Child sexual abuse in itself is an act so damaging and selfish that it should be unreservedly frowned at by all, because for a few moments of pleasure, the perpetrator causes the child immense trauma for the rest of his or her life.
I would argue, for instance, that every discussion of the subject should make it unequivocally clear that, however “pedophilia” is defined, sex with underaged children is a horrific evil and thus, intolerable.
Indeed, it may be compared to a combination of torture and rape of adults; even after the act is over, it continues to wound. It fills the child with undeserved shame and low self-esteem and for some survivors later in life, this pain becomes so unbearable that they take their own lives.
Similarly, it permanently alters the child’s understanding of sex; some suffer from nymphomania, and some become completely closed off to all sexual relationships.
Most worrisome however is that, sexually abused children are more likely to be abusers themselves when they grow up.
