Was the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) recent publication a clerical error or political statement?
The latest release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) designated pedophilia as a “sexual orientation”! After a serious uproar, the APA says it was an error and should read “sexual interest.” I guess that’s a significant improvement.
“Orientation” implies there would be a complementary “orientation” where young children are “oriented” toward older partners
The DSM-5 technically defines pedophilia as “a sexual orientation or profession of sexual preference devoid of consummation, whereas pedophilic disorder is defined as a compulsion and is used in reference to individuals who act on their sexuality.”
These manuals are written by teams of people. They are reviewed and revised repeatedly to ensure accuracy. And they know the importance of each word placed.
They say they’re changing the online version of the DSM-5 immediately and will change the printed edition in the next revision. With these printed editions floating around, is the damage already done?
What do you think? Was it truly a clerical error or a political statement?
You can read more about it here.
Photo Credit Flickr RonnTan
via The Real Side Radio Show with Joe Messina ~11/6/13
