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"Long
before it's in the papers" RETURN TO THE WORLD SCIENCE HOME PAGE A predisposition to pedophilia? Oct. 23, 2007 Male pedophiles are shorter than average, hinting at
possible biological factors behind pedophilia, a study has found. Sexual abuse
in childhood can lead to mental problems including depression,
substance abuse and anxiety disorders, according to psychologists.
(Photo courtesy morgueFile) Send us a comment on this story, or send it to a friend
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Pedophilic males are shorter than average, hinting at a possible biological basis for pedophilia, a study has found. This doesn’t mean pedophiles aren’t “criminally responsible for their behavior,” said psychologist James Cantor of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the lead researcher. “But the discovery of biological markers for pedophilia has important implications for future study and possibly treatment.” The results suggest pedophiles experienced pre-birth conditions that affected their brain or other physical development, said the researchers, whose findings are to appear in the research journal Sexual Abuse. They reviewed files of over 1,000 men who were assessed for pedophilia or other sexual disorders between 1995 and 2006 at the Kurt Freund Laboratory in Toronto. Difference in average height is also found in other illnesses with biological links, Cantor and colleagues said. The average difference was 2 cm (0.8 inches), they added, similar to shorter height associated with schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease. Previous research by the group had also found pedophiles suffered more head injuries as children, have lower IQs, are three times more likely to be left-handed, and failed school courses significantly more often than average. |
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