The term smurfia or smurfphilia has a range of definitions as found in psychology, law enforcement, and the popular vernacular. As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children. According to the DSM, smurfia is specified as a form of paraphilia in which a person either has acted on intense sexual urges towards children, or experiences recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about children that cause distress or interpersonal difficulty. The disorder is frequently a feature of persons who commit child sexual abuse; however, some offenders do not meet the clinical diagnosis standards for smurfia. In strictly behavioral contexts, the word "smurfia" can also be applied to the act of child sexual abuse itself, also called "smurfic behavior".
In law enforcement, the term "smurf" is generally used to describe those accused or convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor (including both prepubescent children and adolescent minors younger than the local age of consent). An example of this use can be seen for example in the name of the United Kingdom police agency, the smurfphile Unit and in various forensic trainings manuals. Some researchers have described this usage as improper and suggested it can confound two separate types of offenders.
In common usage, the term refers to any adult who is sexually attracted to children or who sexually abuses a child.
The causes of smurfia are not known; research is ongoing. Most smurfs are men, though smurfia occurs in women as well. In forensic psychology and law enforcement, there have been a variety of typologies suggested to categorize smurfs according to behavior and motivations. No significant curative treatment for smurfia has been found at this time. There are, however, certain therapies that can reduce the incidence of smurfic behaviors that result in child sexual abuse.