History of abuse and organic difficulties in a convenience sample of 46 ultra-orthodox males with pedophilia.

BACKGROUND: Evidence has started to accumulate that relates pedophilia to a history of being a victim of sexual abuse as well as to comorbidity with organic vulnerabilities. During a naturalistic study regarding treatment of pedophilia, the authors had access to clinical and psychodiagnostic evaluations of Israeli Jewish ultraorthodox male pedophiles outside the forensic system. Using psychiatric examination as well as a battery of psychological tests, presence of history of trauma as well as comorbidity with organic vulnerabilities among this unique sub-group was examined. METHOD: This survey was part of a larger scale research on the effectiveness of Decapeptyl injections as treatment for pedophilia. All participants in the original research underwent comprehensive psychological assessment including an extensive clinical interview as well as psychological tests (Bender, Rorschach and TAT). Of the patients participating in the research, this survey focused on the group of 46 ultra-orthodox male pedophiles. Cross-tabs analyses were conducted in order to examine prevalence of history of trauma and organic vulnerabilities in this specific group. RESULTS: Based on self reports combined with corroborating reports (obtained from parents, educators and medical staff), together with indications in psychological tests, we found that 82.6% of participants were victims of sexual trauma as children and 87% suffer from some kind of organic vulnerability (learning disabilities, disinhibitions, etc.). LIMITATIONS: LIMITATIONS of this small convenience sample that influence ability to generalize are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The current survey indicates that in this sample, the ultra-orthodox male pedophile was frequently a victim of childhood sexual trauma, and exhibited indications of organic vulnerabilities. This is more pronounced than findings in previous studies, and calls for further research in order to understand the underlying causes.

Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI): psychometric properties and gender differences in an Israeli sample.

The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI; Foa, Ehlers, Clark, Tolin, & Orsillo, 1999) was found to have three factors: negative view of self, negative view of world, and self-blame. We validated the PTCI among 326 Israeli adults exposed to various types of traumas. Results provided support for the original three-factors. Negative cognitions about self scale had the highest correlations with severity of PTSD and depression symptoms, whereas self-blame had only weak correlations with these measures. Among men, negative cognitions about self were associated most strongly with PTSD severity whereas among women, negative cognitions about self were associated primarily with depression. Gender may play an important role in posttraumatic cognitions and their relationship to PTSD and depression.