Except one Parents who have been beaten by their parents are disposed to beat their, and other, children. Similarly, there are very clearly adult male perpetrators who have been sexually abused as children themselves even if not by their own parents; so now they are the perpetuators, doing it to other children. Which does not make it right at all, even if the psychiatrists choose to see this as, ‘An effort to preserve his masculine image, thus limiting himself from overcoming the sexual trauma of his past. His anger and his sex drive have become intertwined.’ No human being has the right to sexually abuse a child or rape an adult, be it a woman or a man. After all there are enough adults—male and female—who have been sexually abused in childhood and who would never, ever, sexually abuse a child in turn; many of these make for excellent parents too. Perhaps even better than those parents who have never been sexually abused in childhood, though it is far too high a price to pay for perfect parenting.

Among adults who sexually abuse children are also some homosexuals—who think of it as sexual initiation for the boys they bodily and emotionally assault. And some among them are lesbians—who see it likewise for the girls. This is as immoral and depraved as anyone else who sexually violates children.

These heterosexuals, homosexuals and lesbians do not generally come from dysfunctional homes. They look perfectly normal and sane, which they are; they are not sadists nor perverts who experience greater sexual thrills only when children protest. They can be good providers themselves, and make for functional fathers in the case of heterosexual men. They are not necessarily alcoholics or users of narcotics. They have not had bad experiences like abandonments, they have not been brought up with harsh discipline by their parents or beaten up by them, they do not have rigid or obsessive personalities themselves, they are of average intelligence and have no physical problems, they deal with everyday conflict situations and stress with relative ease, their own marriages are all right, they get enough sex in their relationships, they have no excessive dependency needs and there are no ‘ghosts’ around like powerful and destructive parents or grandparents. In the case of heterosexuals, their families have the usual amount of eye contact and touching, they talk to each other without being cold or rough, they do things together with the family and even if their family members do not particularly love each other, they are not bonded in hate. They are not necessarily from joint families; there are a reasonable number of neighbours, friends and relatives, the perpetrator and his family is not a socially isolated one. There is also no long-term poverty in the homes of most of these perpetrators, family members are decently employed as is the perpetrator.

So: why do they do it? Why do these perpetrators stick fingers, penises, tongues, bananas, candles and pencils into any and every orifice of a child? Why do adult males fondle budding breasts and play with tiny testicles?