when it comes to an attraction to adolescent girls (or, come to that, boys).

It's a shame that Dissident isn't around, his response to this would be far more erudite than mine.

However, the correct term for attraction to girls (or boys) between the point of puberty and that magical age of 18 years old is hebephilia, which broadly translates as 'attraction to youth', which is hardly sinister.

It drives me mad when someone who has been convicted of a crime against, say, a 15 year old is described as a pedophile. No, no, no - they are not. A pedophile is someone attracted to those who have not yet reached puberty.

I.e. me. I am a pedophile - my AoA is from 6 or 7 years old up to puberty.

In any case, I think the whole thing is ridiculous - it's all borne out of the paranoia of a society, and if anything, the mental disorder is that of society, not the individual.

It is a sexual orientation, NOT a mental disorder. Period. Until society grows up a bit, acts like adults and learns how to deal with it, the harm will continue. And, I am afraid that harm will continue to be principally toward children; whilst it may harm us, it harms the children much, much more.