CRIME WITHOUT VICTIMS: PEDERASTIC RELATIONS, 1986

The following is from the “Discussions” section of Forbrydelse uden offer, a Danish psychologists’ study of people involved in adult/child liaisons, mostly Greek love ones, edited by the “Trobriands” collective of authors, published in 1986 and translated from the Danish by Dr. E. Brongersma in 1992 as Crime without Victims.[1]

As was fashionable even among psychiatrists in the 1980s, the authors misdefine anyone attracted to those under the Danish age of consent of fifteen as “paedophiles” even though they repeatedly state that easily most of the relationships they describe were between men and boys either approaching or having just reached sexual maturity, and were therefore hebephilic. This led them to use the absurdly clumsy misnomer “homosexual paedophile” in what follows instead of the accurate, simple and time-honoured “pederastic”.

Homosexual Paedophile Relations

Paedophile relations exist between men and girls, between men and boys, between women and girls and between women and boys. All combinations are possible.

But homosexual relations between men and boys are thought to be the most frequent[2]. To understand why, we must recognise that paedophilia has nothing whatsoever to do with the procreative drive. It has to do with a relationship between friends, affording both partners some exciting experiences and at the same time offering the boy a friend he can trust[3]. Boys discuss problems and ideas with their paedophile friends that they can never discuss with their parents.

It is easier for a paedophile than it is for most other adults to identify with the child's way of thinking and so he is able to talk about confidential matters with children on the child's own level[4].

In such a paedophile relationship the boy identifies to some extent with the man, which is an expression of the "apprentice-love" we discussed earlier[5]. The boy strives to become a man by identifying with his mentor. The boy can learn all there is between heaven and earth from his lover - everything from repairing bicycles to how to treat other people[6]. And, of course, he also learns something about sex that perhaps his parents were too timid to tell him.

Many see such a friendship as a kind of gay relationship, but this is really somewhat misleading. The boys involved will not necessarily be interested in sex with a male when they later become adults and, in fact, will prefer sex with a woman[7]. Some of these boys are, of course, decidedly gay and will continue to live as homosexuals for the rest of their lives. For these gay boys it can be most valuable to meet an older and more experienced man who can initiate them into homosexual life. Without this guidance and experience it may be very difficult to come out later and live openly as a homosexual[8].

As we have already observed, the boy in a homosexual paedophile relationship is not necessarily gay. It may, however, be even more surprising to discover that the man is also not always gay - at least not in the traditional sense. There are, indeed, many boy-lovers who also love adult women but do not wish to have sex with adult men or young girls. Such a man is, in other words, heterosexual towards adult partners and homosexual towards child partners[9].

If we understand "gay" to refer to an emotional and social identity, and collectively as a group of people who have a common pattern of life[10], then it would be fundamentally incorrect to call a male paedophile "gay". The psyche and life-style of the male paedophile is fundamentally different from that of gays[11]. It would be misleading to classify paedophiles as a sub-group of gays[12], and some psychologists think that we are faced with two distinct forms of homosexuality[13].

Gays and lesbians have always fought against portraying traditional sex roles in their relationships – they think that it is too narrow[14]. But this does not completely apply to paedophiles, for often they behave and feel themselves more like heterosexual men than like gays[15] and transmit these sex roles to the boys.

Nevertheless, it would be going too far to pretend that paedophiles and gays have nothing at all in common. They have much in common and to a great degree. The borderline between the two groups is rather fluid and there are men who love (especially young) men as well as young boys.

Erotic relations between men and boys can have very different characteristics. Some relations are short-lived and are purely sexual in essence[16]. Others may continue for many years and are based upon deep trust and mutual respect[17]. The feelings that these individuals develop for each other can at times be so strong that the relationship will last for the rest of their lives. As the boy becomes an adult the sexual interest fades away in both partners, but a platonic relationship can remain[18]. There are some moving examples of the paedophile assisting at the young man's wedding ceremony, acting as godfather to his children[19] and later even starting a love relationship with the boy's sons.

Another phenomenon characteristic of many homosexual paedophiles is a marked interest in the boy's social needs. We often find that paedophiles do a lot for boys who have problems with social adaptation or problems at home[20], and some paedophiles feel particularly attracted to youngsters who are social dropouts[21]. In the professional literature[22] as well as in fiction[23] we find many stories about paedophiles taking care of delinquent or difficult boys and succeeding through their unconditional love in helping them find the right path. The experience of many paedophiles is that these boys have practically insatiable sexual appetites[24].

Love is nature's way of linking two people together, and it looks as if nature has wisely provided for the neglected boys in need of an adult's support by attracting them to just the kind of men who, more than all others, are willing and equipped to understand and assist them.

It is sometimes alleged that the paedophile exploits the boy's sexual needs to satisfy his own lust, or that the boy sexualizes a need that is not sexual in the first place. I find that this contention expresses too narrow an interpretation of the word sex. Sexual interaction between an adult and a child should, rather, be seen as a form of communication expressing the child's need for adult support. The sexual act may be seen as symbolic behaviour aimed at establishing an alliance of friendship between adult and child. The boy, in need of an adult male's support, will feel a very natural impulse to enter into such a bond of friendship.

But we should not fall into the trap of believing that all boys who go with adult men are "problem children". The majority of these boys come from harmonious, loving homes[25]. Perhaps they feel overprotected and compelled to emancipate themselves from their parents. Or perhaps they are only bent on having adventures[26].

Most boys feel attracted to adult males, and this attraction may often find sexual expression[27]. If you question a boy about it, you will most likely hear that sex with a man is quite different and much more exciting than what they experience with age peers[28], and that the initiator of the sexual contact is the boy as often as it is the adult[29]. In an American study carried out in 1965 of men selected at random, 4%, as children, had had sexual relations with adult males[30]. By today this percentage might well have increased[31].

