Pedophilia isn’t a verb, though. My point was that there is a difference between someone attracted to children and a child rapist (even though it makes me feel gross to make the point). Being attracted to children doesn’t mean you’ll ever act on that attraction.
Without them harming children or consuming material whose production harmed children, punishing them is basically punishing thought crime. I think everyone who wants to get help so they never do it should be able to.
But I do agree that the death penalty could have the effect you described. I love your solution.
I’d even argue that many or even most of the people who went to Epstein’s island probably weren’t pedophiles in the medical/psychological sense. I don’t think that the victims being children was the point for most of the perpetrators, but rather the power and taboo aspects of it. This is pretty consistent with research on child rape, too, though obviously most subjects in the research aren’t rich, which might change the findings.
Pedophilia isn’t a verb, though. My point was that there is a difference between someone attracted to children and a child rapist (even though it makes me feel gross to make the point). Being attracted to children doesn’t mean you’ll ever act on that attraction.
Without them harming children or consuming material whose production harmed children, punishing them is basically punishing thought crime. I think everyone who wants to get help so they never do it should be able to.
But I do agree that the death penalty could have the effect you described. I love your solution.
I’d even argue that many or even most of the people who went to Epstein’s island probably weren’t pedophiles in the medical/psychological sense. I don’t think that the victims being children was the point for most of the perpetrators, but rather the power and taboo aspects of it. This is pretty consistent with research on child rape, too, though obviously most subjects in the research aren’t rich, which might change the findings.
For sure. A lot of sex crimes aren’t about sexual attraction, they’re about exerting their power over someone weaker than them.