Hebephilia

Hebephilia means when grown-ups feel strong and ongoing sexual attraction to children who are starting to go through changes in their bodies (puberty). These children are usually between 11 and 14 years old, and their bodies are growing but not fully developed. Hebephilia is different from pedophilia, which is a sexual attraction to younger children who have not started puberty, and different from ephebophilia, which is an attraction to older teenagers aged 15 to 18.

The ages for hebephilia are not exact because puberty starts and ends at different times for different children. Most girls begin puberty around age 10 or 11, and most boys start around 11 or 12. Because of this, some definitions mix the ages of pedophilia, hebephilia, and ephebophilia. For example, some medical guides, like the DSM-5, say prepubescent ages can go up to 13, and others, like the ICD-10, include early puberty in the meaning of pedophilia.

Some experts believe it is important to separate sexual attraction to children before puberty from attraction to children in early or mid-puberty. A study led by Ray Blanchard in 2009 showed that men who committed sex crimes could be grouped by the ages of the children they preferred, using a test that measures arousal. Blanchard suggested the DSM-5 should split pedophilia into narrower parts, including hebephilia. However, this idea was debated and not accepted. Many researchers disagree on whether hebephilia should be considered a mental disorder or a type of paraphilia.

Related pages
 Pedophilia
 Ephebophilia
 Parthenophilia
 Sexual attraction

References

Category:Human sexuality
Category:Child sexual abuse