In an Op-Ed essay last Monday, Margo Kaplan set out to correct what she said were misconceptions about pedophilia, writing that pedophiles aren’t all child molesters and that an attraction to children is not itself a crime, but rather a mental illness.
The article caused a stir, attracting over 1,200 reader comments. Many of these responses were rejected by our moderation staff, particularly for vicious attacks against both the author and commenters who expressed some measure of sympathy for pedophiles. In our moderation, we tried to create a space where readers would feel safe to freely discuss their views on this contentious subject.
“I anticipated strong responses, so that was no surprise,” said Ms. Kaplan, who teaches law at Rutgers University. “People commonly confuse pedophilia with child sexual abuse. So if you even mention something that sounds empathetic to the mental disorder of pedophilia, people might incorrectly think you are excusing child sexual abuse.”
She also noted the feelings of rage, disgust and discomfort that surround discussions about the disorder. “It combines our discomfort with mental disorders and our disgust with sexual deviance — it really hits the jackpot of social animosity,” she said.
[For more of this story, written by Marie Tae McDermott, go to http://www.nytimes.com/times-i..._type=blogs&_r=0]
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