Introduction to the special section on pedophilia: concepts and controversy.

Archives of Sexual Behavior,  December, 2002  by Kenneth J. Zucker

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From his "same play, same page" argument, Schmidt then concludes that he "finds it difficult to imagine consensual sex between adults and children," but immediately proceeds to back-peddle by exempting a whole class of boys, i.e., those who are entering puberty, have masturbated, and thus might "know the score." The process of puberty that climaxes with spermarche and menarche, however, begins with adrenarche, a process that peaks at about age 10 (Herdt & McClintock, 2000).

Given that a very sizeable portion of boys who become involved sexually with men are 10 or older (Holmes & Slap, ...