Citation

Briere J, Runtz MG. Child Abuse Negl. 1989; 13(1): 65-75.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2706562

Abstract

A survey was administered to 193 male undergraduate students regarding their sexual interest in children, as well as their responses to a number of questions theoretically relevant to pedophilia. In total, 21% of subjects reported sexual attraction to some small children, 9% described sexual fantasies involving children, 5% admitted to having masturbated to such fantasies, and 7% indicated some likelihood of having sex with a child if they could avoid detection and punishment. These sexual interests were associated with negative early sexual experiences, masturbation to pornography, self-reported likelihood of raping a woman, frequent sex partners, sexual conflicts, and attitudes supportive of sexual dominance over women. The data did not, however, support clinical theories regarding sexual repression or impulse-control problems among potential pedophiles.

Language: en