scholarly journals Hebephilic Sexual Interests In Sexual Offenders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skye Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Tanner Stage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Criminal Records ◽  
Sexual Behaviours

Hebephilia refers to a sexual interest for pubescent children in Tanner Stage 2 or 3 of sexual development (i.e., early stages of secondary sex development; Blanchard, Lykins, et al., 2009). Hebephilia was recently proposed as a standalone diagnosis, alongside pedophilia, in the main diagnostic manual used by clinicians in Canada and the United States to diagnose mental health disorders, which ignited considerable controversy in the field. The dissertation examined the validity of hebephilia as a construct through three interrelated studies utilizing a large sample of sexual offenders from a Sexual Behaviours Clinic (n = 2,238). Study 1 examined the convergent validity of hebephilia in a sample of admitters and deniers. There was convergence among self-report, sexual behaviour, and sexual arousal indicators of hebephilia. Further, there was considerable overlap between pedophilia (i.e., sexual interest in prepubescent children) and hebephilia. Study 2 and Study 3 examined the association between hebephilia and sexual offending. Hebephilia is arguably most pertinent to furthering our understanding of sexual offending against children, as one could not act on this sexual interest legally without committing a sexual offence against a child. Study 2 examined concurrent validity by examining the role of hebephilia in sexual victim choice. Similar to pedophilia, hebephilia was associated with a greater number of victims under the age of 15. Further, hebephilia was associated with an increased likelihood of victim age polymorphism (i.e., having victims in other age ranges). Finally, Study 3 examined a subsample of offenders assessed at the Sexual Behaviours Clinic (n = 656) whose criminal records were coded and analyzed in order to assess the predictive validity of hebephilia. Both pedophilia and hebephilia were associated with an increased likelihood of sexual non-contact recidivism, after controlling for time at risk. Based on their high degree of overlap and similar correlates, the major conclusion of this dissertation is that pedophilia and hebephilia are more similar than they are different. Results are discussed within the context of the debate on whether hebephilia is a mental health disorder and the implications for the assessment and risk management of sexual offenders.

scholarly journals Hebephilic Sexual Interests In Sexual Offenders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skye Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Tanner Stage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Criminal Records ◽  
Sexual Behaviours

Hebephilia refers to a sexual interest for pubescent children in Tanner Stage 2 or 3 of sexual development (i.e., early stages of secondary sex development; Blanchard, Lykins, et al., 2009). Hebephilia was recently proposed as a standalone diagnosis, alongside pedophilia, in the main diagnostic manual used by clinicians in Canada and the United States to diagnose mental health disorders, which ignited considerable controversy in the field. The dissertation examined the validity of hebephilia as a construct through three interrelated studies utilizing a large sample of sexual offenders from a Sexual Behaviours Clinic (n = 2,238). Study 1 examined the convergent validity of hebephilia in a sample of admitters and deniers. There was convergence among self-report, sexual behaviour, and sexual arousal indicators of hebephilia. Further, there was considerable overlap between pedophilia (i.e., sexual interest in prepubescent children) and hebephilia. Study 2 and Study 3 examined the association between hebephilia and sexual offending. Hebephilia is arguably most pertinent to furthering our understanding of sexual offending against children, as one could not act on this sexual interest legally without committing a sexual offence against a child. Study 2 examined concurrent validity by examining the role of hebephilia in sexual victim choice. Similar to pedophilia, hebephilia was associated with a greater number of victims under the age of 15. Further, hebephilia was associated with an increased likelihood of victim age polymorphism (i.e., having victims in other age ranges). Finally, Study 3 examined a subsample of offenders assessed at the Sexual Behaviours Clinic (n = 656) whose criminal records were coded and analyzed in order to assess the predictive validity of hebephilia. Both pedophilia and hebephilia were associated with an increased likelihood of sexual non-contact recidivism, after controlling for time at risk. Based on their high degree of overlap and similar correlates, the major conclusion of this dissertation is that pedophilia and hebephilia are more similar than they are different. Results are discussed within the context of the debate on whether hebephilia is a mental health disorder and the implications for the assessment and risk management of sexual offenders.

