In one of these cable channel's series, Criminal Investigation, pedophilia cases in an Asian country were exposed and discussed. The perpetrators were foreigners from western countries and the victims were as young as below nine years old.
Urban Dictionary defines pedophilia simply as:
The act of touching, molesting, or sexually harassing the younger generation.
In the
Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, there are interesting information about what pedophilia is and some of these are:
- Pedophilia is a paraphilia that involves an abnormal interest in children.
- The focus is sexual activity with a child (children under the age of 18).
- Some professionals confine the definition to sexual activity with prepubescent children (with ages 13 or younger).
- The sexual behaviors involved in pedophilia cover a range of activities and may or may not involve the use of force.
- There is no typical pedophile and they maybe young or old, male or female.
In this day and age, where nothing shocks the majority anymore, these cases are treated with nonchalance mostly in some remote rural places in the Philippines. Proliferation of these criminal acts, where even the parents are the flesh-peddlers in the city and in the barrios, are attributed mostly to poverty.
THE NEED TO EDUCATEThere is indeed a need to educate children and parents as well, especially in areas where provision of education is scant. Needless to say, the needs are more than the basic need of educating people. It sounds cliche but in truth it is a forgotten promise by the servants of the people that the budget or resources awarded must be converted to the provision of not only education, but jobs and health services, among many things.
The rich and educated, however, will find a way to earn the knowledge they need, and desire, what with the abundance they luxuriate in. Even knowing what pedophilia means will be utterly easy to learn, or even twist. Nevertheless, they deserve to be educated what it truly is.
EVERYBODY'S ROLEEducators are laden with tasks of educating the youth because that is what they are entrusted with. Doctors and all medical practitioners, including health caregivers are entrusted with maintaining health and well-being, on the other hand. Parents and guardians are responsible of a mixture of these things, too - educating, rearing, taking care of the children's well-being, and a lot more.
Perversion such as pedophilia warps the beauty of these roles. This illness borne of experiences like being sexually abused during childhood, emotional decline, or psychological incapacity leaves no room for reason especially that the victims are children. Pedophiles have to be punished indeed.
THE DANGER OF A FALSE ACCUSATIONAn ugly facet could come up though from the basic learning about pedophiles. What makes this whole thing complicated and cruel is when a professional or a parent or guardian is hurled false or counter-factual charges or becomes an innocent victim of an accusation as pedophile. It is equally painful as most victims always feel pain, unfair treatment, and devastating effects. A counterattack can be done as most victims should do but as always the damage is done and is irreversible.
With the rising concern about pedophiles, it cannot be helped to be suspicious at times with a mere touch, or extra kindness, or an irregular trait but it is not fair, too, for professionals, parents, or guardians to be subjected carelessly to baseless allegations.
