Factors Associated With Contact Sexual Offending Among a Non-Forensic Sample of Women With Sexual Interest in Children - Results From an Anonymous Online Survey.

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which factors associated with male child sexual offending may also be applicable to women with a self-identified sexual interest in children. Participants (n = 42) took part in an anonymous online survey covering questions about general characteristics, general sexuality, sexual interest in children, and previously-perpetrated contact child sexual abuse. Group comparisons between women who reported committing contact child sexual abuse compared to those who had not were conducted in terms of sample characteristics. Furthermore, the two groups were compared regarding the factors of high sexual activity, use of child abuse material, indication of ICD-11 pedophilic disorder diagnosis, exclusivity of sexual interest in children, emotional congruence with children, and childhood maltreatment. Our results revealed that high sexual activity, indication of ICD-11 pedophilic disorder diagnosis, exclusivity of sexual interest in children, and emotional congruence with children were associated with previous contact child sexual abuse perpetration. We recommend further research on potential risk factors relating to child sexual abuse on the part of women.

Neuropsychological Functioning in Sexual Offenders With and Without Pedophilic Disorder.

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.

Understanding Pedophilia: A Theoretical Framework on the Development of Sexual Penchants.

Pedophilia is a significant public health problem. Despite its cost to society, little effort has been directed toward understanding idiographic differences in the development and maintenance of pedophilia. Extant literature emphasizes biological underpinnings and predictors of re-offense. In this article, we posit that pedophilic penchants in males originate due to language, cognition, emotions, and emotion regulation. Adverse childhood experiences, such as emotional and sexual abuse, are posited as a major contributor to the etiology of pedophilia. However, not all individuals attracted to minors present with similar childhood adversities. The development of pedophilia, in the absence of such direct training (childhood adversities), is difficult to comprehend. Relational frame theory, a comprehensive account of human language and cognition, aids in deciphering the idiographic underpinnings of pedophilia. The role of maladaptive emotion regulation in maintaining pedophilia is also described. This article presents examples of how relational frames are established and activated in distressing contexts. Finally, implications for future research are discussed.

Realization, Self-View, and Disclosure of Pedophilia: A Content Analysis of Online Posts.

In order to treat individuals with pedophilia1 who are at risk of committing offenses, disclosure of the attraction must first take place. The aim of this study was to understand processes of initial recognition of pedophilic attraction, disclosure, and help-seeking. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of online posts from self-identified individuals with pedophilia, finding four categories: (1) Awareness and Initial Self-View (with emotions including denial, shame, and fear), (2) Disclosure (typically made to family, friends, or therapists, but also done online in an anonymous way), (3) People's Reactions to Disclosure (ranging from rejection to support), and (4) Current Self-View (including minimization, distortions, despair, resignation, and non-offending/anti-contact commitment). Our findings highlight the internal process experienced by individuals with pedophilia when first recognizing their attraction to minors, what is involved in disclosure, the importance of others' reactions after disclosure, and the factors that can reinforce a non-offending commitment. Clinical and social implications are discussed.

Lay People´s Myths Regarding Pedophilia and Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The term "paedophilia erotica" was first coined in 1886 by the psychiatrist Krafft-Ebing and it was considered a "psycho-sexual perversion." It was at the beginning of the twentieth century that the term "pedophilia" was adopted and it started to appear in medical dictionaries. Sexual abuse is legally defined as the engagement in sexual contact with a person below a specified age or who is incapable of giving consent. Both, pedophilia and child sexual abuse (CSA) are worldwide phenomena requiring deep scientific knowledge in order to improve prevention strategies. Individuals' misconceptions of pedophilia and CSA may legitimize sexual violence, which can influence prevention strategies and policies. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to summarize existing research to help answer the question: "What are laypeople´s myths regarding pedophilia and CSA?" METHODS: This systematic review followed the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to identify as many relevant articles as possible. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases for articles published before January 2022. Sixty-one articles were included in the current review. RESULTS: Overall, findings revealed a significant number of myths regarding pedophilia and CSA, organized into the following categories: (i) blame diffusion, (ii) denial of abusiveness, (iii) restrictive stereotypes, (iv) victim age and consequences, (v) social stigma, (vi) punitive attitudes, and (vii) treatment. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that laypeople's perceptions should be taken into account when devising prevention policies. Additionally, perceptions should also be a target of prevention since there is evidence of social stigma and prejudice involving individuals with pedophilia. Such phenomena can contribute to social, emotional, and cognitive problems, among said individuals as well as causing these individuals to exhibit a higher risk for abusive behavior and less help-seeking. Glina F, Barroso R, Cardoso D, et al. Lay People´s Myths Regarding Pedophilia and Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review. Sex Med Rev 2022;10:596-619.