Sense of clubhouse community belonging and empowerment

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tanaka ◽  
Larry Davidson ◽  
Thomas J Craig
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Community Belonging

Background: While the neighborhood community literature well documents a link between participation in supportive and effective community groups or activities and empowerment, there is as yet little empirical evidence of this relationship in the context of community mental health programs. Aim: The primary purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between sense of community belonging and empowerment among members of mental health clubhouses. Methods: A secondary analysis using a hierarchical regression model was conducted on cross-sectional structured interview data collected through a self-report questionnaire from 102 clubhouse members from six clubhouses in the United States and Finland. Results: The results indicated that members’ sense of clubhouse community belonging positively contributes to their empowerment. Conclusion: Fostering sense of community belonging appears to be a valid approach to catalyze empowerment. Study limitations and future research agendas were discussed.

scholarly journals Veterans in Prison for Sexual Offenses: Characteristics and Reentry Service Needs

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 560-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea K. Finlay ◽  
Jim McGuire ◽  
Jennifer Bronson ◽  
Shoba Sreenivasan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Incarcerated Men ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
Nationally Representative

Among prison-incarcerated men in the United States, more veterans (35%) have a sexual offense conviction than nonveterans (23%). Limited research has investigated factors explaining the link between military service and sexual offending. Nationally representative data from prison-incarcerated men ( n = 14,080) were used to examine the association between veteran status and sexual offenses, adjusting for demographic, childhood, and clinical characteristics. Veterans had 1.35 higher odds (95% confidence interval = [1.12, 1.62], p < .01) of a sexual offense than nonveterans. Among veterans, those who were homeless or taking mental health medications at arrest had lower odds and veterans with a sexual trauma history had higher odds of a sexual offense compared with other offense types. Offering mental health services in correctional and health care settings to address trauma experiences and providing long-term housing options can help veterans with sexual offenses as they transition from prison to their communities.

Using statewide administrative data and brief mental health screening to estimate the prevalence of mental illness among probationers

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonya B. Van Deinse ◽  
Gary S. Cuddeback ◽  
Amy Blank Wilson ◽  
Michael Lambert ◽  
Daniel Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Administrative Data ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Community Supervision ◽  
Mental Health Assessment ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data

There is little published information about the measures that probation agencies in the United States use to identify individuals with mental illnesses who are under community supervision. This study used statewide administrative data to estimate and compare the prevalence of mental illnesses among probationers using officer report and offender self-report data. Prevalence estimates of mental illnesses ranged from 15 percent to 19 percent, which is consistent with prior studies that used formal diagnostic assessments. In the absence of costly and time-consuming diagnostic assessments, probation agency-developed mental health scales can aid in identifying those who might be in need of additional mental health assessment.

Research Domain Criteria and OCD

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyal Kalanthroff ◽  
Gideon E. Anholt ◽  
Helen Blair Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Research Domain Criteria ◽  
Diagnostic Systems ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Research Domain

This chapter discusses the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project, an initiative of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) of the United States to develop for research purposes new ways of classifying mental disorders based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures, and explores how the hallmark symptoms of OCD (obsessions, compulsions, and anxiety) can be mapped onto RDoC domains. Unlike current categorical diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM), RDoC seeks to integrate many levels of information (from genomics to self-report) to validate dimensions defined by neurobiology and behavioral measures that cut across current disorder categories. The chapter explores, for heuristic reasons, how the RDoC matrix might be used to elucidate the neurobehavioral domains of dysfunction that lead to the characteristic symptoms of OCD. It then selectively reviews the OCD literature from the perspective of the RDoC domains, aiming to guide future transdiagnostic studies to examine specific neurobehavioral domains across disorders.

Biosignal measures of female sexual interest: their feasibility in a forensic context

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciara Staunton ◽  
Sean Hammond ◽  
Derek Perkins ◽  
Sharon Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Arousal ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Female Sex Offenders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Sex

