Biological issues that are thought to be risk factors for paraphilias include some differences in brain activity during sexual arousal, as well as general brain structure. Male pedophiles have been found to have lower IQ scores on psychological testing compared to men who are not pedophiles. Research has also determined that they tend to have a history of earning lower grades in school than their nonpedophilic counterparts regardless of intellectual abilities and learning styles.There are a number of psychological theories about how paraphilias develop. Some view these disorders as a manifestation of arrested psychosexual development, with the paraphilic behaviors defending the person's psyche against anxiety (defense mechanisms). Others believe paraphilias are the result of the sufferer associating something with sexual arousal or by having unusual early life sexual experiences reinforced by having an orgasm. Some view these disorders as another form of obsessive compulsive disorder.Psychologically, pedophiles who act on their urges by sexually offending tend to engage in grossly distorted thinking, in that they use their position of power and view offending as an appropriate way to meet their needs, think about children as equal sexual beings to adults, and consider their sexual needs as uncontrollable.Another theory about paraphilia risk factors is that they are linked to stages of childhood psychological development like temperament, early relationship formation, trauma repetition, and disrupted development of sexuality, as follows:
Temperament: a tendency to be overly inhibited or uncontrolled with emotions and behaviors
Early relationship formation: a lack of stable self-awareness, trouble managing emotions, and in seeking help and comfort from others
Trauma repetition: People who are abused, especially if it occurs during childhood, may identify with the abuser such that they act out what was inflicted on them by victimizing others in some way. They may also act out the trauma by somehow harming themselves.
Disrupted development of sexuality: The patterns of what one finds sexually arousing tend to become formed by adolescence. It is thought that people who are raised in a household that is either excessively sexually permissive or inhibited are at higher risk for developing a paraphilia.
Family risk factors for paraphilia development include high conflict between parents or low supervision by parents, a lack of affection from the mother, and generally not feeling treated well by their parents. People with paraphilia tend to have trouble making and keeping friends and other relationships.