-
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 -
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 -
Women's History Review 2023This article explores arguments within American psychiatry from the 1950s around whether rapists were mentally ill. It analyses debates in the lead-up to the various...
This article explores arguments within American psychiatry from the 1950s around whether rapists were mentally ill. It analyses debates in the lead-up to the various editions of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) (DSM) from 1952 to the latest version in 2013, focussing particularly on a diagnostic category called 'Paraphilic Coercive Disorder' (PCD). Since the first DSM, American psychiatrists had routinely considered people who committed certain forms of sexual violence to be suffering from mental disorders. For example, 'Paedophilia' and 'Sexual Sadism' had always been considered valid diagnoses. However, the APA to pathologise non-sadistic sexual violence committed against adults. Opposition can be classified into four overlapping arguments: uncertainty about 'normal' male sexual aggression, feminist worries about 'excusing' harmful sexual behaviours, concerns about the misuse of psychiatry in courts, and the need to defend the psychiatric profession from encroachments on their 'territory' by non-medically trained psychologists, social workers, and anti-psychiatric activists.
PubMed: 38013781
DOI: 10.1080/09612025.2023.2197792 -
Psychotherapy Research : Journal of the... Oct 2023This study investigated the reasons why pedohebephilic clients disclose their sexual attraction to children in therapy and the experiences associated with this decision...
This study investigated the reasons why pedohebephilic clients disclose their sexual attraction to children in therapy and the experiences associated with this decision among English-speaking samples. : The pre-registered online survey combined (1) quantitative correlational data of self-reported improvement, alliance, therapist reaction to disclosure, and the belief that mandatory reporting laws were in place, and (2) qualitative data about reasons for disclosure or no disclosure as well as perceived consequences. The sample consisted of pedohebephilic people who have been clients in therapy and have disclosed ( = 96) or not disclosed ( = 40). While the disclosure and no disclosure groups did not differ in improvement or beliefs about mandatory reporting, those who had disclosed reported a stronger alliance. Clients who did not perceive the therapist's reaction as supportive reported less improvement than the no disclosure group. Thematic analysis of qualitative data identified three themes concerning motives for disclosing or not disclosing and a fourth regarding differential impacts of disclosure. : This study indicates that disclosing pedohebephilia does not in and of itself lead to improvement but is contingent on a therapist's reaction.
PubMed: 37848189
DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2023.2265047 -
Child Abuse & Neglect Dec 2023Sexual violence is a major public health issue worldwide, with a high prevalence and extensive human and financial costs. Implementing prevention programs is complex,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Sexual violence is a major public health issue worldwide, with a high prevalence and extensive human and financial costs. Implementing prevention programs is complex, requiring not only evidence-based practices and high ethical standards, but also close collaboration with local governments and non-governmental organizations. In order to guide and support all stakeholders necessary to achieve large-scale prevention (e.g., politicians, decision-makers, in-field professionals), it is essential to establish international benchmarks for the prevention of sexual violence.
OBJECTIVE
The main goal of this collaborative study was to conduct a systematic review of the frameworks adopted by WHO, UN Women, UNESCO, and UNICEF to help prevent sexual violence worldwide, according to the PRISMA methodology. A secondary objective was to highlight the levels of prevention and determinants of health targeted by these organizations.
RESULTS
Overall, 1008 references were identified, of which 50 met the inclusion criteria. All international guidelines were limited to primary or tertiary prevention, and they were not specifically dedicated to sexual violence. In addition, each organization had developed idiosyncratic prevention strategies. Common primary prevention determinants of health were still found across organizations, including education, socio-economic inequalities, and life skills training. Tertiary prevention was poorly developed and polarized between victims and perpetrators. Secondary prevention was never addressed, however, despite the effectiveness of approaches such as helplines for people sexually attracted to children.
DISCUSSION
Given these results, an international French-speaking consortium of professional teams, all involved in the secondary prevention of sexual violence, was recently formed with a ratified charter presented here.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; UNESCO; Sex Offenses; Sexual Behavior; Public Health; World Health Organization
PubMed: 37832246
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106497 -
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 -
Forensic Sciences Research Mar 2023Visual attention plays a central role in current theories of sexual information processing and is key to informing the use of eye-tracking techniques in the study of... (Review)
Review
Visual attention plays a central role in current theories of sexual information processing and is key to informing the use of eye-tracking techniques in the study of typical sexual preferences and more recently, in the study of atypical preferences such as pedophilia (prepubescent children) and hebephilia (pubescent children). The aim of this theoretical-empirical review is to connect the concepts of a visual attention-based model of sexual arousal processing with eye movements as indicators of atypical sexual interests, to substantiate the use of eye-tracking as a useful indirect measure of sexual preferences according to sex and age of the stimuli. Implications for research are discussed in terms of recognizing the value, scope and limitations of eye-tracking in the study of pedophilia and other chronophilias in males and females, and the generation of new hypotheses using this type of indirect measure of human sexual response.
PubMed: 37712065
DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad009 -
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 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2023Sexual offenses are a great concern worldwide due to the devastating physical and psychological consequences the victims of such crimes often experience. It is an... (Review)
Review
Sexual offenses are a great concern worldwide due to the devastating physical and psychological consequences the victims of such crimes often experience. It is an important task to investigate potential mechanisms that may underlie sexual offending and predispose an individual for such antisocial behavior. Advanced techniques in neuroscience are increasingly used to uncover biomarkers in psychiatric disorders and organic brain disease. As this type of research is flourishing, preliminary studies with the aim to explore the neural basis of sex offenders have started to appear. To this purpose, researchers began to study the brain's structural and functional changes and the neurocognitive profiles of sex offenders, in comparison to nonoffenders and nonsex offenders, or among different subtypes of sex offenders. Most of the research to date has focused on pedophilia, with some inconsistent findings, which hampers the translation of the results into the forensic and clinical context. Any attempt to increase convergent evidence may profit from the harmonization of data analysis and avoidance of methodological inconsistencies, which can account for the different results across studies. Today, uncovering the neural basis of sex offences has to become a priority, not only for clinical interventions, but might also be important knowledge for crime prevention.
Topics: Humans; Brain; Brain Diseases; Knowledge; Mental Disorders; Neurosciences
PubMed: 37633708
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-821375-9.00017-7 -
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