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the status of biosignal measures of female sexual arousal with a view to examining the feasibility of such procedures in a forensic context. Although adult women represent the minority of sexual offenders, female perpetrated sexual abuse has been gaining increasing attention in the forensic psychological literature as criminal justice is confronted with female offending populations to a greater extent than previously recognised. Design/methodology/approach – Psychological assessments of sex offenders have tended to be over-dependent on the use of self-report measures (i.e. an individual's appraisal and report of their emotional state of sexual arousal). There is a dearth of empirical knowledge concerning the psychophysiological assessment of female sexual interest in general and especially so for female sex offenders. Physiological measures are those that rely on directly observable physiological responses of the individual in order to identify patterns of sexual interest or arousal. Findings – Because deviant sexual interest (in children or the use of violence) as assessed by penile plethysmography, has been established as one of the strongest predictors of recidivism in male sex offenders (and as a viable alternative to self-report methodologies), an analogue measurement approach for female sex offenders is desirable. This paper considers: first, theoretical problems (e.g. what does female physiological arousal mean in terms of sexual arousal/desire?; second, technical measurement problems (e.g. reactivity of the measure in within subject designs); and third, procedural/ethical problems (e.g. invasiveness of the application). Originality/value – While a number of physiological assessment devices are considered in this paper, the paper discusses the labial photoplethysmograph as a promising method for female sexual offender populations.

Development and preliminary evaluation of the anxiety in cognitive impairment and dementia (ACID) scales

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1825-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Gerolimatos ◽  
Caroline M. Ciliberti ◽  
Jeffrey J. Gregg ◽  
Sarra Nazem ◽  
Patricia M. Bamonti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Functional Ability ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Term Care ◽  
General Physical

ABSTRACTBackground:Although rates of anxiety tend to decrease across late life, rates of anxiety increase among a subset of older adults, those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Our understanding of anxiety in dementia is limited, in part, by a lack of anxiety measures designed for use with this population. This study sought to address limitations of the literature by developing a new measure of anxiety for cognitively impaired individuals, the anxiety in cognitive impairment and dementia (ACID) Scales, which includes both proxy (ACID-PR) and self-report (ACID-SR) versions.Methods:The ACID-SR and ACID-PR were administered to 45 residents, aged 60 years and older, of three long-term care (LTC) facilities, and 38 professional caregivers at these facilities. Other measures of anxiety, and measures of depression, functional ability, cognition, and general physical and mental health were also administered.Results:Initial evaluation of its psychometric properties revealed adequate to good internal consistency for the ACID-PR and ACID-SR. Evidence for convergent validity of measures obtained with the ACID-SR and ACID-PR was demonstrated by moderate-to-strong associations with measures of worry, depressive symptoms, and general mental health. Discriminant validity of measures obtained with the ACID-SR and ACID-PR was demonstrated by weak correlations with measures of cognition, functional ability, and general physical well-being.Conclusions:The preliminary results suggest that the ACID-SR and ACID-PR can obtain reliable and valid measures of anxiety among individuals with cognitive impairment. Given the subjective nature of anxiety, it may be prudent to collect self-report of anxiety symptoms even among those with moderate cognitive impairment.

Validation of Turkish and English Versions of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-B

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Aycicegi ◽  
Wayne M. Dinn ◽  
Catherine L. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Personality Features

Abstract. We present normative data for a Turkish translation of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-B (SPQ-B). The SPQ-B is a brief, self-report screening instrument developed by Raine and Benishay (1995) and is used to evaluate respondents for the presence of schizotypal personality features. We describe the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Turkish instrument and report intercorrelations among subfactors and total SPQ-B score. For comparison purposes, we present normative data for the SPQ-B (English version) from two studies examining schizotypy among nonclinical student samples in the United States. We report α coefficients and assess the convergent validity of the SPQ-B by examining the relationship between scores on the SPQ-B and performance on two existing measures of schizotypy and schizophrenic-spectrum personality disorders. Central tendency, distribution of scores, factor structure, and intercorrelations in both Turkish and US samples were similar, suggesting that our Turkish translation of the SPQ-B is a culturally valid instrument.

Characteristics of Adolescents Referred to a Gender Clinic: Are Youth Seen Now Different from Those in Initial Reports?