Media Coverage of Pedophilia and Its Impact on Help-Seeking Persons with Pedophilia in Germany-A Focus Group Study.

The public stigma associated with pedophilia, the sexual attraction to prepubescent children, is tremendous. Previous research indicates that undifferentiated media coverage plays an essential role in perpetuating the public stigma by falsely equating pedophilia and child sexual abuse (CSA) and thus may stop persons suffering from a pedophilic disorder from seeking professional help. Until now, a comprehensive examination of positive as well as negative media effects on affected individuals is missing. Therefore, the present study explores if and how media coverage impacts the lives of help-seeking persons with pedophilia by conducting four qualitative focus group discussions with a clinical sample (N = 20) from the German Prevention Network "Kein Täter werden". Present results demonstrate that media coverage of pedophilia was perceived as mostly undifferentiated, even though participants observed an increase in fact-based reporting over the years. Moreover, it seems that media coverage has strong emotional and behavioral consequences for patients (e.g., negative reporting reduced self-esteem). In sum, our results highlight that differentiated media coverage could play a key role in supporting help-seeking persons with pedophilic disorder, while the impact of undifferentiated media coverage appears to be mostly negative. Therefore, our results point to the need to reframe pedophilia using differentiated media coverage to help affected persons receive treatment efficiently and thereby prevent CSA.

Evading Detection: What Do We Know about Men Charged with Extrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse following Delayed Detection?

Most child sexual abuse (CSA) remains unreported and undetected. Despite this, much of what we know about perpetrators of CSA is derived from samples of convicted CSA offenders. Significant knowledge gaps remain about those who have evaded detection. This study addresses this gap with an in-depth content analysis of the case files of ten convicted child sexual offenders (CSOs) with the longest detection lag, selected from a broader group (n = 349) of men incarcerated at the Massachusetts Treatment Center (MTC). Participants were examined on a range of offender characteristics including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), cognitive distortions, antisocial traits, indicators of pedophilia and Machiavellian or narcissistic traits, offense facilitating factors, and grooming behavior. A tentative profile emerged with the following characteristics: direct experience of childhood abuse, various cognitive distortions, specialized rather than versatile criminal history, pedophilic traits, Machiavellian traits, and engaging in a range of offense-facilitating behaviors including grooming. We provide insight into offenders who evade detection for CSA and set the foundation for further research to inform prevention strategies for law enforcement agencies and child-serving organizations.

Humanizing Pedophilia as Stigma Reduction: A Large-Scale Intervention Study.

The stigmatization of people with pedophilic sexual interests is a topic of growing academic and professional consideration, owing to its potential role in moderating pedophiles' emotional well-being, and motivation and engagement in child abuse prevention schemes. Thus, improving attitudes and reducing stigmatization toward this group is of paramount importance. Prior research has suggested that narrative humanization-presenting personal stories of self-identified non-offending pedophiles-could be one route to doing this. However, this work has only been conducted with students or trainee psychotherapists, meaning the public generalizability of this method is still unknown. In this study, we compared two stigma interventions to test whether narratives reduce stigma toward people with pedophilic interests more effectively than an informative alternative (scientific information about pedophilia). Using a longitudinal experimental design with a lack of non-intervention control (initial N = 950; final N = 539), we found that narratives had consistently positive effects on all measured aspects of stigmatization (dangerousness, intentionality), whereas an informative alternative had mixed results, and actually increased perceptions of pedophiles' levels of deviance. These effects were still present four months after the initial presentation. We discuss these data in relation to ongoing debates about treating pedophilia as a public health issue requiring a broad societal approach to well-being and child abuse prevention.

Neural processing associated with cognitive empathy in pedophilia and child sexual offending.

