Friday, December 30, 2005

Paraphilia Phriday 5

This week, you get to pick the paraphilia:

Hebephilia
or
Ephebophilia

Both refer to an adult's sexual attraction to teenagers. It's a paraphilia because it's often illegal.

Hebephilia is a more general term; Hebe is the Greek goddess of youth.

Ephebophilia is a more specific term; at its most specific, epheboi are young men aged 15-20. The ephebia was a Greek institution where young men were trained, building them into adult citizens. In a more general sense, then, Ephebophila refers to a sexual attraction to post-pubescent people who have not yet attained the culturally defined status of "adult."
That definition fits this news item perfectly: 20 year-old p0rn starlet charged with rape of and unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year old.

Topics for future posts:
1. the range of adulthood: 12 or 13 to murder someone, 21 to drink alcohol, 35 to be president.
2. the culturally fluid definition of 'adult' vis-a-vis the age of marriage/sexual activity.
3. how the vestige of an enforcement provision of a father's property right in his daughter's chastity, statutory rape, not only survived, but is virtually the only strict liability felony around.
4. what's up with female teachers and their students? (or is it just that these cases are newsworthy and the male teacher cases are not)

Jack

1 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Very informative with an edge. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

1/03/2006 9:50 PM  

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