| James M. Cantor | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 2, 1966 Manhasset, New York |
| Education | MA, PhD |
| Alma mater | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Boston University McGill University |
| Occupation | Clinical psychologist specializing in sexology |
| Employer | University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine |
| Influenced by | Irving M. Binik (doctoral adviser) |
| Website | |
| Faculty page, University of Toronto | |
James M. Cantor (born January 2, 1966) is a clinical psychologist specializing in sexology. He is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, and the Head of the Law and Mental Health Research Section of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.[1]
He is editor-in-chief of Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, and a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Sexual Aggression, The Journal of Sex Research, and Archives of Sexual Behavior.[2]
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Cantor studied interdisciplinary science at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with a concentration in computer science and minors in mathematics and physics.[3] He obtained an MA from Boston University and a PhD in clinical psychology from McGill University with a thesis on "Reversal of fluoxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in male rats".[4]
Cantor's research centers on the development of sexual interests, including sexual orientation and paraphilias.[1] His study using magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brains of male pedophiles received widespread attention.[5] He found a significant decrease in the amount of white matter in their brains compared to control subjects, in addition to having lower IQ and being shorter than average, which was interpreted as suggesting a link to early brain development. Cantor insists however that these findings do not imply that pedophiles should not be held legally responsible for their actions.[6]
Cantor is one of the co-authors of a 2008 paper by Ray Blanchard, which shaped the DSM-5 proposal of replacing the pedophilia diagnosis with pedohebophilic disorder,[7] adding hebephilia as part of the definition of this disorder but at the same time differentiating it into three subtypes: pedophilic type (attracted to children younger than 11), hebephilic (attracted to children between 11-14), and pedohebephilic type (attracted to both age groups mentioned.)[8] The main argument in the paper for this addition is that the DSM-IV-TR definition of pedophilia is not sufficient to cover attraction to "physically immature persons".[7] The proposal has been criticized, mainly on the grounds that it pathologizes reproductively valid behavior in order to uphold current social and legal standards.[9][10]
Cantor has rejected any linkage between homosexuality and pedophilia, saying "It's quite solidly shown in the scientific literature that there is absolutely no association between being a gay man and being a pedophile".[11] He is skeptical of shemales—men who undergo procedures to look female and who live as women, but who do not seek sex reassignment surgery—who say they want to remain in a shemale state. Cantor has been quoted as saying that "[the 'shemales'] often change their stories as they come to terms with everything."[12][13] He also wrote a positive review of the controversial book The Man Who Would Be Queen in the newsletter of APA's Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (Division 44).[14][15] Cantor gave a speech about his personal experience of being a gay graduate student at the 1991 annual convention of the American Psychological Association.[16][17]