A
longitudinal study of nine castes is reported where the

adolescent was engaged after puberty in sexual activity with an adult
male.

Observations are reported in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th decades after the
teenage

years in these cases. The subjects were drawn from a pool of 200 similar
cases

and are the cases where the most data are available. 


Implications for professionals dealing with adolescent sexuality are
made. Gaps

between what is legally permitted and what is actual practice are
pointed out.

Need for further research and the areas for that research are implied. A
case

against premature labeling s made.

[Introduction] 

Throughout
history men have had sexual relations with adolescent

boys. Occasionally, there is a sensational scandal but for the most part
such

relations take place without public awareness or the extent of the
practice or

the identities or the involved parties.

According
to Dorlands Medical Dictionary (1974), pederasty

means anal intercourse with a boy. The word pederast means
boy lover

from the Greek pais ("boy") and erastes ("lover").

Often the word has become synonymous with sodomist.

Rossman
(1976) defines the pederast as any male over the age of

18 who is erotically attracted to boys between the age of puberty and
age 16.

The present paper will go beyond erotic attraction and define the
pederast as 

a male
over 18 who has actually engaged in sexual relations

with a younger post-pubescent male under the age or 16 which results
in sexual

climax for either one or both participants. This practice will have
extended

over a period of time of at least 1 year. 

The
knowledge we have in this area stems from two sources. 

First,
studies have been made on prison populations (Gebhard

et al., 1967; Glueck, 1955). In these studies the pederast has been
arrested and

jailed, or the youths involved have been placed in correctional
institutions and

information is based on their recall. 

The
second source is from opinions handed down from what

has been known or reputed to be known by authority figures in society.
Bernard

(1976) stales that there is very little research in the area, but many
theories

and opinions. As pederasty is a 

[Page 374]

sensitive
subject and one that has long since been driven

underground in our society, it is natural that much of what we know
should come

from a confined population or from historical and philosophical
accounts.

Not
only is the subject a very sensitive one, but it is

difficult to get accurate information from either the pederast or the

adolescent. In my experience the pederast, who is violating a law which
would

estrange him in his community, is most reluctant to discuss his
relationships

with young males, with older male friends, or even with professionals.

Adolescents themselves, according to Sorenson (1975),and from my own
experience,

are quite reluctant to divulge their sexual involvement with a male
older than

themselves outside of a trusted gay circle if they belong to such
circles.

A
search of the literature reveals little in the way of data

that would tell us what occurs in the later life of boys who get
involved with

older men. Little is recorded, for example, about their adaptation,
their sexual

orientation, or their later attitudes toward their homosexual history.
In fact,

such information is very difficult to secure. We know much more about
the men

who have been apprehended, arrested, and convicted for homosexual
offenses than

we do concerning the boys on whom the offense was committed. 

This
is a report of a study of nine boys. 

The
author observed them grow from puberty to manhood after they

had already had some sort of episodic involvement with a male older than

themselves. These cases were extracted from over 200 cases spanning a
30-year

period. They are the 9 cases where the most detailed follow-up in regard
to

sexual practices was possible. 

Correspondence
and interviews were used where individuals could

be located. Attempts were made to contact the appropriate individuals in
all

cases. Staff and funds were unavailable to make the exhaustive search
necessary

to locate as many cases as desired. 

These
cases occurred in populations referred from three widely

separated states, involving three different-sized school systems as well
as a

limited private practice. These 9 case were those where annual follow-up
was

possible. The 200 cases were drawn from a reservoir of approximate,
3,000 cases

of this age range brought to the attention of the author in the course
of 30

years as a psychologist dealing with school-age populations. Of the 200
cases,

no one was referred for sex offenses or through the courts. These 200
cases were

the cases where there was involvement of two males differing in ages as
defined.

Admittedly, the data are not complete on each of these cases, and they
are even

less complete on the cases not reported that made up the subject pool.

Cases
reported were those where it was possible to have at least

yearly contact with the person who was involved first as an adolescent.
Each was

first seen when he was an adolescent. Parental permission was secured to
discuss

sensitive subjects prior to initial contact. These cases represent a
sample with

an unknown bias in that we have been able to follow their 

[Page 375]

development,
but there was little difference surrounding the

original contact in the less documented cases. We do not know how
representative

these cases are of the original 200. 

Sex
histories were taken routinely in all adolescents referred,

irrespective of referral reason. It needs to be emphasized that no case
was

originally seen because of a sexual problem. Obviously, names are
fictitious,

and minor events have been changed so as to maintain maximum anonymity.

