OTTAWA (AFP) — Shorter men are more likely to be sexually attracted to children than their taller peers, according to a new Canadian study of the biological roots of pedophilia.
This is likely the result of exposure to "pre-birth conditions" that affected pedophiles' physical development, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reported in "Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment."
"This research does not mean that pedophiles are not criminally responsible for their behavior," said lead researcher James Cantor.
"But the discovery of biological markers for pedophilia has important implications for future study and possibly treatment."
By analyzing the files of over 1,000 men who were assessed for pedophilia or other sexual disorders in Toronto between 1995 and 2006, researchers observed that pedophilic males were two centimeters (0.8 inches) shorter on average than males who were not sexually attracted to children.
This height difference is a trait found in other illnesses with biological links, similar in scope to the shorter height associated with schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease, the researchers said.
The same scientific team previously found that pedophiles "have lower IQs, are three times more likely to be left-handed, failed school grades significantly more frequently, and suffered more head injuries as children."
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