Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Adult Sexual Contact with Children: Historical Notes

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). The English author of “Alice in Wonderland” felt attracted to very young girls, but never had sexual contact with them. Below is the original drawing of Alice, the type of girl to whom he was attracted.

There are many historical examples of adults having sexual contact with children. In the Western world, the best known is perhaps the Roman emperor Tiberius (42 BC-37 AD), who kept not only adults and juveniles, but also little boys and girls for sexual purposes in his palace on the island of Capri. However, for this he was scolded even in antiquity. Small children were sexually taboo, although females and males were considered suitable partners once they approached or reached puberty. Tiberius was not a pedophile but simply used his imperial power to indulge in all kinds of sexual orgies.
In Christian Europe and America, this kind of behavior has never been accepted. Nevertheless, there have been - and there are now - adults who feel erotically attracted to children. An interesting example is Lewis Carroll (pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), the author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”. He sought the company of young girls, entertained them, told them stories, and, with the permission of their parents, photographed some of them in the nude. However, he never overstepped the bounds of “propriety” and never attempted any close physical contact. According to our present terminology, he was probably a pedophile who managed to control his sexual impulses.
Today, this is an example pedophiles are encouraged to follow. Current treatments try, above all, to prevent them from breaking the law. Thus, training a pedophile to live with his fantasies without acting them out protects both him and the children he meets.