Ephebophilia

Ephebophilia is a paraphilia, a type of abnormal or irregular sexual attraction, towards adolescents and young adults generally in the range of 13 to 19 years old. It is a distinct and unusual preference, as opposed to pedophilia, which is sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

Research and clinical studies categorize ephebophilia under a paraphilia, but it is not widely studied compared to other paraphilias like pedophilia. However, researchers have observed that ephebophilia is more prevalent among males than females and the age of interest ranges approximately from early adolescence to late adolescence.

The age range and definition of ephebophilia varies among researchers and over time, but most sources agree on a range of 13 to 19 years. This age range lies between childhood and full adulthood, which adds to the complexity of the term. Some experts argue that ephebophilia may overlap with hebephilia, an attraction to early-pubescent individuals generally ages 13 to 15, or with other paraphilias that may involve adolescents.

In the context of clinical assessment, ephebophilia is considered a distinct preference rather than a diagnosis, implying that having feelings towards an adolescent does not necessarily mean that a person has ephebophilia. Diagnosis typically involves assessment of age preference, consent requirements, and ethical considerations to distinguish ephebophilia from healthy romantic or sexual attraction to typical adolescents.

One of the most pressing issues in ephebophilia is power dynamics, as the young adults in question have limited emotional maturity and understanding of their social positions.