Briefcase
histories of nine adult males whose current ages range

from 25 to 46 years will be presented. Details of sexual relations with
the

adult males concerned will be given as related by those persons who were

adolescents at the time of first contact. The current follow-up data are
based

on observations, community reports, and personal interviews where
practical.

CASE SUMMARIES

Ronald
was referred at age 15 because of rapid mood swings,

unpredictability, and periods of depression. He was doing poorly in
school at

the time, was of low average ability, and was reading at about 1½ years

below
grade placement.

By his
own report he had reached puberty between 12 and 13. He

had been introduced by two older brothers to mutual masturbation and
fellatio.

Toward the end of his 14th year he was doing yard work for a married,
childless

high school teacher. They became aware of mutual sexual attraction.
During the

following 4 years mutual masturbation and fellatio occurred at least
weekly

between the two. They became fond of each other, but no sexual relations

occurred after Ronald's 20th birthday.

Ronald
is now 46 years of age. He has lost touch with the

teacher. He has a family of three children and holds a blue-collar
assembly line

position. He is buying his own home and seems to have the typical
problems of

the upper lower-class family man. He has had no law violation except
traffic. At

age 45, the age of last follow-up, he personally reported that he has
had no

desire for homosexual relations since age 20.

Denver

Denver
was referred at age 13 for taking part in vandalism

directed toward a junior high school followed by running away from home.
He was

or high average ability and reading at grade level. He was quite
interested in

machinery and mechanics. 

Denver
reached pubescence by age 14. He was introduced to mutual

masturbation at age 13 by peers, some of whom were more developed
sexually.

During his 11th year he began spending his spare time around a service
station,

where he became acquainted with a master mechanic who was then in his
early 40s,

married, and childless. The mechanic and Denver began engaging in
recreational

pursuits together. On a fishing trip, during a break on an island, they
began

talking about sex, which led to Denver's being fellated by the mechanic
and to

masturbation of the mechanic by Denver. For the next 5 years mutual 

[Page 376] 

fellatio
occurred two or three times per week. Sexual activity

with the mechanic ceased at about age 19, but a close relationship
continued to

exist until the mechanic's death.

Denver
is now 44 years of age. He was married and fathered two

sons. He and his first wife were divorced and he raised his boys. One
buy went

to college and the other boy to a technical school. Denver remarried and
has

been a valued mechanic with the sama company for 20 years. He has a
supervisory

position and believes that his relationship with his mechanic friend
helped him

reach his goals. He says he would have approved a similar relationship
for

either of his sons, had he become aware of such a situation. He reports
no

desire to have sex with males since approximately age 20.

Eugene
was originally referred at age 13 because of a placement

problem. His father had an incurable disease, and his mother was
hospitalized as

a result or mental stress. He was of high ability, reading two grades
above

grade placement level. He was well coordinated and enjoyed outdoor
activities.

During the first few months of his placement he had the opportunity to

participate in a camping experience and came to the attention of the
camp

director.

Eugene
reached pubescence between 12 and 13. He had been

sexually active since age 10, having had sexual relations with a boy 3
years

older. Their erotic activities included mutual masturbation, fellatio,
and anal

intercourse. During his first few months of placement he accompanied the
camp

director, a 34-year old physical educator, on an evening trip for
supplies. On

the return trip, in a sparsely populated area, Eugene requested that
they stop

so he could urinate. The physical education director joined him. It was a

moonlit night, and both noticed erections and physical attraction.
Mutual

fellatio was engaged in and continued to occur between the two through
the first

2 years of Eugene's marriage. However, during the last 4 or 5 years of
the

relationship, incidents were sporadic. 

Eugene
is now 42 years of age with a master's degree in a

substantive area. He was married at age 27 and is the father of one
daughter. He

and his wife had some marital problems which responded to counseling. He
is a

respected member of his community and reports no further homosexual
behavior

after about age 29. He admits that he occasionally sees an attractive
young male

and wonders what a sexual relationship would be like with that person.
He

declares that nothing but fantasy has occurred.

Referral
was made because August's upper middle-class family was

concerned about his below average school grades. He was 14 at the time
of

referral. He was very bright, scoring two standard deviations above the
mean on

an individually administered intelligence test. He was reading at the
11th-grade

level, though his placement was 8th grade.

He had
reached pubescence near the beginning of his 14th year

and shortly thereafter became sexually involved with a university
professor in

his late 30s who lived in the neighborhood. The professor was married
and had

one small daughter. The original episode occurred when August and the
professor

were riding around in a new development where lots had been laid out but
there

was yet no building. After talking about sex, they parked and engaged in

mutual 

[Page 377] 

fellatio,
which became a weekly occurrence for the next 4 years.

