Semnan University International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications 2008-6822 16 2 2025 02 01 Identifying the characteristics of pedophiles: underlying factors and ways of prevention 343 352 8866 10.22075/ijnaa.2023.31938.4739 EN Najmeh Ahmadi Pournazari Department of Law, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran Ebrahim Rajabi Tajamir Department of Criminology, Faculty of Law Enforcement Sciences and Technologies, Amin University of Law Enforcement Science, Tehran, Iran Nariman Fakheri Department of Law, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2023 07 29 Childhood is the most sensitive and influential period of every person's life, because in childhood and adolescence, different physical and psychological dimensions of the child are forming and interacting. Therefore, maintaining and ensuring the growth and physical and mental health of the child is of great importance. This is despite the fact that when these children are subjected to violence, it will have negative effects on the child and the society. In the meantime, sexual violence against children by pedophiles in different ways is a serious issue for all countries that requires considerations at the national and transnational levels. Therefore, in this study, identifying the characteristics of pedophile people and underlying factors in becoming a pedophile and becoming a victim in this phenomenon is the main subject of this study. The statistical population of this study includes all experts and professionals active in the field of psychiatry and law who specialize in the topics related to sexual violence of pedophiles, and 235 of them were randomly selected. The research tool is a researcher-made questionnaire based on 47 questions, and the desired model is fitted based on PLS. The obtained results indicate that factors such as personality disorder, depression, suicide, alcohol and drug use, family problems, mental-psychological problems, and medical history are among the common characteristics of pedophiles. Educational and control measures, educational factors and criminal punishment are the proposed solutions for prevention and economic, social and cultural factors are among the underlying factors in becoming a pedophile. https://ijnaa.semnan.ac.ir/article_8866_6af3b3247df2edda5e6f33df2692dbb2.pdf