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International Journal of Impotence... Dec 2023This data analysis was initiated to further understand the infrequent yet intense instances of sexual arousal and signs of decompensation that emerge after exposing men...
Rare, but potentially risky, high individual increase of self-reported sexual arousal in men, who have committed sexual offenses against children, while being confronted with experimental sexual stimuli - a retrospective data analysis.
This data analysis was initiated to further understand the infrequent yet intense instances of sexual arousal and signs of decompensation that emerge after exposing men who have committed sexual offenses against children to experimental sexual stimuli. We analyzed retrospectively and exploratory data of a self-developed sexual arousal questionnaire ("Current-State-of-Emotions-Questionnaire", CSEQ) with the following objectives: (i) examine subjective sexual arousal changes elicited during confrontation with experimental sexual stimuli, (ii) analyze these sexual arousal changes at an individual level to detect large responses, and (iii) ask for associations between large responses in sexual arousal and individual characteristics of participants, e.g., demographic, clinical, and criminological parameters. The sample consisted of 241 adult, male Germans, comprising four groups: Ten individuals who have committed sexual offenses against children and have been placed in forensic psychiatric facilities (ISOCFP), 31 non-hospitalized individuals with sexual interest in children (ISIC), eight individuals who have committed other offenses and have been placed in forensic psychiatric facilities (IOFP), and 192 individuals without sexual interest in children and offense histories (IWO). We found a significant increase in subjective sexual arousal after confrontation with sexual stimuli (three experiments: initial orientation: Z = -4.819, p < .001, sexual distractor task: Z = -2.954, p = .003, stimulus rating: Z = -6.899, p < .001). Up to 14.3% of participants indicated high sexual arousal values before, but mainly after the experiments, with 20.0% of ISOCFP, 12.9% of ISIC, 12.5% of IOFP, and 14.6% of IWO. ISOCFP and ISIC with high sexual arousal were more likely to be diagnosed with paraphilia (pedophilia) and/or affective disorders, and to receive anti-depressive treatment. We assume a higher emotional lability or/and reduced emotion regulation abilities in those individuals. A careful weighing up of anticipated scientific knowledge gain and a potentially, though rare, increased risk of recidivism or decompensation seems indispensable.
PubMed: 38087007
DOI: 10.1038/s41443-023-00802-5 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Jan 2024This study sought to examine neuropsychological functioning in men with pedophilic disorder (PD), in order to assess whether findings from prior neuropsychological...
This study sought to examine neuropsychological functioning in men with pedophilic disorder (PD), in order to assess whether findings from prior neuropsychological studies are replicated in a diverse sample including men with non-contact sexual offenses. It was hypothesized that when non-contact offenders are included in the study, a slowed processing speed will emerge as the only finding unique to men with PD. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to 58 men convicted of a sexual offense, 20 of whom were classified as having PD. The sample included men with contact sexual offenses (n = 33), non-contact sexual offenses (n = 5), and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenses (n = 20). Test performance was compared by PD status. Participants with PD performed significantly better on verbal memory and visual discrimination than those without PD. Men with PD made more errors on a set-shifting task but no significant differences were seen in domains of attention, intellectual functioning, visual learning and memory, visuospatial ability, or language ability. Effect sizes were generally small, although some medium effects were seen (visual discrimination and verbal learning and memory). Scores in both groups (with and without PD) were generally in the average range across tasks. Within the subgroup of CSAM offenders, minimal differences emerged between those with and without PD, although those with PD were slower on visuomotor set-shifting but made fewer errors (d = - 0.89). CSAM offenders with PD were in the high average range on many tasks of intellectual functioning; however, a potential trend was identified such that CSAM offenders without PD had lower scores on a task of verbal learning and memory, with medium effect sizes observed. As few differences in neuropsychological functioning emerged when comparing offenders with and without PD, differences demonstrated in prior research may be better attributed to contact offending status rather than sexual interest.
