia
, which refers to the sexual preference for prepubescent children. While individuals with a sexual preference for adults (i.e., teleiophiles) may have some sexual interest in pubescent-aged individuals, the term hebephilia is reserved for those who prefer pubescent-aged individuals over adults. The term was introduced by Glueck (1955), who later credited it, without citation, to Paul Benedict.
Debate is ongoing over whether hebephilia is a mental disorder, with Ray Blanchard
and a number of his colleagues from CAMH
arguing for its inclusion in the DSM-5
. The proposal has been criticized by Richard Green
, Allen Frances
, Michael First
(DSM-IV editor), Karen Franklin
, Charles Allen Moser
, William O'Donohue
, and other mental health professionals on various grounds. The current draft of the DSM-5, on which Blanchard serves as as Chair of the Paraphilias Sub-Work Group, includes Blanchard's proposal.
s have been studied however. A team from CAMH
has published a series of research articles comparing biologically relevant characteristics of clinical samples of pedophiles
, hebephiles, and teleiophiles (individuals with a sexual preference for adults). In such samples, hebephilic men are midway between pedophilic men and teleiophilic men on average IQ
, memory test scores, and rates of school grade failures over and above the IQ differences, with pedophiles scoring the lowest on the first two measures and highest on the third. Hebephiles score midway between pedophiles and teleiophiles in rates of non-right-handedness, rates of having suffered childhood head injuries, and physical height.
The name is based on the Greek goddess of youth Hebe (mythology)
, a daughter of Zeus
and Hera
. She is also known as Ganymeda, or in Roman: Juventas. Words such as juvenile are based on that form. The suffix -phil-
based on Philia
is also Greek, meaning love.
was the lead author of an influential paper proposing the introduction of hebephilia in the DSM-5
. The paper, coauthored mostly with colleagues from CAMH
and the University of Toronto
, triggered a number of reactions, many of them critical on the basis that it pathologizes reproductively valid behavior in order to uphold current social and legal standards. Critics include Richard Green
, Michael First
(DSM-IV editor), Karen Franklin
, and Charles Allen Moser
, while others like William O'Donohue
argue that the proposal does not go far enough. Clinical psychologist Joseph J. Plaud criticized Blanchard's study for lacking a control group of "normal" men, and other methodological issues, leading him to conclude that "The data do not support the conclusions reached in this article, especially the inclusion of a significant change to the DSM-V". Blanchard replied to these concerns. Franklin maintains a list of publications discussing the new diagnosis.
The proposed DSM-5 replacement for the pedophilia diagnosis, called pedohebophilic disorder, largely reflects the proposal of Blanchard and his colleagues. The naming of the new disorder also reflects the more general distinction proposed between paraphilia
and paraphilic disorder in DSM-5.
At the annual meeting of the American Association of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL) a group of forensic psychiatrists working with sex offenders made a symbolic vote on the inclusion of Pedohebephilia in DSM-5, with 2 votes for and 31 against. At the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders meeting in Oslo another vote was made with 1 vote for and 100 against.
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
(generally ages 11–14, though onset of puberty may vary). Girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11; boys at age 11 or 12. Hebephilia differs from ephebophilia
Ephebophilia
Ephebophilia is the sexual preference of adults for mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19. The term was originally used in the late 19th to mid 20th century, and has been more recently revisited by Ray Blanchard. It is one of a number of sexual preferences across age groups subsumed...
, which refers to the sexual preference for individuals in later adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, and from pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
, which refers to the sexual preference for prepubescent children. While individuals with a sexual preference for adults (i.e., teleiophiles) may have some sexual interest in pubescent-aged individuals, the term hebephilia is reserved for those who prefer pubescent-aged individuals over adults. The term was introduced by Glueck (1955), who later credited it, without citation, to Paul Benedict.
Debate is ongoing over whether hebephilia is a mental disorder, with Ray Blanchard
Ray Blanchard
Ray Milton Blanchard is an American-Canadian sexologist, best known for his research studies on pedophilia, gender dysphoria, and sexual orientation. He has also published research studies on phallometry and several paraphilias, including transvestism and autoerotic asphyxia.-Education and...
and a number of his colleagues from CAMH
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
arguing for its inclusion in the DSM-5
DSM-5
The next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , commonly called DSM-5 , is currently in consultation, planning and preparation...
. The proposal has been criticized by Richard Green
Richard Green (sexologist)
Richard Green is an American sexologist, psychiatrist, lawyer, and author specializing in homosexuality and transsexualism, specifically gender identity disorder in children. Green is the founding editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior , and served as Editor until 2001...
, Allen Frances
Allen Frances
Allen J. "Al" Frances is an American psychiatrist. He was chair of the DSM-IV Task Force. He also served as Chair of the department of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine...
, Michael First
Michael First
Michael B. First is an American psychiatrist who focuses on diagnostic criteria for mental disorders. He is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University. First was the Editor of the DSM-IV-TR, the Editor of Text and Criteria for the DSM-IV, and the editor of the Structured Clinical...
(DSM-IV editor), Karen Franklin
Karen Franklin
Karen Franklin is a forensic psychologist known for her research on the psychosocial motivations of antigay violence perpetrators. She is adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University.-Career:...
, Charles Allen Moser
Charles Allen Moser
Charles Allen Moser is an American physician specializing in internal medicine and focusing on sexual medicine. Moser is based in San Francisco and focuses his research and practice on individuals in the LGBT, kink, and fetish communities...
