condition name:
paedophilia - paedophilic disorder
condition information:
Paedophilia is an ongoing sexual attraction to pre-pubertal children. It is considered a paraphilia, a condition in which a person's sexual arousal and gratification depend on fantasizing about and engaging in sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme.
Paedophilia is defined as recurrent and intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children—generally age 13 years or younger—over a period of at least six months. Paedophiles are more often men and can be attracted to either or both sexes. How well they relate to adults of the same or opposite sex varies.
Paedophilic disorder can be diagnosed in people who are willing to disclose this paraphilia, as well as in people who deny any sexual attraction to children but demonstrate objective evidence of paedophilia. For the condition to be diagnosed, an individual must either act on their sexual urges or experience significant distress or interpersonal difficulty as a result of their urges or fantasies. Without these two criteria, a person may have a paedophilic sexual orientation but not paedophilic disorder.
Andy has undergone specialist training in working with sex offenders, and those who have yet to act on their 'troubling thoughts'.