The Terms We Use Matter

[DISCLAIMER]

I’ve paid attention to the curious case of Jeffrey Epstein, who I’ve been reliably informed most certainly did not kill himself, retain a client list, or work on behalf of foreign intelligence assets /s. For context, information regarding Epstein is closely related to the case of Ghislaine Maxwell.

In a United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) document pertaining to Epstein, the government alleged:

The victims described herein were as young as 14 years old at the time they were abused by JEFFREY EPSTEIN, the defendant, and were, for various reasons, often particularly vulnerable to exploitation. EPSTEIN intentionally sought out minors and knew that many of his victims were in fact under the age of 18, including because, in some instances, minor victims expressly told him their age.

Similarly, the DOJ website regarding Maxwell states:

From at least 1994, up to and including in or about 2004, GHISLAINE MAXWELL assisted, facilitated, and participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18. 

The victims were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by MAXWELL and Epstein, both of whom knew that their victims were in fact minors.  As a part and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims, MAXWELL and Epstein enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein’s residences in different states, which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse.

There are two takeaway points I consider worth addressing in regard to both Epstein and Maxwell’s cases. First, the U.S. government alleged that both the male (Epstein) and female (Maxwell) facilitated the abuse.

This point raises doubt concerning the erroneous notion that paraphilia (a pattern of recurring sexually arousing mental imagery or behavior that involves unusual and especially socially unacceptable sexual practices) regarding children is solely attributed to “male sexual disorders.”

In a blogpost entitled Females, Too, pertaining to this matter, I stated that “not only do males sexually exploit people, because females do so, too.” Departing from the Maxwell example, consider what one source from today (7/9/2025) states about this topic:

A former PE teacher has appeared in court charged with 13 sexual offences against three children.

Bronwen James, 29, of Chippenham, Wiltshire, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

She is accused of sexual activity with two girls and a boy over a three-year period.

James is charged with six offences of sexual activity with a child, relating to girls under the age of 16, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.

She is also accused of two counts of sexual communication with a child and one count of making an indecent photograph of a child, namely a Category C – the least serious category – first generation image.

The former teacher is also charged with four counts of sexual activity with a boy, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

As a matter of principle, I maintain that James remains innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law. Still, there are many examples readily available on the Internet of females (girls and women) committing sexual acts against males (boys and men), as well as other females.

The second takeaway point worthy of addressing herein, pertaining to the cases of Epstein and Maxwell, relates to terms often used to describe their (alleged) acts. As an example, one source from today reports, “Jeffrey Epstein’s brother rips feds for ruling pedophile’s death as suicide.”

Another source adds, “There’s no great mystery as to how and why much of Donald Trump’s base has focused obsessively on conspiracy theories surrounding the late millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died behind bars in 2019 while facing federal charges of child sex trafficking.”

Although not a recent example, one 2020 source claimed, “Melania Trump - friend of indicted rapist, pedophile and child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell will be speaking soon,” in regard to a public appearance by the First Lady. Both Epstein and Maxwell were considered pedophiles.

I maintain that the words we use matter. As stated by one source, “Our words represent our beliefs, morals, prejudices, and principles—sometimes in ways we may not mean—and can shape an audience’s perceptions of us as well as the issues about which we speak and write.”

Within the field of care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), the terms we use matter. For instance, take into consideration a blog entry I posted, entitled Normalcy Bias (4/8/2024), in which I stated:

It’s important that the reader understand that not every adult that engages in sexual abuse of a minor is categorized as a pedophile, even though this is the colloquial term assigned to those who commit this form of abuse. According to one source:

Pedophilia (alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12, psychiatric diagnostic criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13. People with the disorder are often referred to as pedophiles (or paedophiles).

As addressed earlier, from a clinical standpoint, sexual attraction to people younger than 13-years-old – and meeting other DSM-V criteria – constitutes pedophilic disorder. Offering a non-clinical perspective, one source states:

Hebephilia is the strong, persistent sexual interest by adults in pubescent children who are in early adolescence, typically ages 11–14 and showing Tanner stages 2 to 3 of physical development. It differs from pedophilia (the primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children), and from ephebophilia (the primary sexual interest in later adolescents, typically ages 15–18). While individuals with a sexual preference for adults may have some sexual interest in pubescent-aged individuals, researchers and clinical diagnoses have proposed that hebephilia is characterized by a sexual preference for pubescent rather than adult partners.

Although the aforementioned source states that ephebophilia ranges from 15–18-year-old, one source clarifies:

Ephebophilia is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19. The term was originally used in the late 19th to mid-20th century. It is one of a number of sexual preferences across age groups subsumed under the technical term chronophilia. Ephebophilia strictly denotes the preference for mid-to-late adolescent sexual partners, not the mere presence of some level of sexual attraction. It is not a psychiatric diagnosis.

Non-diagnostically speaking, pedophilia relates to sexual attraction to children from infancy to around 11-years-old. Hebephilia then relates to similar attraction to kids from approximately 11- to 14-years-old. Ephebophilia thus involves sexual attraction to children from about 15- to just under 18-years old, as those 18 and above aren’t considered children.

If DOJ records are accurate, from a non-diagnostic standpoint, Epstein and Maxwell were ostensibly engaged in hebephilia and ephebophilia. Yet, from a non-diagnostic or clinical outlook, these individuals were not classified as pedophiles or warrant the label of pedophilia.

I foresee an ad hominem attack, as someone may unhelpfully state, “Why do you care what terms are used for Epstein and Maxwell? What are you, a chomo [child molester] or something?” I have no particular concern for the reputation of the late Epstein or an incarcerated Maxwell.

Rather, I maintain that the terms we use matter, because I’ve worked with pedophiles, hebephiles, and ephebophiles when providing mental health services. While I understand the desire for people to villainize all of these individuals as monstrous pedophiles, they aren’t.

Even those people – both males and females – who maintain a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children, up to age 13, are merely fallible human beings. This is true even if or when they commit acts which you and I understandably consider repugnant in nature.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit (edited), fair use

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