Psychiatrists Say Reardon Not ‘Disordered’

September 2001 Print Edition

The man who allegedly molested hundreds of young boys, Christopher Reardon, did not suffer from a “mental disorder” until he was caught, according to the manual of the American Psychiatric Association.

Psychologist Didn’t Get It?

A psychologist testifying for Christopher Reardon told the sentencing judge that, “He believes there was no real harm committed. That’s the sickness.”

But that’s not what the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders says. The manual is clear that a patient is not “sick” unless he feels stressed or is unable to function in society. It would appear that Reardon was not sick in that he was not stressed because he believed he was helping boys, as is typical of most pedophiles. So it would appear that Reardon did not have a “disorder” until he was apprehended by the authorities.

Their manual about disorders clearly states that pedophilia is not a disorder unless 1) it “distresses” the adult or 2) impairs his functioning in society. There’s no question that Reardon’s activities with young boys did not “distress” him according to what we have been told. He thought he was helping them. But when he landed in jail, it certainly did “impair” his functioning in society.

If Reardon had gone to a psychiatrist before his actions became public knowledge, the doctor would have had to report that this man did not have a disorder if the doctor had followed the manual. Reardon was functioning very well, according to the psychiatric profession.

(Some will argue that his functioning was impaired because he never consummated his marriage with his wife, but a homosexual psychiatrist who believes that sex with women is not important, would obviously not agree with that hypothesis.)

Hate Mail

We reported in 1999 that the psychiatrists had recently made this change to their manual so that a pedophile is not “disordered” unless he is bothered by his behavior. As a result of our reporting, we were attacked as “haters.” The establishment in Newton, including the mayor, state senator, school superintendent, etc., etc., even held a rally against us and our “hate mail.”

What disturbed them was that we had written that “the psychiatrists of the country have already sent a signal that they too will support the ‘normalization’ of sex with children.”

The psychiatrists felt vulnerable at the time because their cousins, the psychologists, had just suffered terrible publicity after their association, the American Psychological Association, published a study indicating that pedophilia can have a positive influence on a child.

The psychologists’ study said we must eliminate the use of “judgmental terms” such as “child abuse,” “molestation,” and “victims.” We should use neutral, value-free terms like “adult-child sex.” We should not talk about “the severity of the abuse,” but instead refer to “the level of sexual intimacy.”

The psychologists later apologized after they were rebuked by a unanimous vote of Congress.

The psychiatrists’ manual is titled, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) and is available at any bookstore. The section on pedophilia is sect. 302.2.

A Warning

We warned at the time:

“The citizens of Massachusetts will soon have to decide whether or not they approve of pedophilia. It will soon be fashionable. Meanwhile, we are operating on an outdated belief in our schools that there is a ‘gay gene.’ Therefore, if any child exhibits any interest in homosexuality, we say, ‘Oh, you were born to be a homosexual. Go join that Gay/Straight Alliance and he’ll teach you how.’

“The ‘Fact Sheet’ from the American Psychiatric Association says, ‘Some [pedophiles] develop complicated techniques for gaining access to children. They may select a job, hobby or volunteer work that brings them into contact with children.’

“The perfect place for a pedophile to find them in Massachusetts would be working with a Gay/Straight Alliance in one of our schools.”

Newton Felt Threatened

The city of Newton felt vulnerable because its teaching of homosexuality in its schools was being questioned by many. It was an obvious place for a pedophile (like Reardon) to infiltrate.

The power structure in Newton was upset because we told our readers about the North American Man/Boy Love Association which was a fringe element in the homosexual movement until about 1990. We wrote the following in our report in 1999:

“Then the Journal of Homosexuality published a special double issue devoted to the subject. We began to hear the same arguments from adult pedophiles that we hear from homosexuals:

“‘I was born that way.’”
“‘I can’t change.’”

“One article in the special issue said that parents should look upon a pedophile who loves their son ‘not as a rival or competitor, not as a thief of their property, but as a partner in the boy’s upbringing, someone to be welcomed into their home...’ A professor of social science at the State University of New York said he looks forward to the day when Americans will ‘get over their hysteria about child abuse.’”

In 2001, this movement is clearly evident in Massachusetts with the growth of PFLAG which goes to schools across the state advising the parents of vulnerable boys to “accept” and reaffirm their child’s homosexuality. Everyone would agree that these parents should love and accept their boys, but whether they are showing true love by encouraging them to stay in homosexuality, where they will be stalked by older males, is questioned by many.

One woman, Inez Folsom, who travels the state for PFLAG talking to children and parents, lost her son to AIDS. She says her son hated himself for what he was doing. He wanted to change.

A mother, Susan Greenleaf, who heard Folsom talk at her son’s school in Marlboro, commented, “Instead of seeking professional help for him to deal with his guilt and confusion, she continued to encourage her son to accept his homosexual orientation. This boy wanted to change even before he contracted AIDS. A lot of people get sucked into this lifestyle through experimentation or peer pressure and then feel trapped and can’t get out. There are a lot of good groups out there run by former homosexuals that specialize in counseling for those who are looking for help to change. But this message is not given to the kids. What this group, PFLAG gave to the kids is, ‘Some of us are born different. You could be gay and not know it. It might be your destiny.’”

Psychiatrists Normalized Homosexuality

The role of the psychiatrists is even more troubling to those who realize that it was this group of doctors who removed homosexuality from their list of “disorders” in 1973, but not until activists had begun using violence in 1970 to disrupt their meetings. Only 1/3 of the psychiatrists participated in the vote, and four years later, 69% of them disagreed with it.

The psychiatrist who led the movement to remove the disorder, Robert Spitzer, still affirms his actions. But he’s now saying he never meant to imply that homosexuality is a normal, natural behavior. He has also done studies in recent years which have convinced him that some homosexuals can and do change their behavior.

He is now under attack from the establishment as a pariah.