Is there a difference between a pedophile and a pervert? In their definitions, do these words (pedophile vs pervert) mean the same thing?
The terms pedophile and pervert are similar nouns that can be used to describe a person with strange behaviours, especially sexual behaviour.
The Oxford English dictionary defines the term “pedophile” as a person who is sexually attracted to children.
“Pervert” is a term that refers to a person who has turned to a twisted sense of value or morals- a sexually perverted person.
Pedophile and pervert is a term used to describe a person with odd sexual desire and behaviour.
In this article, we have defined both terms, their differences and comparison. So, keep reading to find out more about these nouns.
What Is the Meaning of Pedophile?
The term “pedophile” is a noun that describes a person who is sexually attracted to children. It’s what you would call an adult who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
Pedophile is the term that describes an adult with a sexual preference for prepubescent children.
Pedophilia
Pedophilia refers to sexual or erotic feelings or desires directed by adults and late adolescents towards children. It’s classified as a psychiatric disorder where adults are sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
People with this psychiatric disorder are generally referred to as pedophiles (or paedophiles).
According to Britannica, pedophilia is a psychosexual disorder that affects adults. It’s characterized by the act of showing sexual interest in prepubescent children or attempts to engage in any sexual act with prepubescent children.
While some people commit child sexual abuse, they are not considered to be pedophiles. Child sexual abuse offenders are not classified as pedophiles. An adult can only be classified as a pedophiles if there is a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children.
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Etymology
According to Wikipedia, the term “pedophilia” is derived from the Greek word “παῖς, παιδός (paîs, paidós), which means “child”, and φιλία (philía), meaning ‘friendship or friendly love’.
“Paedophilie” was the general term being used in the 19th century by researchers of pederasty in Ancient Greece.
Towards the mid-20th century, the term “pedophilia” was hardly used. However, it started to appear in medical records after 1950. Pedophilia became more popular between the 1950s and 1980s as it was widely used in the media.
What Is the Meaning of Pervert?
The term “pervert” is a noun, and it refers to a person whose behaviour deviates from what is normal and acceptable, especially in sexual behaviour.
A definition by the Oxford English Dictionary refers to the term “pervert’ as one who has been perverted, one who has turned to error, one who has turned to a twisted sense of morals or values.
The word “pervert” describes a sexually perverted person.
As a transitive verb, “pervert” means to turn another way, to divert. To turn from truth, rectitude, or propriety, to divert from a right use or way. To lead astray or to corrupt.
As an intransitive verb, “pervert” means to become perverted, to take the wrong course.
Etymology
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “pervert’ is from Middle English, from Anglo-French ‘purvertir, pervertir’ from the Latin word ‘pervertere’ meaning to corrupt, pervert, and to overturn.
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Pedophile vs Pervert: Key Difference between Pedophile and Pervert
“Pedophile” and “pervert” are terms generally used to describe adults with strange sexual behaviours.
The term “pedophile” is a noun that describes a person who is sexually attracted to children. It’s what you would call an adult who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
It’s the term used to describe an adult with a sexual preference for prepubescent children.
A pervert refers to a person whose behaviour deviates from what is normal and acceptable, especially in sexual behaviour. It’s a word generally used to describe someone with abnormal sexual desires.
Pedophilia refers to sexual or erotic feelings or desires directed by adults and late adolescents towards children. It’s classified as a psychiatric disorder where adults are sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
It’s a psychosexual disorder that affects adults. It’s characterized by the act of showing sexual interest in prepubescent children or attempts to engage in any sexual act with prepubescent children.
A pervert may or may not engage in an unlawful sexual act. However, their behaviour or sexual desire is considered inappropriate.
Pedophilia is a recognized disorder with criteria defined by health professionals. It’s a disorder that requires handling with psychological and legal considerations.
Pedophile vs Pervert: A Research Journal on Pedophile
According to a research journal on pedophiles, this disorder affects one in every one hundred individuals.
According to researchers, approximately one to five out of every one hundred men are pedophiles. Although there is a high prevalence of pedophilia, medical experts cannot fully determine the cause of this condition. It’s also challenging to know more about how to cure this disorder.
There are several misconceptions about what can lead to one becoming a pedophile. A common misconception is that people who were sexually abused as children will become pedophiles.
However, only about one-third of pedophiles had a history of being abused sexually abused as a child.
Another common misconception is that pedophiles are child molesters. In reality, pedophilia doesn’t mean that an individual has the intention of having any physical interaction with a child sexually.
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Pedophile vs Pervert: Comparison Chart
| Pedophile | Pervert | |
| Definition | An adult who is sexually attracted to children. | A person whose behaviour deviates from what is normal and acceptable, especially in sexual behaviour. |
| Clinical classification | Psychiatric disorder | Broad and not specific clinical diagnosis |
| Social perception | Universally condemn | Subject to culture and social norm |
| Legal implications | A broad range of abnormal sexual activity and behaviour. | This varies depending on the behaviour of the individual. |
| Focus of attraction or behaviour | Prepubescent children | Broad range of abnormal sexual activity and behaviour. |
Pedophile vs Pervert: Frequently Asked Questions
Below are frequently asked questions about the difference between a pedophile vs a pervert.
Who is a pedophile?
It’s what you would call an adult who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
Who is a pervert?
A pervert is a person who has been perverted, one who has turned to error, and one who has turned to a twisted sense of morals or values.
What is pedophilia?
Pedophilia refers to sexual or erotic feelings or desires directed by adults and late adolescents towards children. It’s classified as a psychiatric disorder where adults are sexually attracted to prepubescent children.
What is the difference between a pedophile and a pervert?
A pedophile is an adult who is sexually attracted to children, while a pervert is a person whose behaviour deviates from what is normal and acceptable, especially in sexual behaviour.
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What do you call a woman pervert?
This is no different name for a woman who is a pervert or one who has been perverted. A woman who acts like a pervert behaves inappropriately sexually.
Conclusion
Pedophilia is a recognized disorder with criteria defined by health professionals. It’s a disorder that requires handling with psychological and legal considerations.
A pervert is a person who has been perverted, one who has turned to error, one who has turned to a twisted sense of morals or values, while a pedophile is a person with a sexual preference for prepubescent children.
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References
- Haran – Issue: UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal, 7 …, 2014: Key Identifiers of Pedophilia and Differences in Pedophile Brain Morphology: A Comparative Approach
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