A chickenhawk or chicken hawk is slang used in American and British gay culture to denote older males who prefer younger males for partners, who may less often be called "chickens",[1] i.e., the prey of the chickenhawk.
The label can be applied to a man who seeks partners with the look of someone young, regardless of their target's age.
[4][5] "Chickenhawk" also indicates a man who uses underage boys for his sexual pleasure.
The usage was publicized by members of the controversial group NAMBLA in the 1994 documentary film Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys,[citation needed][6] although Time magazine reported it in this sense in 1975.
[3] The use and significance of this term have been the subject of academic discussions[7][8] and popular reports.