Clinical or formal term for pedophilia, specifically an attraction to young boys. In everyday contexts, more common terms like 小児性愛 (しょうにせいあい) or ペドフィリア are often used.
Pedophilia is studied in the field of psychiatry.
Compound of 少年 (しょうねん, 'boy'), 愛 (あい, 'love'), and 嗜好 (しこう, 'taste' or 'preference'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term appears to be a formal coinage for clinical use.