-
Psychiatria Polska Feb 2021A pilot study was conducted in order to construct a Polish adaptation of emotional Stroop test in assessment of pedophilia.
OBJECTIVES
A pilot study was conducted in order to construct a Polish adaptation of emotional Stroop test in assessment of pedophilia.
METHODS
The study consisted of two stages. The first stage involved creating test material by ranking words in adequate lists by competent experts. The second stage consisted of empirical verification of the principle of emotional Stroop test in a non-clinical population.
RESULTS
Based on the assessment of five competent experts, words were ordered from the most to the least sexually arousing (Kendall's W from 0.368 to 0.693). Six ranked lists were obtained, and the competent experts were subsequently asked to assess whether these lists were suitable for the study (Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio from 0.6 to 1.0). Two categories of words were merged. Five ranked lists were obtained, and the competent experts were subsequently asked again to assess whether these lists were suitable for the study (Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio 1.0). The created lists of words were approved by allcompetent experts. Based on the experimental study conducted on a non-clinical population, it was shown that, in accordance with the principle of the test, the mean response time for sexually related words was longer that for neutral words. The mean response time for children-related words did not differ significantly from response time for neutral words.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the study with competent experts and conducted experiments, an initial Polish adaptation of the emotional Stroop test for diagnosis of pedophilia has been created. Further studies with persons with pedophilia are needed to implement the test in clinical setting.
Topics: Humans; Pedophilia; Pilot Projects; Poland; Reproducibility of Results; Stroop Test
PubMed: 34021548
DOI: 10.12740/PP/111772 -
Revue Medicale de Liege Apr 2021Paedophilia is a paraphilia characterised by behaviour, drives or sexual fantasies that are intense and recurring and that generally involve children. This sexual...
Paedophilia is a paraphilia characterised by behaviour, drives or sexual fantasies that are intense and recurring and that generally involve children. This sexual deviation is often linked to personal distress, to a significant alteration of personal, family, professional and social life, in a general sense. In our modern Western societies, paedophilia and the perversions associated with it are punishable by law. Paedophilia is a concept that is very ancient, complex and particularly diverse in its many clinical presentations. Its societal impact is very important and contrasts with the real knowledge of this issue among non-specialists, or even among specialists. In this second part of the article, the authors will develop the aetiologies of paedophilia, the therapeutic options and the forensic aspects.
Topics: Child; Humans; Pedophilia
PubMed: 33830691
DOI: No ID Found -
Revue Medicale de Liege Mar 2021Paedophilia is a paraphilia characterised by behaviour, drives or sexual fantasies that are intense and recurring and that involve children, in a general sense. This... (Review)
Review
Paedophilia is a paraphilia characterised by behaviour, drives or sexual fantasies that are intense and recurring and that involve children, in a general sense. This sexual deviation is often linked to personal distress, to a significant alteration of personal, family, professional and social life, in a general sense. In our modern Western societies, paedophilia and the perversions associated with it are punishable by law. Paedophilia is a concept that is very ancient, complex and particularly diverse in its many clinical presentations. Its societal impact is very important and contrasts with the real knowledge of this issue among non-specialists, or even among specialists. Based on expert clinical experience gathered at the courts and on an exhaustive review of current literature on the subject, the authors propose an update of the concept of paedophilia. In the first part of this work, the authors will discuss several aspects such as the historical background and the clinical aspects and nosography of paedophilia. This literature review will be accompanied by short clinical vignettes, based on the authors' clinical experience.
Topics: Child; Humans; Pedophilia
PubMed: 33682389
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Psychology 2021In 2013, there were an estimated 50,000 individuals involved in downloading and sharing indecent images of children (IIOC) in the United Kingdom (UK). This poses...
