Pedophilia

Pedophilia is a persistent sexual interest in prepubescent children. It is distinct from acting on that interest and from meeting criteria for a psychiatric disorder.

Prepubescence: The developmental period before the onset of puberty. Pedophilia concerns sexual interest in children who have not begun puberty.
DSM-5-TR: The American Psychiatric Association's current diagnostic manual, published in 2022. Its criteria distinguish pedophilic interest from pedophilic disorder.
Risk assessment: A structured estimation of the likelihood of a specified future harm. Risk cannot be inferred from the label alone; assessment considers individual circumstances and behavior.
Stigma: Social disapproval that devalues people associated with a particular trait or identity. Confusing attraction with abuse can intensify stigma and discourage people from seeking help.
Sexual orientation: A pattern of romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction to others. Pedophilia describes an atypical age-directed interest, not an orientation category equivalent to those based on adult partners.
ICD-11: The World Health Organization's international classification of diseases, adopted in 2019. Its diagnostic framework provides a second system for classifying paraphilic disorders.
Child sexual abuse prevention: Measures intended to prevent sexual abuse of children and reduce its harms. Prevention can address risk without treating attraction itself as proof that abuse has occurred.
Mandatory reporting: Legal duties requiring specified professionals to report suspected abuse or danger. Reporting obligations concern suspected harm and jurisdiction-specific rules, not a diagnosis alone.
Sexual behavior: Actions involving sexual expression or contact. An enduring interest does not establish that a person has engaged in sexual behavior with a child.
Sexual arousal: A physiological and psychological state of sexual excitement. Clinical assessment concerns a persistent pattern of interest, not an isolated response.

Linked from 5 pages