Basically what it says on the tin. Having read though some of the materials on the issue, I am baffled by how recklessly the word is used, given the consequences of such usage.
Pedophiles are the people with sexual attraction to prepubescent children. It doesn’t matter whether they do or don’t act on that attraction; in fact, many don’t. It is a sexual interest/mental condition that cannot be reliably changed.
Child molesters, on the other hand, are not necessarily pedophiles - in fact, 50 to 75% of child molesters do not have pedophilic interest.
Both facts can be sourced from the respective Wikipedia article and more info can be found in respective research.
Why does this matter?
Because the current use of the word reinforces stigma around pedophilia and makes it less likely for people with pedophilic disorder to reach out for help for the fear they would be outed and treated the same as actual child abusers.
This, in turn, makes those in a vulnerable position more likely to cross the line and get into the category of child abusers instead of coming for help. Also, it heavily affects people who did nothing to deserve such treatment.
What should we do?
We should leave the word “pedophile” to the context in which it belongs, which is the mental health and sexuality spheres, and avoid using the term to describe sexual offenders against minors. At the very least, one would most likely be wrong. At most, one would participate in the cycle of child abuse.
If child molesters don’t have sexual interests. Why do they molest children? If they don’t have pedophilic interests why would they be more likely to cross the line? Sorry I’m just a bit confused.
Power. Not a bad question
Rape is depressingly common during and after the invasion of a territory. You know what victims are overwhelmingly targeted? NOT the most vulnerable (children, elderly, prisoners, mentally ill), it’s women. These sick freaks may get off on the power of the act, but don’t pretend they don’t have a preference. I think to truly stop this from happening we can’t be reductive, we need to follow the science wherever it leads…
Most commonly severe sexual deprivation multiplied by antisocial tendencies and the ease of abusing a minor vs an adult.
Also in violent cases, similarly to adult rape, a sense of power over the victim.
On the point of “more likely” - pedophiles are still more likely to be child abusers; it’s 1-5% of male population responsible for 25-50% of child abuse. Statistics is fun.
You’re probably right about that point. The incel victimhood mindset is probably a primary factor. The word incel is often used pejoratively, but it is short for “involuntarily celibate”, meaning they want sex but there are no willing partners able to consent… But that won’t stop them if they get a good opportunity… Yikes.
Most incels are sedated by porn and drugs. That’s a likely reason we’re not seeing a huge spike in incel violence despite the ever increasing number of them. In previous times such men would be gathering around in street corners causing trouble and kicking grannies. Not today.
Male sedation hypothesis
OP is saying that by referring to child molesters as pedophiles, instead of child molesters, we risk scaring non-abusing pedophiles from seeking treatment. There are treatment programs for pedophilia, but social stigma can cause them to not be popular with the masses and lose funding.
Edit: I brain farted a bit and had a fib in there. Removed it.
As an OP, not exactly with your first point. As I explicitly stated, 50 to 75% of child abusers are, in fact, not pedophiles. They do not experience primary sexual interest in children, and would much rather have sex with an adult, all other things being equal.
Second is true.
Oops, thanks for pointing that out again. It’s like 31°C here, and heat reduces my IQ. I read that bit, and then I immediately forgot it.
Removed by mod
Power and sadism. A general desire to inflict horror and extreme pain.