Figuring Out Pedaphelia

ON THE FRONT PAGE of the local newspaper stood a beautiful young woman, in handcuffs, being sentenced to several years in prison for child molestation, or rape, or something like that. She had been convicted to having sex twice with a thirteen year old boy, one of her students at the junior high school where she taught, until all this happened. A front page story like that'll sure get your attention. And, the truth is, such stories seem rather common in America over the past few years: adult even middle aged adult, and young child, having sex, ending up splashed all over the headlines and news. The public is fed enough of these stories it seems as if we the public enjoy reading them. It made me wonder how in the hell something like this could happen. I mean, just looking at this woman, it was perfectly obvious that, beautiful as she was, she could have her choice of men. Plus, with a good job and career like teaching, why risk it? Why risk losing job and going to jail? I think I figured it out, at least in general. It has to do, maybe, with control, with having complete control of the situation, rather then being vulnerable to the influence of a strong minded and potentially harmful personality, such as an appropriate boyfriend. Another possible factor is that fact that starting and nurturing good, appropriate relationships requires a lot of effort, emotionally, financially, and otherwise, seems terribly complex and difficult, and causes many of us to be afraid of them and reluctant to jump into one. I wonder if the psychological community would agree with me. The more appropriate the relationship, it almost seems, the riskier. Its almost as if its safer, emotionally, to choose and pursue the most inappropriate possible sex partner, knowing full well that there is absolutely no way a real relationship can ever develop out of it, knowing, or thinking, that there will be some pleasure, and then no further complications. What other possible explanation could there be? Any number of them, most likely. As soon as you think you have people figured out; you don't.