2018 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 434-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyne N. Chiniara ◽  
Herbert J. Bonifacio ◽  
Mark R. Palmert
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Tanner Stage ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Background Population ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Health Comorbidities

Background/Aims: To examine characteristics, including mental health comorbidities, among adolescents presenting to a transgender clinic and to compare these data to previous reports. Methods: Retrospective chart review among youth seen at The Hospital for Sick Children between January 2014 and June 2016. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and mental health comorbidities were assessed. Baseline and repeat blood work were also examined. Results: Charts from 203 adolescents aged 12–18 years were reviewed (156 assigned female at birth [AFAB] (77%) aged 16.3 ± 1.63 years, 47 assigned male at birth [AMAB] aged 16.1 ± 1.70 years). There was no statistically significant difference between gender groups except for Tanner stage (AFAB, mean 4.42 ± 0.8 and AMAB, mean 4.03 ± 1.1, p = 0.040). Individuals from racial/ethnic minority populations were under-represented compared to the background population. Self-report and baseline psychological questionnaires showed high levels of gender dysphoria, mood disorders, and suicidal ideation, with higher levels of anxiety detected on questionnaires among AFAB (p = 0.03). Laboratory abnormalities identified on baseline and repeat testing were minor; on cross-sex hormones, hemoglobin levels increased slightly in AFAB (p = 0.002, highest = 166 g/L) and decreased among AMAB (p = 0.02, lowest = 132 g/L). Conclusion: Our study supports an evolving demographic trend with more AFAB than AMAB youth now presenting to gender clinics. The data also corroborate studies indicating that extensive laboratory testing may not be a necessary part of caring for these youths. Why more AFAB are now presenting to clinic and racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented is not clear, but these trends have important implications for clinical care and warrant further study.

scholarly journals What Were They Thinking? An Experimental  Investigation of Child Sexual Offenders' Beliefs.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kirsten Keown
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Cognitive Distortions ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Cognitive Distortion ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Questionnaire Studies ◽  
Child Sexual Offenders

<p>In the field of forensic psychology, child sexual offenders (CSOs) are often hypothesised to hold abnormal beliefs that facilitate the onset and maintenance of their offending. This idea has had considerable impact upon current CSO assessment and treatment practices. However, despite its intuitive appeal, empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis is unfortunately lacking. Information regarding the role that cognition plays in child sexual offending has been gathered almost exclusively using self report (i.e. interview and questionnaire) methods. In interview studies, CSOs talk at length about their offending and their statements are analysed for the presence of so-called cognitive distortions: utterances deemed to represent abnormal, offence-facilitating beliefs. In questionnaire studies CSOs and controls rate the veracity of listed cognitive distortion items and their answers are compared. In general, interview and questionnaire studies have tended to find that CSOs endorse cognitive distortions, which seemingly supports the notion that they hold offence-supportive beliefs. However, serious issues plague the use of these self-report methods because endorsement of cognitive distortions might reflect phenomena other than beliefs. The primary aim of this thesis was to examine the idea that CSOs hold offence-supportive beliefs using methods designed to side-step issues associated with self-report methods. Across three studies, three cognitive experimental techniques were for the first time applied to the study of CSO cognition. In Study One, CSOs and offender and community controls completed an experimental procedure called the lexical decision task. Against hypotheses, when compared to controls CSOs did not interpret offence-related sentences in line with distorted beliefs. A possible explanation for this finding was that CSOs' offence-supportive beliefs were insufficiently activated during testing. To investigate, in Study Two half the CSO and half the offender control participants were primed with images of scantily-clad children before commencing experimental testing. During testing, CSOs and offender controls read sentences describing children behaving in potentially sexualised ways. Participants were then given a surprise recognition test in which half the sentences were re-presented in an unambiguously sexual form, and half in an unambiguously nonsexual form. Contrary to hypotheses, neither primed nor control child sexual offenders showed memory biases for sexualised sentences, suggesting they did not interpret the original sentences in line with offence-supportive beliefs. Finally, in Study Three, CSOs' beliefs were examined using interview methods, and CSOs' and offender controls' beliefs were measured using a questionnaire as well as an experimental technique that used sentence reading times to implicitly measure beliefs. As hypothesised, CSOs showed evidence of holding offence-supportive beliefs according to the interview and questionnaire measures, but against predictions they demonstrated no experimental evidence of such beliefs. In fact, the three methods showed virtually no agreement regarding the belief-types each CSO was deemed to hold, raising important questions about the phenomena measured by each method. Overall, the results of this thesis did not support the stance that CSOs generally hold offence-supportive beliefs that set them apart from others. The implications of these findings for theory and treatment are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.</p>

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