Male Intergenerational Intimacy : Historical, Socio-Psychological, and Legal Perspectives

Looking at man-boy relationships, or paedophilia, this book attempts to provide an accurate, unbiased view of an emotive subject. The contributors examine case studies, discuss childhood sexuality and offer suggestions for counselling and psychotherapy.

This groundbreaking book presents new historical, legal, sociological, psychological, and cross-disciplinary research on male intergenerational intimacy. Experts thoroughly document and further the discussion about this area of research through historical and ethnological examples from different times and places, and aim to clarify how controversies about the subject have evolved in modern Western society. The editors of Male Intergenerational Intimacy have solicited original research and literature reviews which do not digress into emotional arguments for or against intergenerational intimacy but instead aim to establish the basics for a research-based scholarship.
The contributors address the implications of intergenerational intimacy on a variety of levels--from friendship and companionship through sexual dimensions--and further analyze personal accounts to illustrate how individuals involved in intergenerational intimacy understand themselves and how they construct their concepts of intimacy and sexual identity. Contributors also deal with intergenerational intimacy behaviors that require counseling, treatment, and psychotherapeutic interventions from a positive approach. Finally, separate chapters deal with criminology issues and penal codes as they relate to the subject area.