Pedophiles: is it really the right word to use?

Words have meaning. And Hélène, behind the Instagram account @aventreouvert, wants to remind everyone, it’s right.

They are not pedophiles, but pedophiles

On her Instagram account, Hélène, herself a victim of physical, psychological and sexual violence in childhood, shares content on the protection of children, abuse, sexual violence and their psycho-traumatic consequences.

He recently posted a very interesting Instagram post, which we wanted to share with you.

Many already use the correct word for those who sexually abuse children.

But a large part of the population, perhaps because they do not know their true term or importance, continues to call them simply “pedophiles”. However, it is important that all victims call them the right word: pedophiles.

In her post, Hélène explains how the designation of the attackers is wrong a burden for the victims:

Language shapes our representation of reality. Children will be truly listened to, their suffering will truly be recognized when the vocabulary used by adults stops opposing them.

As child victims, we ask you. Do not minimize the violence that has been inflicted on us and which has nothing to do with love. Stop using terms that belong to the attackers.

Abusers are accountable for their actions. Violence is not attributable to a pathology. And it’s never love.

In fact, as Hélène explains in particular, the word “pedophilia” derives from the Greek pais (child) e Filia (friendship, affection). According to this etymology, a pedophile would therefore be a person who loves children, who feels friendship for them. Gold, min common use, as we know, a pedophile is someone who is attracted to a child. Nothing to do with affection, nothing to do with friendship. A pedophile is a person, even if not acting, who has a sexual desire for a child. Nothing in this behavior it doesn’t feel like love

That is not love, it is aggression. These people They are not pedophiles, they are pedophiles.

No adult sexually assaults a child for love. For the victims it is important that the term changes in current usage, because it is not representative of reality, and because it helps to silence the words of those concerned, of the attacked, and why the use of the word “pedophilia” instead of “pedophilia” helps to make the aggressor less guilty and to minimize his actions.

Photo credit image of one: soupstock