Infantophilia--a new subcategory of pedophilia?: a preliminary study.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has included three subgroups of pedophilic disorder based on the gender of the victim, the exclusiveness of the subject's preference for children, and whether the behavior is limited to incest. This study uses the pedophile's preference for age of victim as a means of delineating two distinct subgroups. The first group of so-called 'infantophiles' had victims who were less than five years old, while the latter subgroup of pedophiles had victims between the ages of 6 and 12 years (n = 38). The primary purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that these two subgroups, based on the age of the victims, can be further distinguished by descriptive parameters. Various standardized questionnaires were administered to the subjects. The results of the study are discussed and suggestions made with regard to future research efforts.