Behavioral studies found evidence for superior cognitive empathy (CE) in pedophilic men without a history of child sexual offending (P - CSO) compared to pedophilic men with a history of child sexual offending (P + CSO). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies also point to differences between P - CSO and P + CSO. Neural processing associated with CE has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the neural correlates of CE in subjects with pedophilia with (P + CSO) and without (P - CSO) child sexual offending. 15 P + CSO, 15 P - CSO and 24 teleiophilic male controls (TC) performed a CE task during fMRI. We observed reduced activation in the left precuneus (Pcu) and increased activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in P - CSO compared to P + CSO. P - CSO also showed stronger connectivity between these regions, which might reflect a top-down modulation of the Pcu by the ACC toward an increased self-focused emotional reaction in social situations. There was also evidence for increased right superior temporal gyrus activation in P - CSO that might constitute a potentially compensatory recruitment due to the dampened Pcu activation. These findings provide first evidence for altered neural processing of CE in P - CSO and underline the importance of addressing CE in pedophilia and CSO in order to uncover processes relevant to effective prevention of child sexual abuse.

Lay People´s Myths Regarding Pedophilia and Child Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The term "paedophilia erotica" was first coined in 1886 by the psychiatrist Krafft-Ebing and it was considered a "psycho-sexual perversion." It was at the beginning of the twentieth century that the term "pedophilia" was adopted and it started to appear in medical dictionaries. Sexual abuse is legally defined as the engagement in sexual contact with a person below a specified age or who is incapable of giving consent. Both, pedophilia and child sexual abuse (CSA) are worldwide phenomena requiring deep scientific knowledge in order to improve prevention strategies. Individuals' misconceptions of pedophilia and CSA may legitimize sexual violence, which can influence prevention strategies and policies. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to summarize existing research to help answer the question: "What are laypeople´s myths regarding pedophilia and CSA?" METHODS: This systematic review followed the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to identify as many relevant articles as possible. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases for articles published before January 2022. Sixty-one articles were included in the current review. RESULTS: Overall, findings revealed a significant number of myths regarding pedophilia and CSA, organized into the following categories: (i) blame diffusion, (ii) denial of abusiveness, (iii) restrictive stereotypes, (iv) victim age and consequences, (v) social stigma, (vi) punitive attitudes, and (vii) treatment. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that laypeople's perceptions should be taken into account when devising prevention policies. Additionally, perceptions should also be a target of prevention since there is evidence of social stigma and prejudice involving individuals with pedophilia. Such phenomena can contribute to social, emotional, and cognitive problems, among said individuals as well as causing these individuals to exhibit a higher risk for abusive behavior and less help-seeking.

How well do indirect measures assess sexual interest in children? A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We quantitatively reviewed the construct validity evidence for all cognitively based indirect measures of sexual interest in prepubescent children (pedophilic interest) and pubescent children (hebephilic interest) using meta-analysis. METHOD: Studies were included if they presented scores on a cognitively based indirect measure of pedohebephilic interest for a sample of adolescent or adult males who had committed a sexual offense against a child 16 years of age or younger, or who reported sexual interest in children, and for a comparison group. Studies were also included if they reported on the strength of association between scores on an indirect measure and an independent indicator of pedohebephilic interest in a sample of males. We used meta-analysis with robust variance estimation to summarize effect sizes and metaregression to test potential moderators. RESULTS: Cognitively based indirect measures of pedohebephilic interest showed a moderate difference between pedohebephilic (n = 2,552) and nonpedohebephilic males (n = 2,434), d = 0.61, 95% CI [0.46, 0.76], k = 39. A small-to-moderate correlation was also observed between indirect measures and independent indicators of pedohebephilic interest, r = .23, 95% CI [0.17, 0.28], k = 23, n = 3,623. These effects were qualified by substantial heterogeneity; however, most moderators we tested did not account for a significant amount of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that publication bias did not substantially distort the results. However, the lack of significant moderators suggests more research is needed to understand the conditions under which indirect measures best reflect pedohebephilic interest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

[Osteoporosis in androgen deprivation therapy: finding the balance between social and individual interests]. / Osteoporose bij androgeendeprivatie: afweging tussen maatschappij en individu.

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.

