Retrospective self-reports about childhood curiosity to see persons in the nude were used to compare the development of the erotic sex and age preferences among 4 groups of males: 46 heterosexual pedophiles, 30 homosexual pedophiles, 462 gynephiles (who erotically prefer physically mature females), and 51 androphiles (who erotically prefer physically mature males). Results suggest (1) the establishment of erotic sex preference precedes that of erotic age preference, and (2) a greater proportion of pedophiles than of individuals who prefer physically mature partners remembers curiosity in their own childhood to see nude children without remembering such curiosity in regard to adults. A further set of retrospective self-reports, obtained from 78 gynephilic male university students suggests that in gynephiles the erotic appeal of children of the preferred sex ceases by about the time of puberty.
(PA 80:33752)
How does pedophilia develop? There are no answers to this question yet, but this paper makes a start on the question by asking when pedophilia develops.
The research was done by asking individuals from several groups, including convicted child sexual abusers who were also admitted pedophiles, heterosexual men, and homosexual men, about their childhood curiosity to see nude persons. They did, in fact find a difference. Pedophiles tend to report that, as children they were more curious to see nude children, and less curious to see nude adults than the other groups. No women were included in the study because pedophilia among women is so rare.
What this suggests is that "erotic age preference" is determined at a fairly young age, no later than puberty, and very possibly earlier than that. This fits in with my own experience. My earliest sexual fantasies were about boys younger than myself. It also fits with the experience I've seen reported by other people. I've never seen anyone say that they just woke up one morning with a sexual interest in children.
Another part of the study was to ask heterosexual men at what age their sexual curiosity about seeing nude children substantially diminished. The mean age reported for this was 11.7 (with a standard deviation of 1.7 years).
This paper depends on two assumptions, both of which strike me as plausible but not rock solid. First, they assumed that curiosity to see persons in the nude was an indicator of erotic interest. Second, that the self reports were an accurate source of information.
Thus, the paper suggests that there is a system of erotic age preference which becomes developed around the age of puberty. Another result (from analyzing the differences between the responses of heterosexual and homosexual men) is that development of erotic sex preference precedes that of erotic age preference. However, it is impossible to conclude either of these points with any certainty for now.
Somebody Somewhere
(from NMV #45)