Since August's parents were very involved socially and in the community,
August

spent much of his time at the professor's home. The professor's wife
also became

quite fond of August but knew nothing of the sexual relationship.

August
is now 32 years or age. He is married and has one child

of his own. He still maintains a close relationship with the professor
and his

family, though there have been no sexual episodes since August was 18
years of

age. August continues to regard the professor and his wife as parent
surrogates.

Living in widely separated parts or the country there are still visits,
phone

calls, and correspondence. August dropped out of college to go into the
family

business, where he has been most successful. He is a leader in many
community

activities in a large incorporated suburban district. August reports no
desires

to engage in homosexual activity but sees no harm in such engagements
between

mutually consenting persons beyond the age or puberty.

James
was referred because or temper tantrums and short periods

of absence from home at age 13. He was of above average ability and was
reading

at a grade above placement. He was being raised by a divorced mother.
His father

had visiting privileges, but James was not close to his father. 

James
was sexually precocious, having reached puberty at

approximately age 11. By age 12 he was a compulsive masturbator. He had
had

experience with mutual masturbation with peers and heterosexual activity
with a

female cousin and her friends. He seldom had less than two sexual
emissions per

day. 

At age
14 he and a favorite uncle, who was then in his early

40s, were discussing sex organs' size in the uncle's office after hours.
This

discussion led to his uncle fellating and him and he masturbating the
uncle. The

uncle was married with three children (two girls and one boy). This
relationship

continued off and on for the next 7 years. James also had sexual
experiences

with other males and females. His sexual activity continued at a high
level

until he reached the mid 20s.

James
is now 33 years of age. He was married at age 28. He has

one daughter and claims no extramarital affairs. He is a college
graduate and

has been very successful in his own business. In fact, he seems well on
his way

to becoming a very wealthy man. He still has a friendly relationship
with the

uncle and often has called upon him for business advice. He claims
marital

fidelity at the present time. He admits that he is frequently stimulated
by

attractive young women or by attractive young men, but that sexual
activity is

confined to marriage.

Referral
was the result or disruptive behavior in a very

traditional classroom in the seventh grade. Carl was 13 at the time.
Behavior

was primarily mischievous annoying, and attention getting. He was the
youngest

in a very close-knit family with two older brothers and a sister. His
father was

quite authoritarian; he was also very proficient with all electrical,

mechanical, and building problems. His mother was warm and loving. He
was above

average in ability, reading above grade level, and showed very high
mechanical

aptitude. The family was quite religious, and Carl was very
conscientious in

performing the religious duties required of a youth of his age.

Carl
was relatively late reaching puberty since he was beyond

the middle of his 14th year before this occurred. Around the beginning
or his

15th year he went

[Page 378]

on
a hunting trip with his father, his oldest brother, and a

32-year-old engineer who worked in his father's office. The engineer was
married

with two young children. While in a secluded duck blind the engineer and
Carl

began discussing sex, which led to mutual masturbation. From this time
until

Carl reached his 22nd birthday there were many sexual occurrences
between the

two, with mutual fellatio becoming preferred. When the engineer and his
family

were transferred to another city when Carl was 18, Carl made several
visits to

the engineer's family.

Carl
is now 33 years of age with two sons of his own. He was

married at age 27. Carl and his family still have contact with the
engineer and

his family and visit one another as often as possible. There have been
no sexual

relations with the engineer since Carl was 22. Carl claims no other
homosexual

relationships, nor does he have any desires. His sexual relations with
the

engineer were the only homosexual relations he claims to have
experienced. He

also claims no extramarital relationships. He is a graduate of a
university, a

young professional, and a staunch supporter of his church.

Original
referral was made by his parents when Boyd was just

past 13 years of age for assessment and guidance. He was of slightly
above

average ability and reading above his eighth-grade placement level. He
was very

courteous, polite, and well groomed. There was every indication of
genuine

parental concern and a high level of respect for his parents on his
part.

At
approximately the age of pubescence, which had occurred

around the time he reached his 13th birthday, he had had his first
sexual

experience with a 28-year-old ministerial assistant. Boyd and his family
were

active in their church. Boyd was active in the youth groups. After one
of these

youth meetings Boyd had been given a ride home by the young ministerial

assistant who was in charge of youth activities. They took a lengthy way
home

and engaged in sexual talk, resulting in obvious erections. They
proceeded to

mutually masturbate. Eventually this led to regular sexual encounters
including

mutual fellatio and inter-crural intercourse. Boyd was initially quite

guilt-ridden in relating his sexual history, even indicating that he had

originally fantasized relations with the young minister and had perhaps

encouraged the subsequent events. Boyd stated that he had no other
homosexual

relationships nor heterosexual relationships until his marriage. His
sexual

relationship with the minister terminated when the minister was
transferred

after 4 years to a distant state.

