Diagnostic criteria for pedophilia: clinical, legal and socio-cultural issues

This article analyzes the diagnostic criteria for pedophilia (paedophilic disorder) in the context of developing the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases and the recently released Guide to the Diagnostic and Statistical Mental Disorders, 5th revision. The paper discusses the feasibility of existing criteria and their impact on clinical diagnosis, assessment of public danger and socio-cultural values. We revealed that the second diagnostic criterion excludes from the field of view of the whole spectrum of specialists psychosexual pathology, where it is expedient to provide medical care, including the prevention of the worsening of symptoms and the commission of illegal acts. We also highlighted the problem of expert diagnosis of pedophilia (paedophilic disorder), which leads to such a formulation of the criteria, as well as the unreasonableness of such a formulation in terms of the public interest. We concluded that maintaining the new classification of these diagnostic criteria unchanged is rather the result of a desire to avoid unnecessary stigmatization of individuals with pedophilia.

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