ABSTRACT

Pedophilia is a significant public health problem. Despite its cost to society, little effort has been directed toward understanding idiographic differences in the development and maintenance of pedophilia. Extant literature emphasizes biological underpinnings and predictors of re-offense. In this article, we posit that pedophilic penchants in males originate due to language, cognition, emotions, and emotion regulation. Adverse childhood experiences, such as emotional and sexual abuse, are posited as a major contributor to the etiology of pedophilia. However, not all individuals attracted to minors present with similar childhood adversities. The development of pedophilia, in the absence of such direct training (childhood adversities), is difficult to comprehend. Relational frame theory, a comprehensive account of human language and cognition, aids in deciphering the idiographic underpinnings of pedophilia. The role of maladaptive emotion regulation in maintaining pedophilia is also described. This article presents examples of how relational frames are established and activated in distressing contexts. Finally, implications for future research are discussed.

摘要

恋童癖是一个重大的公共卫生问题。尽管它给社会带来了代价，但人们很少努力去理解恋童癖的发展和维持的具体差异。现有文献强调再犯罪的生物学基础和预测因素。在本文中，我们假设男性的恋童癖源于语言、认知、情感和情绪调节。不良的童年经历，例如情感虐待和性虐待，被认为是恋童癖病因的主要原因。然而，并非所有被未成年人吸引的人都经历过类似的童年逆境。在没有这种直接训练（童年逆境）的情况下，恋童癖的发展是很难理解的。关系框架理论是对人类语言和认知的全面解释，有助于破译恋童癖的具体基础。还描述了适应不良的情绪调节在维持恋童癖中的作用。本文提供了如何在令人痛苦的环境中建立和激活关系框架的示例。最后，讨论了对未来研究的影响。