title: Age Diversity Among Victims of Hebephilic Sexual Offenders.
abstract: Hebephilia refers to sexual interest in pubescent children who are beginning to show early signs of sexual development but are sexually immature. The present study examined the relationship between hebephilia and victim age choice in a sample of 2,238 adult male sexual offenders. On average, offenders were 39 years old at the time of their assessments, and approximately half (48%) were referred by probation or parole offices. Assessment data included self-report, sexual arousal measured by volumetric phallometry, and victims' ages. Results suggested that, similar to pedophilia, hebephilia had a medium sized association with a greater number of victims under age 11 and a small sized association with a greater number of victims ages 11 to 14. Unlike pedophilia, a small positive association was consistently found between hebephilia and a greater number of victims ages 15 or 16. Furthermore, a small positive association was observed between victim age polymorphism and hebephilia and pedophilia. The present results suggested that hebephilia was associated with a greater number of victims age 14 or younger and had similar victim age correlates to pedophiles.
authors: 1 Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors: Skye
authors: S
authors: Stephens
authors: 2 Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Michael C
authors: MC
authors: Seto
authors: 3 Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Alasdair M
authors: AM
authors: Goodwill
authors: 4 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Cantor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010378:Pedophilia
keywords: hebephilia; pedophilia; polymorphism; sexual offending; victim age