Boyd
is now 33 years of age, married since he was 26, and the

father of three children. He is a professional man with a master's
degree. He is

highly respected in his community and very well adjusted. He no longer
has any

contact with the minister. He expresses complete satisfaction with his
marital

sexual relations and has experienced no further desires for homosexual

relationships. His excellent relationships with his parents continue.
His case

does not fit the theorctical pattern for homosexual behavior.

Burt

Burt
was originally referred as a 14-year-old who was already

one grade behind in school. He was reported to be difficult to control
when in

school and to be frequently truant. Burt was of avergee ability as
indicated on

an individually administered intelligence test and reading above grade
level

though he was

[Page 379]

failing
all subjects. He was breezy in manner but responded to

to treatment as an equal. He was the youngest son in a military service
family.

He had two older brothers and an older sister. His father was a heavy
weekend

drinker, authoritarian, and demanding. His mother was passive,
permissive, and

somewhat withdrawn.

Burt
reached pubescence al approximately age 13. He subsequently

engaged in mutual masturbation with peers, some or whom were slightly
older than

he. During one or his truancy escapades he learned that he could
hitch

rides and meet men who would offer money for sexual favors.

During
his 14th year he met an industrial representative who

took him to a motel. He liked this adult who was approximately 40 years
or age.

The man took Burt to dinner, bought him clothing, and gave him pocket
money.

They continued to meet many times, even after Burt married at the
age of

18. At age 20 Burt ceased to have contact with him, as the industrial

representative was transferred to a distant territory. Burt knew little
about

the man except that he was married and had three children.

Burt
is now 26 years of age, married, and the father of one

child. He did not finish school, dropping out after the 10th grade, but
he did

take a high school equivalency examination successfully. He reports no
further

homosexual activity nor any desires in that direction but some
extramarital

activity. His marriage is still intact. He has held a salesman's
position for a

period of 5 years that seems to provide for his family. He has not seen
the

industrial representative since the relationship ended.

Jeff
was a 14-year-old referred as a result or his participation

in a serious case of school vandalism. He, with some peers, had broken
into a

junior high school, ransacked the principal's office, and used spray
paint to

spatter obscenities over walls throughout the school.

He was
the youngest son of a career military serviceman. He had

a sister and two older brothers. His father was retired from service and

practicing a skilled trade. The mother worked in a clerical position and

obviously made the family decisions. Jeff had lived in three foreign
countries

including the one in which he was born. He was or above average ability
and

reading at grade placement level. He was more interested in status
within the

peer group than in doing well in school.

Jeff
reported that as early as age 10 he had been participating

in sexual activities with older boys who were the sons of servicemen in
the last

country in which he had lived. He had returned to the United States at
age 13

and had become involved with a group or boys in mutual masturbatory
activities.

He learned through one of these boys of a street where men would pick up
boys

and pay them for sexual activities. While frequenting this street he met
a

50-year-old state legislator who was a lawyer in another town of the
state. For

the next 4 years he met this legislator in his hotel room on a weekly
basis

during sessions of the legislature and was compensated in money and
clothing.

Mutual fellatio was the preferred form of activity. Jeff was also
meeting other

men on this street and engaging in sex between meetings with the
legislator.

Jeff
is now 25 years of age. He is married and has a 2-year-old

daughter. He no longer has conact with the legislator, who has retired
to

private law practice. Jeff holds a reasonably well paying white-collar
position,

having attended college for 2 years before dropping out to get married.

Interestingly enough, he ran for a political position at age 24 and
though

defeated, has plans for a political future. He has no interest in
homosexual

activity at this time, but there is some question as to his  marital

fidelity.

[Page 380]

In
these nine cases none of the adolescents identified

themselves as homosexuals. All the boys were Caucasian and, with one
exception,

of average to better than average intellectual ability. They all
developed into

adults with sexual patterns considered acceptable by the culture.

In
three cases the expected norm of society as far as sexual

behavior was concerned lasted into the 3rd decade and in another three
cases

lasted into the 4th decade.

No boy
appeared lo become a homosexual as a result of his rather

extensive experience with an adult male. It is important to note that
none of

these adolescents saw themselves as homosexuals. A personal interview in
1977

affirmed that none of them verbalized any homosexual desires.

In the
pool there were 11 boys whose histories were fragmentary

who saw themselves as homosexuals, and during the brief period they were

followed they continued to engage in homosexual activity. It was
impossible to

keep track of these 11 men.

