Pedophilia is Alive and Alarming in Belizean Society

Jennifer Lovell

Equally concerning is the issue of child sexual abuse resulting from pedophilia.  According to Lovell, this kind of predatory behaviour often manifests itself in situations where children are groomed by the stepparent.

Jennifer Lovell, Psychotherapist

“We have a lot of pedophiles here you know, these are people, men and women, who like young children and I am not talking about a thirteen, fifteen or sixteen-year-old, I am talking about babies.  They will actually court a woman who has children because they want the children, not the woman, but to get to the children they have to go with the woman.  And so, they will court the woman and have access to her children because he will be like this loving father, this caring father or this caring person and they start grooming the child.  The intent is to groom the child to the extent where the child, it’s normal for the child to maybe touch their organs or to do these kinds of things because they will, over time, get them, approximate the behaviors.  That’s what grooming is and ultimately then, they will have sex and then they get the child, they bring the child in and we keep secrets from your mom and if the child then begins to feel guilty they then start threatening the child.  So the child does not go and talk to or tell the parent anything or tell the grandparents or teachers, okay.  Grooming is insidious because it’s done over time right there in your home.”