A Consultant Psychologist, Dr Kafayat Ogunsola said that paedophiles should be given rehabilitative incarceration rather than allowing them languish in jail.
Ogunsola made the suggestion in Lagos on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that paedophilia is a sexual disorder that makes someone suffering from the disorder have sexual attraction to children.
“Rehabilitative incarceration is what obtains in advance countries, while they are there they get therapy and certain line of treatment, it helps them become better people.”
She said that the country should emulate such practice and give paedophiles rehabilitative incarceration where they can get the help they need.
“I am not trying to excuse their behaviour and I am not judging them, however we know that these people need help and we should ensure that they get the help.
“Paedophilia or child defilement is one of the disorder that we psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental doctors categorise as disorder of sexual preference.
“Basically it means when an individual is sexually attracted to or have a fantasy towards an inappropriate feminine.
“It means attractions towards a prepubetal child, a child that is less than 13 years old,” Ogunsola said.
She explained that there are other similar types of sexual disorders such as exhibitionism in which the individual has fantasy or get their orgasm from exposing their genital towards unsuspecting people, or having strong desire to be observed by others during sexual activities.
“There is also Frotteurism in which an individual rub their genital on an unsuspecting stranger.
“A clear example is when people are on queues or in buses when people stand close together.
“The core thing is that the attraction or fantasy that leads towards sexual gratification which is commonly called orgasm is towards an inappropriate feminine, a child.
“The perpetrator has to be six years older than the prepubetal child to call it a pedophilic relationship.
“I will not say there is a cure for paedophilia, however, it is an inappropriate behavior and you can only help somebody who is willing to be helped.
“It is usually difficult for paedophiles to get help unless the person in question is committed and ready to put all his or her effort into getting the help that they need.
“It is not like they are coming for a cure, it is not a switch that we psychiatrist can turn off from their brain.
“It is going to be hard work involving a change of behavior and having to help them direct their sexual fantasies and activities towards a more appropriate feminine,” the psychologist said.
Ogunsola said that there are other extreme treatment options such as the use of certain drugs to reduce their libido.
“There are also surgical procedures that can be done after they have tried all that they can and it is not working and are willing to go the extra mile
“Chemical Castration can be done using the medical or surgical method.
“That is if the person is truthful and willing to go the extreme to stop the act seeing that his or her behaviour is causing problems in the society.
“With such disorder in the society, it is very difficult to stop the prevalence or the precedence at any point because people do not come out to even agree that they have such disorder.
“It is usually very difficult for one to estimate, however what I can say is happening right now is increasing awareness.
“As times changes in this world of internet and social media, you can see that people are becoming more knowledgeable and more aware of things around them and they are speaking up.
“The populace are becoming aware that people have such disorder and that there are victims of such perpetrators,” she said.
Speaking about the victims of paedophilia and how to ensure that they get help, Ogunsola said that it was important to know that such child is prepubetal.
“These victims are still very young and are still in their early mid childhood and it is a traumatic experience for many of them.
“It may also be a confusing situation for them and they may not know that it is wrong
“They may sense that something is off, so it would cause a lot of conflict for them when children are violated in that manner early in life.
“As with any traumatic event that happens to a child, the parents or guardian needs to get quick help for such child,” she added.
The psychologist said it was important that the children who were molested should and must get help.
“There are different levels of help, because if the child has been sexually violated or raped there are a lot of interventions that has to be done.
“Such child has to be taken to the hospital to be examined, some medication has to be given to the child to prevent exposure to HIV, Herpertitis B and other infections.
“There is also the legal angle to the help the child can get, if the family of the child are willing to prosecute.
“The child also needs psychological therapy, and has to be supported during such time.
“It is important that he or she is reassured and make them know that the incident was not their fault.
“They should know that it is not anything they had done that made them a victim and that the guilt or blame is not on them but on the perpetrator.
“When the children are not given the necessary help needed and everybody just carry on as if nothing happened, such child ends up having unresolved emotional struggle as a result of the unfortunate situation they were exposed to as children,” she said.
She urged parents and guardians to make out quality time for their children and wards.
“Parents should make sure that they have time for their children and know who they leave their children with.
“Nobody can be trusted, in most cases of child rape, it is the most trusted relatives or friends that have access to violate the children, be careful and watchful with your kids,” Ogunsola said.
