Abstract
Because most heterosexual pedophilic offenses are committed by males who in fact erotically prefer adult females, the hypothesis was tested that males with nondeviant erotic preferences are generally prone to react in a sexual way to female children. With nondeviant subjects, penile volume changes (PVCs) were measured to stimulus slides and movie pictures of males and females, varying in age. There were significant differerences in PVCs to each of the female age groups shown, and responses were greater to all female age groups than to the male ones. PVCs to the youngest female age group (6 to 8 years) were clearly different not only from those to pictures of males but also from those to neutral slides. Reactions to certain parts of the female and male bodies at various stages of development were also assessed. Of female children, only the pubic region, and to some degree the buttocks, elicited clearly distinctive reactions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barlow, D. H., Becker, R., Leitenberg, H., and Agras, W. S. (1970). Technical note: A mechanical strain gauge for recording penile circumference change.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 3 73–76.
Diamant, L. (1970). Attitude, personality, and behavior in volunteers and nonvolunteers for sexual research. InProceedings, 78th Annual Convention, APA, pp. 423–424.
Freund, K. (1957). Diagnostika homosexuality u mužů. (Diagnosing homosexuality in men.)Ceskoslov. Psychiat. 53 382–393.
Freund, K. (1963). A labroatory method for diagnosing predominance of homo- or heteroerotic interest in the male.Behav. Res. Therap. 1 85–93.
Freund, K. (1965). Jednoduchý prístroj k měrení volumových změn mužského genitálu. (A simple device for measuring volume changes in the male genital.)Českoslov. Psychiat. 61 164–168.
Freund, K. (1967a). Diagnosing homo- or heterosexuality and erotic age-preference by means of a psychophysiological test.Behav. Res. Therap. 5 209–228.
Freund, K. (1967b). Erotic preference in pedophilia.Behav. Res. Therap. 5:339–348
Freund, K. (1971). A note on the use of the phallometric method of measuring mild sexual arousal in the male.Behav. Therap. 2 223–228.
Freund, K., and Costell, R. (1970). The structure of erotic preference in the nondeviant male.Behav. Res. Therap. 8 15–20.
Freund, K., Sedláček, F., and Knob, K. (1965). A simple transducer for mechanical plethysmography of the male genital.J. Exptl. Anal. Behav. 8: 169–170.
Gigeroff, A. K., Mohr, J. W., and Turner, R. E. (1968). Sex offenders on probation: Heterosexual pedophiles.Fed. Probation 32 17–21.
McConaghy, N. (1969). Subjective and penile plethysmograph responses following aversion-relief and apomorphine aversion therapy for homosexual impulses.Brit. J. Psychiat. 115 723–730.
Mohr, J. W., Turner, R. E., and Jerry, M. B. (1964).Pedophilia and Exhibitionism University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
Winer, J. B. (1962).Statistical Principles in Experimental Design McGraw-Hill, Toronto.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by a grant from the Clarke Institute Research Fund.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Freund, K., McKnight, C.K., Langevin, R. et al. The female child as a surrogate object. Arch Sex Behav 2, 119–133 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541862
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541862