A map of desire: multidimensional scaling of men's sexual interest in male and female children and adults.

BACKGROUND: Men sexually interested in children of a specific combination of maturity and sex tend to show some lesser interest in other categories of persons. Patterns of men's sexual interest across erotic targets' categories of maturity and sex have both clinical and basic scientific implications. METHOD: We examined the structure of men's sexual interest in adult, pubescent, and prepubescent males and females using multidimensional scaling (MDS) across four datasets, using three large samples and three indicators of sexual interest: phallometric response to erotic stimuli, sexual offense history, and self-reported sexual attraction. The samples were highly enriched for men sexually interested in children and men accused of sexual offenses. RESULTS: Results supported a two-dimensional MDS solution, with one dimension representing erotic targets' biological sex and the other dimension representing their sexual maturity. The dimension of sexual maturity placed adults and prepubescent children on opposite ends, and pubescent children intermediate. Differences between men's sexual interest in adults and prepubescent children of the same sex were similar in magnitude to the differences between their sexual interest in adult men and women. Sexual interest in adult men was no more associated with sexual interest in boys than sexual interest in adult women was associated with sexual interest in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Erotic targets' sexual maturity and biological sex play important roles in men's preferences, which are predictive of sexual offending. The magnitude of men's preferences for prepubescent children v. adults of their preferred sex is large.

Differences in Sexual Interest in Children Between Men Who Commit Undetected Versus Detected Sexual Offenses.

This study examined whether men who committed undetected sexual offenses would show more evidence of sexual interest in children than their detected counterparts. It also considered whether denial or minimization of offending history explained observed differences between undetected and detected men. In an archival database of 2,236 men, 96 were undetected and the remainder were detected men who varied in the extent to which they admitted their offending: complete deniers, partial deniers, those who admitted their offense history, and those who disclosed additional unknown offenses. There were differences in self-reported sexual interest in children, but relatively few differences when sexual interest in children was assessed by phallometry or sexual victim history. There were no differences between undetected and detected men who admitted to additional victims. The results suggest that denial is likely more important in understanding group differences on sexual interest in children than detection status.

Paraphilias among Roman Catholic priests: what we know, and do not know, about sexual clergy-abusers of minors. / Parafilie wsród ksiezy Kosciola rzymskokatolickiego: co wiemy, czego i nie wiemy, o duchownych wykorzystujacych seksualnie maloletnich.

The issue of sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church is widely discussed in the media. Nevertheless, the term ?priest-pedophile'has been used inaccurately to identify perpetrators. There is very little research directly dealing with this group of offenders among Catholic clergy, and we do not yet have any theory that would adequately explain this type of behavior. Attempts to psychologically characterize priests who sexually abuse minors have brought limited success so far. The purpose of this article is to present the most important issues and clinical dilemmas related to the diagnosis and treatment of paraphilias among Catholic clergy, signifying similarities and differences between clergy and other perpetrators of sexual offenses against minors, present typology of sexual offenders among priests, and discuss therelationship of victims' gender with sexual orientation and celibacy of perpetrators. The author demonstrates that using the term ?priest-pedophile' is not only misleading, but is sometimes used to deliberately mislead. On the one hand, to create a moral panic effect, suggesting that the Catholic clergy is at increased risk of this type of crime. On the other hand, indicating gender and age of the most of their victims, suggesting that people responsible for this kind of abuse among Catholic clergy are homosexual priests and thus select a scapegoat responsible for the problems of the Church institution.

A psycho-linguistic profile of online grooming conversations: A comparative study of prison and police staff considerations.

