Gays are often singled out for suspicion of molesting children in numbers far out of proportion to their presence in the general population. In making this case, the arguments made by gay-rights opponents typically go something like this:8
■Almost all sex crimes against children are committed by men.
■Up to one-third of all sex crimes against children are committed against boys.
■Gays make up a tiny minority of the population. (Anti-gay opponents typically cite a figure somewhere between 1% and 3%.)
■Therefore, gay men are committing a disproportionate share of sexual crimes against children.
Child sexual abuse has a profound impact on victims and their families. Because we want to protect our children, we must ask: Are gays disproportionately abusing children?
Dr. Groth identified two classic types of child molesters that he labeled fixated and regressed. The fixated molester is one whose development is fixated at childhood. In other words, he has never grown up. He typically lives a Peter-Pan existence, in a Neverland of childlike identity and behavior. He doesnt form adult relationships easily, or if he does, the relationships tend not to be very stable. Instead, he sees children as his peers. Other adults often see him as being very good with children, which allows him to obtain a position of trust as a role model, leader, or caretaker.
With his primary sexual interest in children and not adults, the fixated offender fits the classic definition of a pedophile. And because he is fixated on children, he cannot properly be considered to be either heterosexual or homosexual he often finds adults of either sex repulsive.
On the other hand, the regressed molester is very different. His attraction to children is usually more temporary. Unlike the fixated molester, the regressed molesters primary sexual attraction is toward other adults. But stressful conditions that go along with adult responsibly or difficulties in his adult relationships may overwhelm him, causing his sexual focus to regress towards children. This regression sometimes serves as a substitute for adult relationship, and his attraction to children may vary according to the varying stresses he encounters in his adult life demands.
In some cases, he may temporarily relate to the child as a peer, much as a fixated offender relates to children. But more often, he is simply lashing out against the stresses in his life, and the child becomes a convenient target. The offender may find a sense of power in his sexual relationship with a child that he doesn't get with an adult. When that happens this relationship with the child is often violent. But regardless of the nature of the relationship, the gender of the child is often irrelevant its the easy access and vulnerability that makes the child a target.
Regressed offenders are typically heterosexual in their adult relationships.
Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?
