Ageplay is the term for roleplay or fantasy where one or more participants is imagining being a different age to their biological age. While any kind of ageplay is possible, most ageplay revolves around people roleplaying or behaving as if they are someone significantly younger. This includes ‘adult babies’ (roleplaying as babies or toddlers) but also ‘middles’(role playing, dressing or behaving like children around 4-16).
Ageplay doesn’t have to be sexually arousing, but it is for many people. It is not the same as pedophilia because ageplayers aren’t necessarily attracted to pre-pubescent children. For example, surveys of adult babies have found that only a very small number of adult babies are attracted to actual babies.
Clarity about the underlying nature of ageplay is difficult, with lots of imagination surrounding people’s real-life activities. Some ageplayers are virtuous pedophiles.
We think you are most likely to be a pedophile if your ageplay fantasies involve some of the below:
- Ignoring the actual age of a real life ageplay partner in favor of the idea they are a real child, and being sexually/romantically attracted to that as much as (or more than) who they are outside of the role-play
- Imagining sexual activity between you (or a fictional version of yourself) and a child
- Imagining yourself as an equal romantic partner with a fictional child (one who in your mind looks and sounds like an actual child, rather than an adult behaving or dressing like a child).
The word ‘pedophile’ is thrown around these days to mean all kinds of things and behaviors, which means many people fear they are pedophiles when they aren’t.
It’s important to understand that ‘pedophile’ has a specific meaning. This section is designed to help you work out if it applies to you.