[1] Published by Global Academic Publishers, Amsterdam in 1993.

[2] Larry L. Constantine: "The effects of early sexual experiences: A review and synthesis of research", in Children and Sex (ref 7), p. 217-244; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982; Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289. [Authors’ footnote]

[3] Theo Sanfort: The Sexual Aspect of Paedophile Relations. Pan/Spartacus, Amsterdam 1982;  G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982. [Authors’ footnote]

[4] Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982. [Authors’ footnote]

[5] Preben Hertoft: Klinisk Sexologi. 2. udgave. Munskgaard, København 1980, p. 278-289. [German translation: Klinische Sexologie, Köln 1989; Italian translation: Sessuologia clinica, Milano 1988.]; Benoît Lapouge, Jean-Luc Pinard-Legry: L'enfant et le pédéraste. Editions du Seuil, Paris 1980, p. 89-104 [Authors' footnote]

[6] Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289. [Authors’ footnote]

[7] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976; Temple, Smith, London 1979; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982; Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289; R. H. Tindall: "The male adolescent involved with a pederast becomes an adult", Journal of Homosexuality 1977, Vol. 3, No. 4, p. 373. [Authors’ footnote]

[8] Anette Johansen, Jørgen Johansen: Rapport om homofile. Lindhardt og Ringhof, København 1973. [Authors’ footnote]

[9] Peter Righton: "The adult", in Perspectives on Paedophilia (ref 3), p. 24-40; G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982; Glenn D. Wilson, David N. Cox: The Child-Lovers, A Study of Paedophiles in Society. Peter Owen, London 1983; Paul H. Gebhard, et al.: Sex Offenders, An Analysis of Types. Harper and Row, New York 1965. [Authors’ footnote]

[10] Wilhelm von Rosen: "Bøssekampens Politik" in Pan, København 1979. [Authors’ footnote]

[11] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976; Temple, Smith, London 1979; Paul H. Gebhard, et al.: Sex Offenders, An Analysis of Types. Harper and Row, New York 1965; K. Freund, et. al.: "Femininity and preferred partner age in homosexual and heterosexual males", British Journal of Psychiatry, 1974, Vol. 125, p. 442. [Authors’ footnote]

[12] Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289. [Authors’ footnote]

[13] Thorkil Vanggaard: Phallós. Jonathan Cape, London 1972. [English translation: Phallos: A Symbol and its History in the Male World. Jonathan Cape, London 1972.] [Authors’ footnote].

[14] Wilhelm von Rosen: "Bøssekampens Politik" in Pan, København 1979 [Authors’ footnote].

[15] Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289; Paul H. Gebhard, et al.: Sex Offenders, An Analysis of Types. Harper and Row, New York 1965 [Authors’ footnote].

[16] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979 [Authors’ footnote].

[17] Theo Sanfort: The Sexual Aspect of Paedophile Relations. Pan/Spartacus, Amsterdam 1982; G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289 [Authors’ footnote]

[18] Michael Ingram: "Participating victims: A study of offences with boys", in Children and Sex (ref 7), p.177-187; G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982; Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289 [Authors’ footnote]

[19] Preben Hertoft: Klinisk Sexologi. 2. udgave. Munskgaard, København 1980, p. 278-289. [German translation: Klinische Sexologie, Köln 1989; Italian translation: Sessuologia clinica, Milano 1988.] [Authors’ footnote].

[20] Michael Ingram: "Participating victims: A study of offences with boys", in Children and Sex (ref 7), p. 177-187; G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979 [Authors’ footnote].

[21] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Peter Schult: Besuche in Sackgassen, Trikont Verlag, Berlin 1982. (Autobiography) [Authors’ footnote].

[22] Michael Ingram: "Participating victims: A study of offences with boys", in Children and Sex (ref 7), p. 177-187; G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; See also the interview with "Tommy" later in this book [Authors’ footnote].

[23] Peter Schult: Besuche in Sackgassen, Trikont Verlag, Berlin 1982 (Autobiography); Alan Edward: Kit. The Coltsfoot Press, Spartacus, Amsterdam 1983 [Authors’ footnote].

[24] Peter Schult: Besuche in Sackgassen, Trikont Verlag, Berlin 1982 (Autobiography) [Authors’ footnote].

[25] Theo Sanfort: The Sexual Aspect of Paedophile Relations. Pan/Spartacus, Amsterdam 1982;  G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Preben Hertoft: Klinisk Sexologi. 2. udgave. Munskgaard, København 1980, p. 278-289. [German translation: Klinische Sexologie, Köln 1989; Italian translation: Sessuologia clinica, Milano 1988.] [Authors’ footnote]

[26] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979 [Authors’ footnote]

[27] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. .Jonathan Cape, London 1972. [English translation: Phallos: A Symbol and its History in the Male World. Jonathan Cape, London 1972.] [Authors’ footnote]

[28] Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982 [Authors’ footnote].

[29] G. Parker Rossman: Sexual Experiences Between Men and Boys. Association Press, New York 1976 & Temple, Smith, London 1979; Frits Bernard: Kinderschänder? - Pädophilie. 3. Aufl., Foester Verlag, Berlin 1982 [Authors’ footnote]

[30] Paul H. Gebhard, et al.: Sex Offenders, An Analysis of Types. Harper and Row, New York 1965 [Authors’ footnote].

[31] Edward Brongersma: "Die Pädophile Beziehung", in Pädophilie Heute (ref 16), p. 278-289 [Authors’ footnote].

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