All pedophiles have one thing in common; in Serbia, they are found in all walks of life

Pedophilia is defined as having "repetitive, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behavior that involves activities with a minor."

These feelings and urges, and unfortunately also behaviors can last for at least 6 months, and the person experiencing them undergoes a change in the clinical picture, which is why they don't not find it disturbing.

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However, there are two problems. First, convicted or arrested sex offenders can be significantly different from pedophiles who have never manifested pedophilia or have never been caught. Second, not everyone who sexually abuses children has always been a pedophile - such a person may never have had a persistent sexual attraction to children.

Despite these difficulties, current research shows consistent enough patterns to provide a basic overview of common psychological characteristics associated with pedophilia.

Who are pedophiles?

Photo illustration: Profimedia/Alamy

Pedophiles and child abusers share certain characteristics. Most of them are male, and may be heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Some actually prefer adult sexual partners, but choose children because they are easily accessible and vulnerable.

Sexual acts with young children are extremely rare, and the age of interest in this way to the abuser are teenagers to those in their mid-20s.

Most victims are girls while the perpetrator is usually a relative, friend or neighbor.

Sexual offenses in which girls are victims happen mostly at home, and when boys are victims of sexual abuse in 90 percent of the cases they take place outside the home, while the perpetrators may be strangers.

What they have in common is that perpetrators of child sexual abuse often claim that they were also victims of sexual abuse in their childhood.

Photo: Profimedia/United Archives/KPA

Sex offenders in Serbia are mostly younger and middle-aged men, and research shows that most perpetrators are 17 and 30 years old, while those who abuse children are slightly older.

A few years ago, at the Security and Responsibility 2017 conference organized by the Tijana Juric Foundation, Maja Novakovic, a prison psychologist, revealed that pedophiles exist in all professions, in all walks of life, and that they are usually close to the children they assault.

As she pointed out, research shows that the sooner they start committing crimes against sexual freedom, the more likely they are to repeat those crimes later.

(T.T./Telegraf.rs)