In 2013, there were an estimated 50,000 individuals involved in downloading and sharing indecent images of children (IIOC) in the United Kingdom (UK). This poses challenges for limited police resources. We argue that police officers can make most effective use of limited resources by prioritizing those offenders who pose the greatest risk of contact offending, by nature of demonstrable pedophilia, hebephilia or dual offending status and thus, those at highest risk must be dealt with first. What is currently lacking is a clear idea of the potential scale of the problem in socio-economic terms and why, therefore, it is so important that evidence-based approaches to offender detection and investigation continue to be a top priority for funders and policy makers. A systematic literature review was undertaken to address two related questions. First, what is the scale of the problem in the UK, in terms of the number of pedophilic and hebephilic individuals who pose a risk of contact offending against a child? Second, what is the potential socio-economic burden generated by the national IIOC suspect pool if left unattended to by targeted police action? Applying population estimates of pedophilia and hebephilia to the male population (16-89 years), we estimate there are between 2,365-5,991 males with paedophila and 12,218-30,952 males with hebephilia who are likely contact offenders. Applying average prevalence and incidence based costing methods to a conservative estimate of one victim per offender, the combined socio-economic burden from these persons could amount to £236-£597 million (incident costs) increasing to £2.9-£7.3 billion (lifetime costs; £3.3-£8.3 billion including QALY measures). Applying the same costs to CEOP (2013) estimate of 50,000 IIOC offenders we estimate that between 6,000 and 27,500 dual offenders could have already committed past contact offenses, contributing an economic burden of between £97-£445 million (incident costs) increasing to £1.2-£5.4 billion (lifetime costs; £1.4-£6.2 billion including QALY measures). Future contact offenses could contribute a further burden of £16-£18.6 million (incident costs) increasing to £198-£227 million (lifetime costs; £226-£260 million including QALY measures). Drawing upon these findings, we argue for the benefits of a research-informed prioritization approach to target IIOC offenders.
PubMed: 33633637
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.606731 -
JMIR Mental Health Feb 2021Despite the high prevalence of child sexual offenses and the increasing amounts of available child sexual abuse material, there is a global shortage of preventive...
Characteristics of the Users of Troubled Desire, a Web-Based Self-management App for Individuals With Sexual Interest in Children: Descriptive Analysis of Self-assessment Data.
BACKGROUND
Despite the high prevalence of child sexual offenses and the increasing amounts of available child sexual abuse material, there is a global shortage of preventive interventions focusing on individuals at risk of sexual offending. The web-based app Troubled Desire aims to address this shortage by offering self-assessments and self-management training modules in different languages to individuals with sexual interests in prepubescent and early pubescent children (ie, those with pedophilic and hebephiliac sexual interest, respectively).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the users of the Troubled Desire app.
METHODS
The fully completed self-assessment data gathered within the first 30 months of this study from October 25, 2017 to April 25, 2020 were investigated. The main outcome measures were (1) sociodemographic information and (2) sexual interests and sexual behaviors of the users of Troubled Desire.
RESULTS
The self-assessment was completed by 4161 users. User accesses were mainly from Germany (2277/4161, 54.7%) and the United States (474/4161, 11.4%). Approximately 78.9% (3281/4161) of the users reported sexual interest in children; these users were significantly more likely to report distress and trouble owing to their sexual interest. Further, child sexual offenses and consumption of child sexual abuse material were significantly more common among users with sexual interest in children than among users with no sexual interest in children. Additionally, the majority of the offenses were not known to legal authorities.
CONCLUSIONS
The Troubled Desire app is useful in reaching out to individuals with sexual interest in prepubescent and early pubescent children. However, future research is warranted to understand the prospective relevance of the Troubled Desire app in the prevention of child sexual offending.
PubMed: 33605895
DOI: 10.2196/22277 -
Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie 2021Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a libido-inhibiting medication that may be necessary to reduce recidivism in the treatment of paraphilic disorders, especially in...
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a libido-inhibiting medication that may be necessary to reduce recidivism in the treatment of paraphilic disorders, especially in those with a pedophilic disorder. However, there is a significant risk to develop osteoporosis while using ADT and thereby an increased risk to develop fractures. These risks and benefits must be carefully weighed in the treatment of these patients. We describe a case in which this dilemma is further explained and clarified. We recommend to request a second opinion and a structured risk assessment. If the risk for recidivism remains increased, despite psychotherapeutic interventions, we advise to suspend further rehabilitation into society, and let the reduction of the risk of recidivism prevail over the wishes of the patient.
Topics: Androgen Antagonists; Androgens; Bone Density; Fractures, Bone; Humans; Male; Osteoporosis; Pedophilia; Recidivism
PubMed: 33537978
DOI: No ID Found -
Brain Imaging and Behavior Oct 2021Pedophilia is a disorder of public concern because of its association with child sexual offense and recidivism. Previous neuroimaging studies of potential brain... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Pedophilia is a disorder of public concern because of its association with child sexual offense and recidivism. Previous neuroimaging studies of potential brain abnormalities underlying pedophilic behavior, either in idiopathic or acquired (i.e., emerging following brain damages) pedophilia, led to inconsistent results. This study sought to explore the neural underpinnings of pedophilic behavior and to determine the extent to which brain alterations may be related to distinct psychopathological features in pedophilia. To this aim, we run a coordinate based meta-analysis on previously published papers reporting whole brain analysis and a lesion network analysis, using brain lesions as seeds in a resting state connectivity analysis. The behavioral profiling approach was applied to link identified regions with the corresponding psychological processes. While no consistent neuroanatomical alterations were identified in idiopathic pedophilia, the current results support that all the lesions causing acquired pedophilia are localized within a shared resting state network that included posterior midlines structures, right inferior temporal gyrus and bilateral orbitofrontal cortex. These regions are associated with action inhibition and social cognition, abilities that are consistently and severely impaired in acquired pedophiles. This study suggests that idiopathic and acquired pedophilia may be two distinct disorders, in line with their distinctive clinical features, including age of onset, reversibility and modus operandi. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of pedophilic behavior may contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of these individuals on a clinical ground, a pivotal step forward for the development of more efficient therapeutic rehabilitation strategies.