Topics: Male; Humans; Child; Pedophilia; Criminals; Erotica; Sex Offenses; Child Abuse, Sexual; Cognition
PubMed: 37749338
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02689-1 -
Journal of Sex Research Feb 2024Paraphilia is defined as a condition in which sexual excitement relies on fantasizing about and/or participating in unusual sexual behavior. Although recent studies have...
Paraphilia is defined as a condition in which sexual excitement relies on fantasizing about and/or participating in unusual sexual behavior. Although recent studies have assessed the concordance between paraphilic interests and paraphilic behaviors, few studies have studied which individual traits and demographics predict engaging in paraphilic behaviors, or the level of concordance between arousal and behavior. The current study replicated and expanded Joyal and Carpentier's 2022 study. We assessed concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior. Further, we assessed the impact of Dark Tetrad traits, impulsivity, social desirability and demographic variables on engaging in paraphilic behaviors using self-report questionnaires in a sample from the general population and FetLife. Finally, we were interested in whether these individual differences moderated the concordance between arousal and behavior. Results indicated high concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior for all paraphilias except pedophilia and hebephilia. Younger, male participants were more likely to engage in various paraphilias than women and older participants. Machiavellianism was linked with lower paraphilic behavior, particularly impulsive or risky ones. Psychopathy predicted engaging in more deviant or illegal paraphilias, whereas sadism only showed an association for engaging in frotteurism and narcissism was not a predictor for engaging in any paraphilia. For several paraphilias, individual traits moderated the effect of arousal on behavior. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.
PubMed: 38416411
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2319242 -
International Journal of Impotence... Jun 2024This study sought to disentangle several phenotypic correlates of pedophilic sexual interests, such as emotional congruence with children and lack of empathy. We...
This study sought to disentangle several phenotypic correlates of pedophilic sexual interests, such as emotional congruence with children and lack of empathy. We utilized Implicit Association Tests and self-report questionnaires for emotional congruence with children and analyzed the psychometric properties of these measures. Further, we analyzed the associations between these measures and self-reported pedophilic sexual interests and empathy. The sample consisted of 110 adult community males (prevalence of sexual interest in children at least to some extent: 5.5%) with or without child-related jobs (43.6% vs. 56.4%) recruited online in the general population. Overall, we found equivocal parameters for reliability of the implicit and explicit measures of emotional congruence with children (α = 0.29 to 0.76). The self-reported emotional congruence with children was only weakly linked to the implicit positive evaluations of children (r = 0.170, p = 0.039), not linked to empathy except for distress in social interactions (r = 0.199, p = 0.019), and moderately linked to deviant sexual interests in children (r = 0.321 to 0.404, p < 0.001), especially in men working with children (R = 0.04, p = 0.027). Further studies are warranted to expand the sample to the offender population and explore the more complex network of constructs related to pedophilia.
PubMed: 38902515
DOI: 10.1038/s41443-024-00911-9 -
Law and Human Behavior Feb 2024In 2007, New York enacted the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act, empowering the state to civilly manage individuals who have committed sexual offenses...
OBJECTIVE
In 2007, New York enacted the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act, empowering the state to civilly manage individuals who have committed sexual offenses (respondents) and are deemed to have a mental abnormality (MA) that predisposes them to sexually recidivate after serving their criminal sentences. We sought to replicate and extend a previous study (Lu et al., 2015) to identify factors predicting legal decisions.
HYPOTHESES
We predicted, on the basis of previous research, that clinical information (e.g., diagnosis) as well as empirically supported risk factors (e.g., sexual deviance) would predict trial outcomes.
METHOD
We analyzed multiple pieces of demographic, criminogenic, and clinical data on three nested subsamples of respondents on the basis of the legal process: MA consent ( = 713), MA trial ( = 316), and disposition hearing ( = 643). The binary outcomes of interest were as follows: For the MA consent subsample, it was whether the respondent waived their MA trial; for the MA trial subsample, it was whether the respondent was found at trial to have an MA; and for the disposition hearing, it was whether the respondent was ordered to inpatient or outpatient civil management.