BACKGROUND: Internet-initiated sexual offences against minors (i.e., online grooming (OG)) is a communicative process of entrapment used by adults to entice minors into sexual activities. Yet, research exploring how the language used by such individuals might reflect their psychological world is scarce. Interestingly, researchers have largely assumed that adults who engage in OG behaviours create a deceptive relationship to reach sexual intent. However, no study to date has investigated the deceptive component of these interactions. OBJECTIVE: To explore the psycholinguistic and deceptive properties of chats where OG is present, from the perspective of front-line specialists. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Prison staff (n = 7) and police officers (n = 9) and sixty-five chat logs from adults convicted of an online sexual offence against a minor. METHODS: A mixed-method approach was employed, whereby qualitative (focus groups) data collection informed subsequent quantitative (the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC)) data analyse of adult-child online sexual chats, using the model of OG discourse as the theoretical rationale. RESULTS: Specialist considered that the online abuse/exploitation of minors can occur without deception. Adults who engage in OG behaviour use language that denotes affiliation with a positive emotional tone (p = .003, ηp2 = .59). The communicative focus is the development of an interpersonal relationship, above engagement in sexual talk (p < .001, ηp2 = .96). CONCLUSIONS: Findings challenge the common perception that the relationship is centred on deception and identify the intention of some adults as the development of a perceived genuine interpersonal relationship.

Impersonal and Predatory Relations With Child Victims of Sexual Assault: Pedophilic Interest and Early Childhood Abuse.

Fixated pedophilic sexual attraction is considered to be a major determinant of risk among sex offenders, but there is little empirical evidence regarding its treatment. It was hypothesized that two prominent factors which have emerged in the literature as being present among some sexual offenders, namely, impersonal, narcissistic, and predatory patterns of offending against victims, and experiencing childhood sexual abuse, may be related to specifically to the strength of pedophilic interest. Such a relationship would provide a deeper understanding of the corollaries of pedophilic interest and would suggest targets for treatment. These factors were explored in a sample of 532 sexual offenders who attended the National Centre for Risk Assessment in Israel, and were found to be significantly related to the level of pedophilic interest in the sample. The implications for treatment of high-risk offenders are discussed.

Construction and preliminary validation of the Cognitive and Emotional Congruence with Children (C-ECWC) Scale.

Emotional congruence with children is central in understanding why some adults pursue sexual contact with children. Although self-report scales have been developed to assess for emotional congruence with children, these scales have equivocal latent structure and less than desirable performance in validation research. Further, these scales were not developed to assess emotional congruence with children in individuals who commit Internet-facilitated offenses. In the current study, a sample of men with histories of Internet-facilitated sexual offenses, contact sexual offenses against children, and nonsexual offenses was used to examine factor structure, internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and known-group validity of the newly developed Cognitive and Emotional Congruence with Children (C-ECWC) scale. The scale had a three-factor latent structure, adequate internal consistency and adequately captured the nomological network of correlates and group differences anticipated for a measure of emotional congruence with children. Implications for scale validation and use in future research into emotional congruence with children are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Motivational pathways underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing child pornography on the Internet.

The staggering rate at which incidents of child pornography (CP) are increasing highlights the need for proactive approaches to this problem. Improving the efficacy and accessibility of interventions designed for individuals who view CP provides one means of addressing this growing concern. This article explores the self-identified motivations underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing Internet-based CP among a sample of 20 men receiving treatment for this behavior. Our findings suggest two primary motivational pathways, namely a desire to achieve sexual gratification and/or an attempt to avoid emotional pain. We propose a behavioral facilitation process, initiated by extensive exposure to Internet pornography, to explain the use of CP in men without a sexual interest in children. We also discuss factors that appeared to facilitate the maintenance of this behavior. Our findings indicate that social skills deficits, maladaptive coping strategies, and a lack of sexual education require further investigation regarding their role in promoting or precluding desistance from viewing CP.

Sexual Attraction and Falling in Love in Persons with Pedohebephilia.

Few studies of pedophilia or hebephilia have included questions about romantic attraction. We conducted an anonymous online survey of 306 men who self-reported as sexually attracted to children. The majority (72%) of participants reported they had fallen in love with a child in their lifetime. Participants reported greater feelings of attachment to children than feelings of infatuation. Though sexual attraction and falling in love were strongly correlated, they were not synonymous. Participants who reported pedohebephilia (defined in this study as attraction to prepubescent and pubescent children) were more likely to have fallen in love with a child than participants who reported pedohebe-ephebophilia (defined as attraction to prepubescent, pubescent, and post-pubescent minors). Also, participants with an exclusive attraction to children were more likely to have fallen in love with a child than participants who were equally attracted to children and adults. The results of this study were consistent with the suggestion of Seto (2012) that pedohebephilia could be considered a form of sexual orientation for age, which includes both sexual and romantic attraction.