Foreword
Pedophilia-the sexual interest of an adult in a juvenile, usually at the time of puberty and prior to full adolescence-appears to be a steadily increasing behavioristic phenomenon, and for a variety of reasons. Fundamentally, the juvenile's acceptance of eroticism and the role of the submissive partner to the adult is based on instinctive trust of authority, which explains why we find so many examples of father and daughter, mother and son sexual liaisons. The child, awakened to sensuality by the initiatory attention of the adult, is concerned with the mysterious and exciting new sensations which most often are the first such cogent awareness of sexuality which he or she experiences. The question of ethics and morality, of course, are rarely present in the juvenile's mind, inasmuch as his or her reasoning is that if a parental authority encourages such conduct, it must necessarily be right.
Primarily, the tempting freshness and naivete of the juvenile is what most whets the erotic appetite of the adult. Also, where the adult has experienced rejection within his or her age group, there is motivation to effect a pedophilic relationship precisely because the adult is certain that there will be no rejection from the trusting, curious, uninhibited juvenile.
These factors, as you will find in this present volume, go to make up the delicate complexity of pedophilic liaisons. We are not dealing with what the public calls "child molesters"; the psychic bond between adult and juvenile in pedophilia is rarely psychotic or obsession-driven; often it embodies great tenderness and a kind of protective sheltering.