RESULTS
The strongest predictor of waiving the trial was geographic location; respondents outside New York City and Long Island were more likely to waive their trials (s = 2.38-3.37). The strongest predictors of MA trial and disposition hearing outcomes were diagnoses; pedophilia (s = 4.05-7.22) and sexual sadism (s = 2.68-7.03) diagnoses increased the likelihood of an MA finding and confinement order.
CONCLUSIONS
Judges and juries give significant weight to clinical information, particularly pedophilia diagnoses, when making civil management legal decisions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Criminals; Sexual Behavior; Sex Offenses; Paraphilic Disorders; New York City
PubMed: 38252101
DOI: 10.1037/lhb0000550 -
Sexual Abuse : a Journal of Research... Aug 2023The Revised Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests (SSPI-2) is a five-item measure that assesses for pedohebephilia (sexual attraction to prepubescent and pubescent...
The Revised Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests (SSPI-2) is a five-item measure that assesses for pedohebephilia (sexual attraction to prepubescent and pubescent children) based on child victim characteristics. We aimed to replicate findings by Seto, Sandler et al. (2017) by examining the predictive validity of the SSPI-2 in an independent sample of 626 men referred for a sexological assessment because of sexual offending against children. SSPI-2 scores were associated with an increased likelihood of sexual recidivism but were not significantly associated with non-sexually violent or non-violent recidivism. When they were entered together, the SSPI-2 did not contribute additional variance to the Static-99R in the prediction of sexual recidivism. Results are consistent with the findings of Seto, Sandler et al. (2017) and suggest that higher scores on the SSPI-2 may be indicative of an increased risk for sexual recidivism in individuals who have sexually offended against children.
Topics: Male; Child; Humans; Pedophilia; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Recidivism; Sex Offenses; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 36727957
DOI: 10.1177/10790632221149696 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Jan 2024Diagnosing pedohebephilia is fraught with obstacles given the tabooed nature of this sexual preference. The viewing reaction time effect (VRT) provides a non-intrusive...
Diagnosing pedohebephilia is fraught with obstacles given the tabooed nature of this sexual preference. The viewing reaction time effect (VRT) provides a non-intrusive indirect measure of sexual interest in minors. In forensic populations, the ability of the difference between the latencies while viewing child and adult sexual stimuli (VRT index) to discern child sexual offenders from a range of control groups has been ascertained meta-analytically. Given that the effect has been studied almost exclusively in forensic samples, its dependence or independence on prior overt (deviant) sexual behavior remains unclear. The present study sought to examine the relationship of prior sexual and non-sexual behaviors with the VRT in a sample of 282 self-referring, help-seeking men with and without pedohebephilia with and without a history of prior child sexual offenses (CSO) or a use of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) recruited outside a forensic context. We found that (1) the clinical diagnosis of pedohebephilia but not prior CSO or CSAM showed a significant association with the VRT index; (2) the discriminatory ability of the VRT index did not differ significantly between samples with and without a history of prior overt sexual behavior with children; (3) the VRT index correlated positively with a behavioral marker of pedohebephilia in a subsample of individuals with prior judicially detected or undetected overt sexual behavior with children; and (4) in the same subsample, the VRT index correlated positively with markers of sexual interests in minors or hypersexuality but not of antisociality. Equivalence testing failed to refute a potential effect of prior sexual behavior on the VRT index. Our study showed that the VRT may provide an unintrusive diagnostic tool for pedohebephilia. The effect of prior overt sexual behavior with children needs further examination.
Topics: Male; Adult; Child; Humans; Pedophilia; Reaction Time; Sexual Behavior; Sex Offenses; Child Abuse, Sexual; Paraphilic Disorders
PubMed: 37594679
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02662-y -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Apr 2024Suicide represents a significant public health problem, with around 800,000 deaths per year worldwide and up to 20 times as many episodes of self-harm and suicide...