Topics: Brain; Child; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neuroimaging; Pedophilia; Sex Offenses
PubMed: 33507519
DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00442-z -
International Journal of Sexual Health... 2021The stigmatization of people with pedophilia was previously identified as a "blind spot" in stigma research. This systematic review updates and expands on Jahnke and...
The stigmatization of people with pedophilia was previously identified as a "blind spot" in stigma research. This systematic review updates and expands on Jahnke and Hoyer's 2013 review to understand (1) factors contributing to stigma toward people with sexual interest in children, (2) experiences of stigma, and (3) how stigma can be challenged and reduced. Thematic synthesis was used to analyze data from 35 studies from the United Kingdom, United States, The Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. Overarching themes were (1) misperceptions and stereotypes, (2) negative affective responses, (3) discrimination, (4) mental distress, (5) internalized public stigma, (6) negative effects of disclosure, and (7 and 8) informative and humanizing interventions. Findings highlighted substantial prevalence of stigma toward and amongst people with sexual interest in children, and methodological limitations of extant research. An agenda for future research is discussed, emphasizing how stigma can be challenged.
PubMed: 38596748
DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2020.1865498 -
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Feb 2022Child sexual abuse offences (CSOs) represent a severe ethical and socioeconomic burden for society. Juveniles with a sexual preference for prepubescent children (PP)...
Child sexual abuse offences (CSOs) represent a severe ethical and socioeconomic burden for society. Juveniles with a sexual preference for prepubescent children (PP) commit a large percentage of CSOs, but have been widely neglected in neuroscience research. Aberrant neural responses to face stimuli have been observed in men with pedophilic interest. Thus far, it is unknown whether such aberrations exist already in PP. A passive face-viewing paradigm, including the presentation of child and adult faces, was deployed and high-density electroencephalography data were recorded. The study group comprised 25 PP and the control group involved 22 juveniles with age-adequate sexual preference. Attractiveness ratings and evoked brain responses were obtained for the face stimuli. An aberrant pattern of attractiveness ratings for child vs. adult faces was found in the PP group. Moreover, elevated occipital P1 amplitudes were observed for adult vs. child faces in both groups. At longer latency (340-426 ms), a stronger negative deflection to child vs. adult faces, which was source localized in higher visual, parietal and frontal regions, was specifically observed in the PP group. Our study provides evidence for enhanced neural processing of child face stimuli in PP, which might reflect elevated attention capture of face stimuli depicting members from the sexually preferred age group. This study expands our understanding of the neural foundations underlying sexual interest in prepubescent children and provides a promising path for the uncovering of objective biomarkers of sexual responsiveness to childlike body schemes in juveniles.
Topics: Adult; Attention; Child; Electroencephalography; Humans; Male; Pedophilia; Sex Offenses; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 33230608
DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01684-4 -
Acta Medica Portuguesa Oct 2021In obsessive-compulsive disorder, pedophilia-themed obsessions-distressing intrusive thoughts about being sexually attracted to, or sexually abusing, children-are the...
In obsessive-compulsive disorder, pedophilia-themed obsessions-distressing intrusive thoughts about being sexually attracted to, or sexually abusing, children-are the most distressing for patients and the most misdiagnosed among healthcare professionals. Our aim is to present a case report highlighting the role stigma plays in delaying treatment, the clinical challenges in the diagnosis, and in the treatment of pedophilia-themed obsessive-compulsive disorder, in order to address the lack of literature on the subject. The case concerns a 33-year-old man with suicidal thoughts associated with the unbearable suffering caused by pedophilia-themed obsessions he had been having over the previous decade, without ever asking for help. This situation was highly disabling, leaving him mostly isolated in his bedroom. After the differential diagnosis was made, a treatment plan combining pharmacological and cognitive-behavioural therapy was implemented. After 18 months he showed a degree of remission that made it possible for him to apply for a job.
Topics: Adult; Child; Cognition; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Humans; Male; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Pedophilia; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 33159729
DOI: 10.20344/amp.13296