What's the difference between a rapist and a pedophile?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Poll question: What's the difference between a rapist and a pedophile?

Just askin'

Obviously different states have different definitions of pedophiles. Some see the victim as being as being pre-teen while others consider it up to age 17. The same contrast applies to the relative age of the perpetrator, i.e. 18 y/o with a 16 y/o doesn't shock as much as a 21 y/o with a 12 y/o.

Rape, I think is pretty much universally defined, more or less, as a person normally of age and capacity to consent being forced into a sex act against their knowledge or consent.

[AngryAmish]

1. well

[LynneSin]

2. Pedophiles go after children who may not understand that they can say 'no'

Which makes them about a thousand times more vile than rapest, which btw rapests are pretty vile unto themselves.

[Roy Rolling]

7. compare

If you are saying someone who forces another to have sex is better than someone who may, for example, not even touch a child but expose him/herself at a distance (I had a relative), often because of mental incapacity, I must respectfully disagree and vote "too complicated for the masses." Forcing someone to have sex is infinitely more vile and damaging to a victim, both physically and emotionally. Rape is an act of violence and agression, perverted attraction to children is not. I have a daughter who was the victim of a pedophile and, with a minimum amount of counseling, she suffered zero after effects. I doubt the outcome would have been the same had she been raped. And medically, males who are raped are often more psychologically damaged than females are.

[LynneSin]

9. I'm glad your daughter was ok, because I know others who still suffer from it

I can't even believe you'd think that pedophiles are somehow non-violent. Disgustingly shameful to even think that.

Pedophiles are sick perves who have very very low rate of rehabilitation. And trust me I know at least 3 adults and one child who suffered by the hands of pedophile - trust me they still deal with it even after counseling. Trust me, this is something that children do not just 'get over' but I guess you'll just assume that of your daughter. Shame because this kind of horrendous crime is something you don't just give them a few sessions and say "Ooo lookie - they are cured".

I would appreciate if you didn't use your daughter of the example of the norm, because if by some rare chance she is ok with it she is the rarity out there.

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. The intent of both is the same

It's not about the act. It's about taking power from someone else.

It's all about power. Think about it... rape, war, murder. All about stealing power from someone else.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. I absolutely agree but does the the relative level of harm to the victim factor?

Honest question.

Obviously grown adults who are raped are absolutely devastated and that is why, I think, rape is considered such a heinous crime akin to murder. It's pretty much a murder of the victim's psyche.

Yet, as overwhelmingly devastating as it is to an adult it seems the harm done to children is far worse.

Does that factor into the calculations of how we should deal with perpetrators?

[Schema Thing]

5. Rape is non-consensual sex, and a pedophile is a person sexually attracted

to pre-pubescent children.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Yes.

Pedophilia is not an action, and can't be diagnosed from behaviors (including criminal behaviors) alone. Many people with pedophilia (intense sexual urges or fantasies related to prepubescent children) never act on those urges, and at least one major study shows that about half of those who commit sexual transgressions against children do not meet the diagnostic criteria for pedophilia.

[NuclearDem]

6. Isn't there already a thread about this?

:shrug:

[Ozymanithrax]

10. Rape is about power...

Pedophiliacs have a narrower target field of powerless.

They are, in that respect, the same.