George Kargbo CRJ 190 03/07/19 Dr. Escobar Epidemic Dr. Lori Handrahan discusses her research into rampant pedophilia that her new book, "Epidemic: America’s Trade in Child Rape", documents in detail. She analyzes pedophilia, not as a sexual orientation, or as an act of “attraction” to children, but as violent abuse and sadism, often ending in death, that meets the Convention Against Torture definition (pp.10). Discussed is the lack of comprehensive data collection on arrests of pedophiles in a fast growing crime wave about which little is known; the easy profit-model of child rape; online networks; the proliferation of servers, websites, pictures and videos; the traffic in infants and toddlers; professions that act as magnets for pedophiles; attempts to define pedophilia as a disability rather than a violent crime; the massive amount of child porn on computers in all government agencies; the powerful as perpetrators. The subject of pedophilia is not one for the faint of heart. A pedophile is not someone you look at and fear for your children’s safety. There is actually a debate that is going on about the word “pedophilia. According to her book some believe the term should be “pedosadism” because what is being done to children is not “child love,” as pedophilia implies, but sadistic, violent abuse; sadism” (pp.10). Though she agrees with the logic of pedosadism, she doesn’t use the term because she prefers pedophilia because it is commonly understood in America. She states that, “this crime is not about sexual attraction. The sexual attraction to pubescents is not normal- as some mental health professionals search argue” (pp.11). Unlike how the American Psychological Association (APA) and others in the professional and clinical communities have defined these sexual crimes against children, I personally feel like her definition is more on point because she doesn’t try to differentiate pedophiles. The APA classifies pedophilia as a type of paraphilia, or an atypical sexual interest. In its notes about changes in the definitions of paraphilia, the APA clearly states that most people with atypical sexual interests do not have a mental disorder. According to the article by Gilan Gertz, “in order to be diagnosed with a paraphilic disorder, the DSM-5 requires that people with these interests must feel personal distress about their interest, and the interest must involve another person's psychological distress, injury or death” (Gertz, 2013). In other words, if they do not cause harm to others, their sexual interests are not deemed mental illnesses. Furthermore, the prevalence of child pornography on the Internet remains a troubling issue that doesn’t seem to be going away. Investigations into the individuals possessing shocking and lurid images of abused and exposed children have turned up suspects acting in concert with one another. Organized crime has been one of the chief culprits pushing the exploitation of children. Pedophilia in elite circles has kept many from being revealed or adequately punished. There has been a sentencing disparity between the rich and poor, black and white, connected and non-, traffickers in the illegal materials. The downloading of child-abuse videos and pictures by government and military employees remains disturbing. The solution to curtail the rampant deviance has been slow in action from our government. In addition, Dr. Handrahan mentioned 3 key flaws with the mental health argument about “attraction” to children, an element often included in how some professionals define pedophilia. First, from her own extensive reading of hundreds of child pornography, what pedophiles most often discuss, which is the desire to harm children-not an attraction to children (pp.11). For example, pedophiles want to see the children bound and gagged, hurt, bleed and sometimes murdered. Second, she mentions that most offenders “do not have a sexual preference for children” (pp.11). Pedophiles only care about obtaining gratification for themselves, regardless of the damage it does to anyone else. Because children are not only easier target, but they are also more vulnerable which is why they are easier to control than adults. Final flaw talks about the extensive involvement of organized crime in the trade of child rape is well established. Because organized crime’s sexual exploitation of children “is motivated by the vulnerability of the child rather than a specific sexual interest in children” (pp.12). So, in other words, pedophiles are situational offenders who rape because they can, simply because it is available. The flaws that she listed does in fact backup her claims that the crime is not about sexual attraction to children. As a result, Dr. Handrahan she speaks of white men being the main perpetrators of child rape, and that offends me. If there is any “attraction” within this crime in America, judging by the arrest records, it is white men in leadership positions “attracted” to their own power to harm society’s most vulnerable; our children” (pp.11). The reality is that pedophiles from all over the world flock to the U.S.A. to do their perversions on American children. And the children they seem to prefer are white children. The book states that, “the large majority of children in the images in the COPINE archive involving… child pornography were white children. (pp.51). When little boys are raped, the little boys are turned into future pedophiles. White men do abuse children, and they usually are in positions of authority to children. As mentioned, according to the US sentencing Commission’s most recent data, more than 85% of all child pornography convictions in the U.S. were of white men. (pp. 51). And the real problem is that the police are heavily involved in child trafficking and pedophilia. The FBI, CIA, and all other government agencies who are given the job of protecting children, are responsible for much of this problem! The courts are the bottom line, however. The courts institutionalize the acceptance of degeneracy and this has been the case for a very long time. Pedophiles are never sentenced appropriately, when they do get sentenced. Usually these individuals are not even charged with a crime nor are they scared of getting caught. That’s why the world’s worst pedophiles have flooded this country. No other country simply allows their children to be preyed upon and abused, the way we do. Our children simply disappear, and the children are blamed, and treated as run-aways. The military, the churches, government, schools, doctors, sports, police...there is no end! In conclusion, we, as a society, have allowed child pornography to be easily and profitability accessible. As described throughout the book, “our government is failing to gather data on this epidemic” (pp.114). Epidemic is not an easy read as relates to the subject matter. The statistics and cases cited throughout the book is terrifying. The author, Lori Handrahan, has been an expert on the intense subject matter for several years but has faced blowback from higher learning institutions and media for her opinions. Dr. Handrahan stated that, “In the absence of good governance, America’s intellectual leadership should be invested in making our democracy work to protect our most vulnerable citizens: our children” (pp. 114). I feel like we have failed to protect our children. The problem of child sex abuse and its cover-up is real. A generation of American children are being destroyed. If you think this happens to someone else’s children and your children are safe, you are mistaken. Your children might be enduring sexual abuse right now while you remain dangerously ignorant. America’s appetite for child pornography puts all our children at risk. Your children and mine. Whether you acknowledge it or not. Overall, this book is a wake-up call about a subject too few people want to discuss. It’s crazy to think while no one was watching, America has become a child pornography nation. Work Cited Gertz, G. (2013, November 17). The APA/DSM pedophilia controversy: Orientation or disorder? Retrieved March 04, 2019, from https://www.sott.net/article/388885-The APA-DSM-pedophilia-controversyOrientation-or-disorder Handrahan, L. (2017). Epidemic: Americas trade in child rape. Walterville, OR: Trine Day LLC.
