Romantic fixation on individuals of particular age ranges
The term chronophilia was used by psychologist
John Money to describe varying forms of romantic preference and/or sexual fixation limited to individuals of particular age ranges. Some such fixations, specifically those towards prepubescents and those towards the elderly, constitute types of
paraphilia.[1][2][3] The term has not been widely adopted by
sexologists, who instead use terms that refer to the specific age range in question. An arguable historical precursor was
Richard von Krafft-Ebing's concept of "age fetishism".[4] Importantly, chronophilia are technically not determined by age itself, but by human sexual maturity stages, such as body type, secondary sexual characteristics and other visible features, particularly as measured by the stages of the
Tanner scale.[5]
Preferences based on age
Romantic and/or sexual attraction to minors
Pedohebephilia refers to an expansion and reclassification of pedophilia and hebephilia with subgroups, proposed during the development of the
DSM-5.[6] It refers more broadly to sexual fixations. Under the proposed revisions, people who are dysfunctional as a result of it would be diagnosed with pedohebephilic disorder. People would be broken down into types based on the idea of being fixated on one, the other or both of the subgroups. The proposed revision was not ratified for inclusion in the final published version of DSM-5.
Infantophilia (sometimes called nepiophilia) is a subtype of pedophilia describing a sexual fixation on children less than 5 years old (including
toddlers and
infants).[7]
Pedophilia is a
psychological disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a romantic and/or sexual attraction to prepubescent youth.[8][9][10] According to the fifth edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), pedophilia is a
paraphilia in which a person has intense sexual urges towards children, and experiences recurrent sexual urges towards and
fantasies about children. Pedophilic disorder is further defined as psychological disorder in which a person meets the criteria for pedophilia above, and also either acts upon those urges, or else experiences distress or interpersonal difficulty as a consequence.[11][12] The diagnosis can be made under the DSM or
ICD criteria for persons age 16 and older.[13][14]
Fixation on adolescents
Hebephilia is a romantic and/or sexual fixation on early-pubescent youths in Tanner Stages 2 and 3 (ages 11–14). Ephebophilia is a romantic/sexual fixation on late-pubescent youths in Tanner Stage 4 (ages 15–19).[15][16] The term hebephilia was introduced by Bernard Glueck in 1955.[17] Ephebophilia is not classified as a paraphilia, due to overlaps with teleiophilia and overlaps and similarities between Tanner Stages 4 and 5. Forensic psychologist and sexologist Dr.
Michael Seto has noted ""older adolescents are reproductively viable and the fact that typically men are attracted to older adolescents, as reflected in self-report, psychophysiological, and pornography use studies (Freund, Seeley, Marshall, & Glinfort, 1972; Symons, 1979)".[18][19]
Attraction to adults
Teleiophilia (from Greek téleios, "full grown") is a romantic and/or sexual preference for young adults (20s and 30s), specifically for adult body types, as it also technically encompasses attraction towards postpubertal, sexually mature teenagers.[20] Dr.
Michael Seto states: "A sexual preference in those in late adolescence who show many signs of sexual maturity (Tanner stage 4) or who are sexually mature (Tanner stage 5) is not representative of hebephilia; instead, it can be described as ephebophilia or teleiophilia (Hames & Blanchard, 2012)."[21][22] The term was coined by
Ray Blanchard in 2000 and has seen less public adoption than some newer terms.[23]
Mesophilia (derived from the Greek "mesos", "intermediate") is a romantic and/or sexual preference for middle-aged adults. The term was coined by
Michael Seto in 2016.[24]
Gerontophilia is a romantic and/or sexual preference for the elderly.[25]
^Money, John (1986). Lovemaps: clinical concepts of sexual/erotic health and pathology, paraphilia, and gender transposition of childhood, adolescence, and maturity. pp. 70, 260.
ISBN978-0-8290-1589-8.
^Greenberg DM, Bradford J, Curry S (1995). "Infantophilia--a new subcategory of pedophilia?: a preliminary study". Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 23 (1): 63–71.
PMID7599373..
^Blanchard, R.; Kolla, N. J.; Cantor, J. M.; Klassen, P. E.; Dickey, R.; Kuban, M. E.; Blak, T. (2007). "IQ, handedness, and pedophilia in adult male patients stratified by referral source". Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 19 (3): 285–309.
doi:
10.1177/107906320701900307.
PMID17634757.
S2CID220359453.
^Blanchard, R., Lykins, A. D., Wherrett, D., Kuban, M. E., Cantor, J. M., Blak, T., Dickey, R., & Klassen, P. E. (2008). Pedophilia, hebephilia, and the DSM–V. Archives of Sexual Behavior.doi:
10.1007/s10508-008-9399-9.
^Glueck, B. C. Jr. (1955). Final report: Research project for the study and treatment of persons convicted of crimes involving sexual aberrations. June 1952 to June 1955. New York: New York State Department of Mental Hygiene.
^Phenix A, Hoberman H (2015). Sexual Offending: Predisposing Antecedents, Assessments and Management. p. 30.
ISBN978-1493924165.
^Blanchard, R.; Barbaree, H. E.; Bogaert, A. F.; Dickey, R.; Klassen, P.; Kuban, M. E.; Zucker, KJ; et al. (2000). "Fraternal birth order and sexual orientation in pedophiles". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 29 (5): 463–478.
doi:
10.1023/A:1001943719964.
PMID10983250.
S2CID19755751.
^Blanchard, R. & Barbaree, H. E. (2005). "The strength of sexual arousal as a function of the age of the sex offender: Comparisons among pedophiles, hebephiles, and teleiophiles". Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 17 (4): 441–456.
doi:
10.1177/107906320501700407.
PMID16341604.
S2CID220355347.
