I define a child as a pre-pubescent that has developed in what western society considers to be first-world culture (America, Europe and similar). This was not always the case in either society. Interestingly enough, studies indicate that it is society's vilification of pedophilia that instigates and magnifies the sense of destabilizing victimization in sexually active children. But, that's no different than saying that air-breathing mammals drown in water; our environment is such so that, in this social environment, pedophilia is harmful. That's the psycho-social truth of it in advanced societies. So, is the social environment to blame? Technically yes, -however-, that is true in regard to all crimes and their socially defined (realpolitik for ya) and accepted meanings, which aren't necessarily the legal definitions, mind you. Ultimately, pedophilia cannot be reconciled in modern society due to both this and the physical harm it can cause to a pre-pubescent. The psycho-social damage it causes relative to environmental status is one thing. But pre-pubescents not being physically matured enough to handle sexual intercourse with an adult (typically with a female child and adult male, in this concern) is another. . So, in conclusion, pedophilia is a crime that harms pre-pubescents. I could ramble on for pages and pages about the psychological and social factors behind a lot of perspectives on this, but this isn't exactly the appropriate medium for that.

Our children should be protected from sex, drugs, alcohol, violence, abuse, and other inappropriate topics. There's a reason we're born innocent. We're not born knowing everything, because children aren't born ready to experience everything.

Maturity brings with it privileges and decisions. There should absolutely be an age of consent, because like drugs, alcohol, and gun permits, sex should not be distributed to children like candy. It's a serious topic, and should not be taken lightly.

“Pedophilia

Encyclopaedia Britannica Article

also spelled Paedophilia, psychosexual disorder in which an adult's arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily through sexual contact with prepubescent children.”

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We are not talking about teenagers here and that is “Carnal Knowledge” a whole other debate. This is about children who have not yet reached puberty they should not have their innocence taken from them until such time.

as they are ready for it mentally physically and emotionally.

And under the above definition which is the only one you should be interested in regarding Pedophiles the answer has to be a resounding NO. We must protect our children from this kind of behaviour.

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The term "pre-pubescent" has some problems too because many girls today are reaching puberty as young as 9 - 10. I agree that we need to enforce the laws that are on the books...but maybe society needs to re-evaluate this age of consent issue..

Should men really be jailed for having sex with 16 year old "girls" that reached puberty 6 years prior and who have had consentual sexual experiences with other teens? No innocence involved there. Where DO we draw the line?

I am not getting into the argument about why people with this condition do this as this is not my area of expertise, the question was quite simple and the answer is even simpler NO!!!

Grown adults have a vast amount of authority and power over teens and children. Since they can use this to exploit children sexually, it is immoral to allow them to do so.

Not all teens are innocent. Some seek out and want to have sex with older, more experienced people. They grow bored of sex with their peers and want to explore new experiences. We need to re-examine the age of consent issues.

I'm conservative, but what consenting adults do in private is their own business. A person should confine their pleasure to other consenting adults and not to a child (who's not really consenting and isn't mature enough to fully grasp sex).

Researches have shown that exposure to sexual conduct at a young age causes serious mental problems later on in life such as anxiety, eating disorders, sex addictions, etc.

Sexual anything between mentally mature, consenting individuals is super-fine by me. Do what you want. It's fun stuff. The key point is mentally mature. I don't think the age of consent should be any more than 16, or even 14; less is pushing it.