[SIZE=3]Shorter height linked to pedophilia -- study [/SIZE]


[SIZE=1]Agence France-Presse
[/SIZE] [SIZE=1]Last updated 07:18am (Mla time) 10/23/2007[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]OTTAWA -- Shorter men are more likely to be ***ually attracted to children than their taller peers, according to a new Canadian study of the biological roots of pedophilia.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]This is likely the result of exposure to "pre-birth conditions" that affected pedophiles' physical development, the Center for Addiction and Mental Health reported in "***ual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]"This research does not mean that pedophiles are not criminally responsible for their behavior," said lead researcher James Cantor.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]"But the discovery of biological markers for pedophilia has important implications for future study and possibly treatment."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]By analyzing the files of over 1,000 men who were assessed for pedophilia or other ***ual 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 ***ually attracted to children.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]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.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]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."[/SIZE]