Romantic fixation on individuals of particular age ranges
The term chronophilia was used by psychologist
John Money to describe varying forms of romantic preference and/or sexual fixation limited to individuals of particular age ranges. Some such fixations, specifically those towards prepubescents and those towards the elderly, constitute types of
paraphilia.[1][2][3] The term has not been widely adopted by
sexologists, who instead use terms that refer to the specific age range in question. An arguable historical precursor was
Richard von Krafft-Ebing's concept of "age fetishism".[4] Importantly, chronophilia are technically not determined by age itself, but by human sexual maturity stages, such as body type, secondary sexual characteristics and other visible features, particularly as measured by the stages of the
Tanner scale.[5]
Preferences based on age
Romantic and/or sexual attraction to minors
Pedohebephilia refers to an expansion and reclassification of pedophilia and hebephilia with subgroups, proposed during the development of the
DSM-5.[6] It refers more broadly to sexual fixations. Under the proposed revisions, people who are dysfunctional as a result of it would be diagnosed with pedohebephilic disorder. People would be broken down into types based on the idea of being fixated on one, the other or both of the subgroups. The proposed revision was not ratified for inclusion in the final published version of DSM-5.
Infantophilia (sometimes called nepiophilia) is a subtype of pedophilia describing a sexual fixation on children less than 5 years old (including
toddlers and
infants).[7]
Pedophilia is a
psychological disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a romantic and/or sexual attraction to prepubescent youth.[8][9][10] According to the fifth edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), pedophilia is a
paraphilia in which a person has intense sexual urges towards children, and experiences recurrent sexual urges towards and
fantasies about children. Pedophilic disorder is further defined as psychological disorder in which a person meets the criteria for pedophilia above, and also either acts upon those urges, or else experiences distress or interpersonal difficulty as a consequence.[11][12] The diagnosis can be made under the DSM or
ICD criteria for persons age 16 and older.[13][14]
Fixation on adolescents
Hebephilia is a romantic and/or sexual fixation on early-pubescent youths in Tanner Stages 2 and 3 (ages 11–14). Ephebophilia is a romantic/sexual fixation on late-pubescent youths in Tanner Stage 4 (ages 15–19).[15][16] The term hebephilia was introduced by Bernard Glueck in 1955.[17] Ephebophilia is not classified as a paraphilia, due to overlaps with teleiophilia and overlaps and similarities between Tanner Stages 4 and 5. Forensic psychologist and sexologist Dr.
Michael Seto has noted ""older adolescents are reproductively viable and the fact that typically men are attracted to older adolescents, as reflected in self-report, psychophysiological, and pornography use studies (Freund, Seeley, Marshall, & Glinfort, 1972; Symons, 1979)".[18][19]
Attraction to adults
Teleiophilia (from Greek téleios, "full grown") is a romantic and/or sexual preference for young adults (20s and 30s), specifically for adult body types, as it also technically encompasses attraction towards postpubertal, sexually mature teenagers.[20] Dr.
Michael Seto states: "A sexual preference in those in late adolescence who show many signs of sexual maturity (Tanner stage 4) or who are sexually mature (Tanner stage 5) is not representative of hebephilia; instead, it can be described as ephebophilia or teleiophilia (Hames & Blanchard, 2012)."[21][22] The term was coined by
Ray Blanchard in 2000 and has seen less public adoption than some newer terms.[23]
Mesophilia (derived from the Greek "mesos", "intermediate") is a romantic and/or sexual preference for middle-aged adults. The term was coined by
Michael Seto in 2016.[24]
Gerontophilia is a romantic and/or sexual preference for the elderly.[25]
^Money, John (1986). Lovemaps: clinical concepts of sexual/erotic health and pathology, paraphilia, and gender transposition of childhood, adolescence, and maturity. pp. 70, 260.
ISBN978-0-8290-1589-8.
^Greenberg DM, Bradford J, Curry S (1995). "Infantophilia--a new subcategory of pedophilia?: a preliminary study". Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 23 (1): 63–71.
PMID7599373..
^Blanchard, R.; Kolla, N. J.; Cantor, J. M.; Klassen, P. E.; Dickey, R.; Kuban, M. E.; Blak, T. (2007). "IQ, handedness, and pedophilia in adult male patients stratified by referral source". Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 19 (3): 285–309.
doi:
10.1177/107906320701900307.
PMID17634757.
S2CID220359453.
^Blanchard, R., Lykins, A. D., Wherrett, D., Kuban, M. E., Cantor, J. M., Blak, T., Dickey, R., & Klassen, P. E. (2008). Pedophilia, hebephilia, and the DSM–V. Archives of Sexual Behavior.doi:
10.1007/s10508-008-9399-9.
^Glueck, B. C. Jr. (1955). Final report: Research project for the study and treatment of persons convicted of crimes involving sexual aberrations. June 1952 to June 1955. New York: New York State Department of Mental Hygiene.
^Phenix A, Hoberman H (2015). Sexual Offending: Predisposing Antecedents, Assessments and Management. p. 30.
ISBN978-1493924165.
^Blanchard, R.; Barbaree, H. E.; Bogaert, A. F.; Dickey, R.; Klassen, P.; Kuban, M. E.; Zucker, KJ; et al. (2000). "Fraternal birth order and sexual orientation in pedophiles". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 29 (5): 463–478.
doi:
10.1023/A:1001943719964.
PMID10983250.
S2CID19755751.
^Blanchard, R. & Barbaree, H. E. (2005). "The strength of sexual arousal as a function of the age of the sex offender: Comparisons among pedophiles, hebephiles, and teleiophiles". Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 17 (4): 441–456.
doi:
10.1177/107906320501700407.
PMID16341604.
S2CID220355347.