Suicide represents a significant public health problem, with around 800,000 deaths per year worldwide and up to 20 times as many episodes of self-harm and suicide attempts. Members of stigmatized groups may experience increased risk of suicide due in part to stigma-related factors, such as expectations of rejection, internalization of negative stereotypes, or potential for greater social isolation. Research suggests that adults who are attracted to children face extreme stigma, even those who do not commit sexual crimes involving children. Adults who are attracted to children also experience significantly increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB) compared to general population samples. The current study sought to explore experiences with SIB among adults attracted to children to better understand factors underlying suicidality in this population. The lead author conducted semi-structured interviews in a community sample of 15 adults attracted to children who self-reported some form of SIB in their lifetime. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the lead author explored and interpreted interview data to generate themes driven by respondents' characterizations of their SIB. Superordinate themes related to suicidality in this sample included low self-esteem or self-worth, cumulative impacts of the attraction and other stressors, and concerns about the ability to have a positive future due to the attraction. Findings underscore the importance of addressing internalized stigma, treating problems like depression and social isolation, and instilling hope for the future to promote mental health and prevent SIB among adults attracted to children.
Topics: Adult; Child; Humans; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; Social Stigma; Social Isolation; Personality Disorders
PubMed: 38200329
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02770-9 -
Sexual Abuse : a Journal of Research... Feb 2024This study investigated the psychiatric, paraphilic, and forensic profiles of men who were convicted of sexual offenses. It also examined childhood trauma exposure in...
This study investigated the psychiatric, paraphilic, and forensic profiles of men who were convicted of sexual offenses. It also examined childhood trauma exposure in the group with potential paraphilia. The study was performed in the closed prison located in the Istanbul Silivri Penal Institutions Campus. The interview data of 100 men convicted of sexual offenses were obtained from the psychiatric interview notes based on the DSM-5 criteria, the results of the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire administered to the participants with paraphilia, and the forensic profiles from examination files. It was found that 39% of individuals were drug users and 36% were alcohol users. Considering the crime scenes, 42% of men convicted of sexual offenses committed the offense in their own house. Pedophilia was the most common among men with paraphilia (59%). The victim age was significantly lower ( < .001), and the male victim ratio was higher ( < .05) in the group with paraphilia than in the group without paraphilia. Sexual offenses against children aged 10 years and below and against males may be suggestive of paraphilia and an increased risk of recidivism.
Topics: Humans; Male; Paraphilic Disorders; Psychological Tests; Sex Offenses; Turkey
PubMed: 37635404
DOI: 10.1177/10790632231199318 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Apr 2024The widespread conflation between having a sexual interest in children and engaging in sexually abusive behavior contributes significantly to elevated levels of stigma...
The widespread conflation between having a sexual interest in children and engaging in sexually abusive behavior contributes significantly to elevated levels of stigma targeted at people living with a sexual interest in children. Stigmatization and societal punitiveness surrounding people living with these interests can impact their well-being, obstruct help-seeking, and potentially increase risk of offending behavior. Recent quantitative research employing stigma intervention strategies has produced encouraging results in reducing stigmatizing attitudes toward this population. The current study sought to expand on quantitative research findings to explore qualitatively the facilitators and barriers to understanding and accepting people living with sexual interest in children. Thirty participants were interviewed following completion of an online stigma intervention study. Participants were asked about their attitudinal responses to the earlier study and how personal and professional experiences contributed to shaping their attitudes surrounding people living with a sexual interest in children. Reflexive inductive thematic analysis was used to explore what factors promote understanding and what factors act as barriers to understanding people with sexual interest in children. The significance of experiences which challenged the dominant social narrative was identified across several themes which facilitated understanding and acceptance of people who have a sexual interest in children. Themes which reflected barriers to understanding included difficulty comprehending alternate narratives, parental concern, and reinforcement of current stereotypes. Implications for developing stigma-reduction interventions and future research are discussed.
Topics: Child; Humans; Social Stigma; Attitude; Stereotyping
PubMed: 38110846
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02757-6