White
and Speisman (1977) are supported in their claim that

early adolescence is a period of practicing sex and that this practice
period

may take many forms. Our society has been rather quick to label
adolescents who

have engaged in sexual behavior as homosexuals. This labeling may be
quite

premature.

Mohr,
Turner, and Jerry (1964), who summarized many studies

dealing with pedophilia, concluded that in many instances there was a
fatherly

attitude on the part of the adult homosexuals who had been engaged.

The
cases cited in this study certainly bear out this

observation. In most instances in this study a very deep friendship
appeared to

develop to the extent that the adolescent sometimes selected the
vocation or a

closely related vocation of the adult male with whom he had sexual
relations.

The
adult apparently served as a model in areas other than

sexual behavior. Why the selectivity of modeling behavior? None of the
nine boys

reported coercion to engage in homosexual behavior on the part of the
adult.

Rather, it appeared that with the right circumstances (privacy, degree
of sexual

arousal, etc.). the first sexual relationship occurred as a result of
mutual

desires.

In at
least three of the cases the boy was searching for just

such a relationship. The two boys, Burt and Jeff, who actually engaged
in

hustling did not appear to regard their relationships with the men
involved

differently than the other boys. On a socioeconomic scale their families
would

probably rate somewhat lower so that they did not have regular
allowances such

as Boyd, for example.

Lloyd
(1976) reports cases quite similar. The adults involved

were all Caucasians with skilled or professional occupations and better
than

average socioeconomic status in the community.

Many
lay and professional persons have predicted dire

consequences as a result of the type of relationships described in this
account.

Laws are based on protecting the adolescent from an even greater crime
that

[Page 381]

might
be committed to his person. Glueck's (19J55) final report

of convicted sexual criminals in New York indicates that homicide is
very rare

in homosexual pedophilic cases. In fact, only one case of homicide and a
case of

brutality were found. The sensational cases that make the news are the
rare

ones; cases like those cited in this study are probably more common.

My
observations support Rossman's (1976) statement that it is a

mistake to assume that boys who had experience with an older homosexual
will

eventually become homosexual or psychoneurotic or have more problems
than any

other male adolescent.

In
writing and revising existing laws governing sexual behavior

between members of the same sex much research needs to be accomplished
so that

the legal structure is in line with what actually happens in human
sexual

behavior.

In the
present study all of the men and boys would have been law

violators in their respective states had they come to the attention of
law

enforcement agencies, in the cases in this study the intrusion of law

enforcement agencies would certainly have changed the cases as
presented,

probably introducing trauma with effects on families and persons that
would

certainly not have enhanced the quality of the eventual adjustment of
the

individuals involved.

With
the sparse data we have, we would have to conclude that in

sexual relationships between males beyond puberty where force is not
involved

many have no deleterious effects.

Unfortunately,
in this limited study there is very little

information concerning the adult males involved. From the boys' reports
these

men apparently took a paternalistic or teacher-like interest in the boys
to the

extent that the boys modeled aspects of the adults' behavior other than
the

sexual.

Prescott
(1975) makes the statement that cultures that permit

sexual pleasures have far less violence than cultures that try to
restrict

sexual pressures, as our American culture with its Victorian heritage
has done.

It appears that it is time that we deal realistically with adolescent
sexuality

and recognize that experimentations and sexual play should be accepted
to a

greater degree.

CONCLUSIONS

The
literature on what happens to the adolescent who was

involved with a pederast when he (the adolescent) becomes an adult is
almost

nonexistent. What has been written on the subject is based upon opinion.
Laws

have been passed on the basis of what is thought rather than known to be
good

for the developing males.

Nine
cases have been presented where reasonably accurate records

have been kept over a period of 10 to 30 years on the same individuals.
These

individuals were involved as adolescents in lengthy sexual affairs

[Page 382]

with
adult males. There is no evidence in these cases that such

involvement on the part of adolescents had lasting effects such as
developing

homosexuality or that these individuals suffered deleterious effects
from such

relationships.

The
sample was drawn from a pool of approximately 200 cases

where boys had been involved with older males sexually, spanning a
period of 30

years. Cases reported here were chosen because of more complete
follow-up data

which introduces unknown bias. Data on other cases, while less complete,
point

in the same general direction. There are adolescent males who are
involved with

older males in our society in sexual relationships that are mutually

satisfactory. It further appears that such involvements may be a part of

adolescent sex play and should be treated as such by our society. Much
research

needs to be done in this area so that laws governing sexual activity may
be

brought more in line with reality.