To the Editor, The Record:

Another way of Looking at Pedophilic Behavior

      If one looks at a grown man sexually molesting a young boy as really two young boys "horsing around", one might get a better understanding of this repulsive and damaging activity. Recently in the New York Times article, " Bishop Sexual abuse Case Prompts New Outrage in Belgium", it is reported that Bishop Vangeluwe,  having been accused of molesting his own nephews, described the incidents as follows: "It was a certain intimacy that took place, the nephews slept with me. It began as a game with the boys, and the abuse was restricted to a touching of the genitals---I never felt the slightest sexual attraction". He showed little guilt or contrition about it, or awareness of its effect on the boys. Then we read of Bishop Bernard Law of Boston,who would write in the  records of priests found to be sexually molesting young boys,'"He fools around with kids"---Hardly an accurate description of felonious sexual assault. Apparently he also saw such behavior as harmless , innocent behavior that young boys do all the time. This would explain why the Catholic Clergy failed to identify such behavior as  pathological and failed  do anything about the widespread pedophilia in the clergy. As one accused Bishop stated regarding his pedophilic behavior 25 years earlier,, " In those days we didn't know it was a condition, We just thought, make a good confession and sin no more. It wasn't in our manuals ", as if it was quite normal sexual behavior--only sinful, like adultery,etc.   And Jerry Sandusky, during an interview with Bob Costas  on TV was slow to respond to a question regarding  sexual attraction to young boys, ---which he denied ---as if he didn't see it as sexual at all. He said h just liked being with kids. Sandusky doesn't show the slightest sign of remorse or guilt one would expect from a  mature, revered football coach who had sexually  assaulted children. Frankly,  on TV he appears to be unaware of what is really happening to him and why.  One can perhaps understand these phenomena if one thinks that  pedophiles may not actually feel  normal overt sexual arousal in this activity, because their main psychological identity is that of the age of the boys they molest. The alleged encounters are more like two young boys innocently exploring their own sexuality ---foollng around--- as many young boys do as a part of their becoming curious about their sexuality, not  that of a middle aged man with a young boy.  Their predominant developmental and emotional identity remains fixated at an early level, even though they appear to be and  in many ways act  like mature adults.  This the only way one could understand how a mature man who is dedicated to educating and coaching young men could not feel the revulsion and overwhelming guilt one would expect.  It  is why associates, friends, and university officials find it almost incomprehensible that  Jerry Sandusky could be  guilty of such awful, damaging, felonious behavior.