Pedophilia (
alternatively spelt
paedophilia) is a
psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive
sexual attraction to
prepubescent children.
[1][2] Although girls typically begin the process of
puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12,
[3] criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13.
[4] A person must be at least 16 years old, and at least five years older than the prepubescent child, for the attraction to be diagnosed as pedophilia.
[4][5]