If you're a lefty, you know how tough life is. Everything is made for people who are right hand dominant. Left-handed folk live in an awkward world where simple tasks like using a can opener are a feat of dexterity. Here is more bad news: according to Fiona Dyshniku of the University of Windsor in Canada, pedophiles are more likely to be left-handed and are more likely to have superficial facial flaws, known as Minor Physical Anomalies (MPAs).
Dyshniku led an investigation into the prevalence and distribution of physical anomalies among men who are sent for sexological assessment. The study in Springer's Journal Archives of Sexual Behavior adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests pedophilia develops prenatally, around the same time that such physical flaws develop.
"Evidence is steadily accumulating to support a neurodevelopmental basis of pedophilia," Dyshniku said, according to a press release. "If we find that pedophilia has a biological basis, with a very early, even prenatal onset, this will influence and hopefully improve methods of treatment for this group."
Facial anomalies could, among others, include having non-detached earlobes, malformed ears, or a high or steepled palate. These features develop during the sensitive first and early second trimesters while a baby is still in the womb, from the same primary embryonic tissue layer that gives rise to the central nervous system. They could develop because of prenatal exposure to viruses, alcohol or drugs, obstetric complications, or nutritional deficiencies. Such features are more prevalent among men, which might mean that the male brain is more susceptible to disruptive events during prenatal development.
"If we know more about the etiology of an injurious behavior, we can create more effective treatments and look toward prevention," said co-author Rachel Fazio. "For years, it was thought that child molestation was somewhat of a learned behavior, potentially from the abusers having been sexually abused themselves as children. While this may be a factor in some cases, this is not the case in those with genuine pedophilia."
The 140 consenting participants who took part in Dyshniku's study. The findings suggest that the pedophiles who participated in the study were more likely to have minor facial and head anomalies than was the case for men who were not pedophiles. These deviations were more prevalent on the head than elsewhere on the body. Those with quite a few of these facial deviations also scored higher on other indicators of pedophilia.
The finding that such men are also more likely to be left-handed confirms previous research on the matter. Handedness is a result primarily of prenatal neural development and is solidified very early in life.