, William O'Donohue
William O'Donohue
William T. "Bill" O'Donohue is an American psychologist who focuses on human sexuality, especially child sexual abuse. In 2009 O'Donohue was appointed as advisor to the DSM-V Work Group on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.-Life and career:O'Donohue...
, and other mental health professionals on various grounds. The current draft of the DSM-5, on which Blanchard serves as as Chair of the Paraphilias Sub-Work Group, includes Blanchard's proposal.
Etiology and etymology
As with sexual preference in general, it is not known what causes someone to prefer a pubescent rather than an adult individual for sexual reasons. A number of biological associationAssociation (statistics)
In statistics, an association is any relationship between two measured quantities that renders them statistically dependent. The term "association" refers broadly to any such relationship, whereas the narrower term "correlation" refers to a linear relationship between two quantities.There are many...
s have been studied however. A team from CAMH
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
has published a series of research articles comparing biologically relevant characteristics of clinical samples of pedophiles
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
, hebephiles, and teleiophiles (individuals with a sexual preference for adults). In such samples, hebephilic men are midway between pedophilic men and teleiophilic men on average IQ
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
, memory test scores, and rates of school grade failures over and above the IQ differences, with pedophiles scoring the lowest on the first two measures and highest on the third. Hebephiles score midway between pedophiles and teleiophiles in rates of non-right-handedness, rates of having suffered childhood head injuries, and physical height.
The name is based on the Greek goddess of youth Hebe (mythology)
Hebe (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Hēbē is the goddess of youth . She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia, until she was married to Heracles ; her successor was the young Trojan prince Ganymede...
, a daughter of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
and Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
. She is also known as Ganymeda, or in Roman: Juventas. Words such as juvenile are based on that form. The suffix -phil-
-phil-
Suffixes with the common part -phil- are used to specify some kind of attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something...
based on Philia
Philia
Philia is one of the four ancient Greek words for love.Philia in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is usually translated as 'friendship', though in fact his use of the term is much broader.- Aristotle's view :...
is also Greek, meaning love.
Prevalence of hebephilia versus pedophilia
There are clinical and correctional samples of sexual offenders in which hebephilic men outnumber the pedophilic men. Moreover, anonymous surveys of people sexually interested in children more frequently report an erotic interest in pubescents rather than in prepubescents.DSM-5
In 2008, Ray BlanchardRay Blanchard
Ray Milton Blanchard is an American-Canadian sexologist, best known for his research studies on pedophilia, gender dysphoria, and sexual orientation. He has also published research studies on phallometry and several paraphilias, including transvestism and autoerotic asphyxia.-Education and...
was the lead author of an influential paper proposing the introduction of hebephilia in the DSM-5
DSM-5
The next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , commonly called DSM-5 , is currently in consultation, planning and preparation...
. The paper, coauthored mostly with colleagues from CAMH
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
and the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, triggered a number of reactions, many of them critical on the basis that it pathologizes reproductively valid behavior in order to uphold current social and legal standards. Critics include Richard Green
Richard Green (sexologist)
Richard Green is an American sexologist, psychiatrist, lawyer, and author specializing in homosexuality and transsexualism, specifically gender identity disorder in children. Green is the founding editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior , and served as Editor until 2001...
, Michael First
Michael First
Michael B. First is an American psychiatrist who focuses on diagnostic criteria for mental disorders. He is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University. First was the Editor of the DSM-IV-TR, the Editor of Text and Criteria for the DSM-IV, and the editor of the Structured Clinical...
(DSM-IV editor), Karen Franklin
Karen Franklin
Karen Franklin is a forensic psychologist known for her research on the psychosocial motivations of antigay violence perpetrators. She is adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University.-Career:...
, and Charles Allen Moser
Charles Allen Moser
Charles Allen Moser is an American physician specializing in internal medicine and focusing on sexual medicine. Moser is based in San Francisco and focuses his research and practice on individuals in the LGBT, kink, and fetish communities...
, while others like William O'Donohue
William O'Donohue
William T. "Bill" O'Donohue is an American psychologist who focuses on human sexuality, especially child sexual abuse. In 2009 O'Donohue was appointed as advisor to the DSM-V Work Group on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.-Life and career:O'Donohue...
argue that the proposal does not go far enough. Clinical psychologist Joseph J. Plaud criticized Blanchard's study for lacking a control group of "normal" men, and other methodological issues, leading him to conclude that "The data do not support the conclusions reached in this article, especially the inclusion of a significant change to the DSM-V". Blanchard replied to these concerns. Franklin maintains a list of publications discussing the new diagnosis.
The proposed DSM-5 replacement for the pedophilia diagnosis, called pedohebophilic disorder, largely reflects the proposal of Blanchard and his colleagues. The naming of the new disorder also reflects the more general distinction proposed between paraphilia
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
and paraphilic disorder in DSM-5.
At the annual meeting of the American Association of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL) a group of forensic psychiatrists working with sex offenders made a symbolic vote on the inclusion of Pedohebephilia in DSM-5, with 2 votes for and 31 against. At the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders meeting in Oslo another vote was made with 1 vote for and 100 against.
External links
- Pedophiles, Hebephiles, and Ephebophiles, Oh My: Erotic Age Orientation, in Scientific American
- James CantorJames CantorJames M. Cantor is a clinical psychologist specializing in sexology. He is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, and the Head of the Law and Mental Health Research Section of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.He is...
- Karen FranklinKaren FranklinKaren Franklin is a forensic psychologist known for her research on the psychosocial motivations of antigay violence perpetrators. She is adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University.-Career:...
- Meet the Hebephiles, in Psychology Today