Pedophilia Control In California

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces the psychological condition of pedophilia and reviews the basic laws regarding this issue in California. The paper argues that the best way to protect society is for the psychological and medical community to find a way to prevent child molesters from re-offending once they are released from prison. It discusses examples of treatments and argues that chemical treatments should be used, because this has been shown to be the most successful, and thus is most likely to lower the rate of sex crimes against minors.

From the Paper:

"A more promising initiative was also started in 1996, when the California state legislature passed a bill to force paroled, repeat child molesters to undergo a weekly injection of a hormone to reduce sex drive - Depo-Provera. The injection is referred to as a kind of chemical castration. The bill also made it possible for this sentence to be carried out in first-time offenders. Critics say that this is cruel and unusual punishment, in that it stops men for example from becoming fathers, and it may have physical side-effects. On the other hand, proponents of the injection system note that in countries where this has been used, the recidivism rate has dropped to 15%. What this means is that 50% less men are assaulting children. It is argued that the fact that these proven offenders may not be able to have children, and may suffer some mild side-effects, pales into insignificance compared to the fact that so many children will be spared from sexual violation, which may caused them long term suffering. In effect, it means the proven-guilty must suffer, rather than the innocent. If this is what it takes, and if this is the only way to reduce pedophiliac acts, then it is argued that this is the way to go (Van Biema)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chow, Eva W.C., and Alberto L. Choy. "Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Response to SSRI in a Female Pedophile." Archives of Sexual Behavior 31.2 (2002): 211+.
• Criminal Law Lawyer Source. "Pedophile." 2007. Retrieved from http://www.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms/pedophile.html.
• FindLaw. Retrieved from http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/281-294.html.
• Goodwin, Robin, and Duncan Cramer, eds. Inappropriate Relationships: The Unconventional, the Disapproved & the Forbidden. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.
• Itzin, Catherine, ed. Home Truths about Child Sexual Abuse: A Reader. London: Routledge, 2000.

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