sexual abuse - Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings

Male Sexual Trauma: What are its Long-Term Effects?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Most of the people I work with are men. I could write for days about male sexual trauma and how they have been acculturated to keep it secret.

Not acknowledge it.

And surely not seek help for the long-term effects of the trauma.

A Study on Male Sexual Trauma

We spend a lot of time in therapy unpacking these issues and then working through the trauma itself. That’s why I was excited to see this article, published this year, in the journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and Law. It specifically addressed the psychological and physiological effects of male sexual trauma.

This study was also particularly interesting to me because all of the men in the study were sexually abused by the same perpetrator.

The data came from evaluations given as part of a civil class suit brought against a physician who worked at a college for approximately 50 years. The men were subjected to various forms of sexual abuse during the course of physical examinations given by the physician.

As part of the evaluations for the lawsuit, the men underwent various testing protocols, including the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R). They were also assessed for things like substance abuse, erectile dysfunction, and relationship status.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

Results of the Study on Male Sexual Trauma

These men were all between the ages of 18 and 22 when the abuse occurred. They were all abused during medical visits. The abusive behaviors were all framed as a necessary part of the medical exam.

Unfortunately, at the time of the abuse, most of the men were not aware of how to report it. Almost all of the men were fearful of possible consequences from reporting the abuse.

The study revealed that 78.7% of the 47 men in the study experienced intimacy and sexual problems.
51% experienced erectile dysfunction.
20% of the men dropped out of college after the abuse occurred.
38% reported that they had a challenging time keeping a job after the abuse.
In terms of relationships, 59.6% of the men reported they lost romantic partners.
74.5% reported that they had a tough time establishing meaningful relationships.

SCL-90-R Results

Results showed that psychopathology was present in many of the subjects.

66.7% of the men who were between 45 and 54 during the evaluation scored in the severely symptomatic range.
69.2% of the men between 55 and 64 scored in the severely symptomatic range.

The SCL-90-R score was also associated with alcohol addiction, employment issues, and intimacy problems.

As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.

Authors’ Notes on the Male Sexual Trauma Study

The authors note there were pervasive problems with relationships, sexual functioning, and intimacy reported by the men. This suggests the seriousness of the long term psychological and physiological effects of the abuse.

In terms of erectile dysfunction, about half of the men stated that they started having ED issues after the abuse. Those ED issues lasted for years.

Takeaways

This study outlines the long-lasting effects the sexual abuse perpetrated by one man had on 47 of his male victims. This is one of the first studies to specifically look at this population in this way.

The lack of research in this area speaks to the great need to destigmatize male sexual abuse and provide safe spaces for men to come forward and report their abuse.

Everyone who must suffer through this traumatic experience deserves to be heard, believed, and provided with the help they need to get through the trauma.

Reference: Petreca, V.G. & Burgess, A.W. (2024). Long-Term Psychological and Physiological Effects of Male Sexual Trauma. Journal of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 52(1), doi:10.29158/jaapl.230076-23

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Sibling Sexual Abuse as Family Dysfunction

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:20:44 +0000

Here we have a research summary of a study conducted in the United Kingdom. It was a qualitative study that used thematic analysis to reflect the data of 17 interviewed survivors of sibling sexual abuse.

This means that they studied the content of the interviews and determined dominant themes from all subjects’ interviews.

This research summary continues our theme of current research on sibling sexual abuse (SSA). As I stated in my previous blog, several scientific journals have devoted a good deal of space to sibling Sexual Abuse (SSA) in the past month is both necessary and long overdue.

The study uncovered 10 predominant themes from the interviews.

Abuse and dysfunction were central components of the broad family system

The subjects reported that there was often abuse In the family between other family members outside of the SSA.

This meant, for example, that their parents were perhaps victims of sexual abuse or other family members were as well.

The subjects also identified that they came from families that held misogynistic views that included sexism and treating male and female children differently based on their gender. Therefore, these family beliefs laid the groundwork for the sibling sexual abuse to occur.

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Abuse and dysfunction were common in the nuclear family

The victims of SSA reported that there was often abuse in the nuclear family.

Furthermore, their parents often had dysfunctional relationships that included emotional, psychological, or physical abuse.

Dual status of the sibling that harmed

The sibling that perpetrated the sexual abuse was often also the victim of sexual abuse themselves. There was often a culture of acceptance of this abuse in the family.

Conflicted feelings toward the sibling that harmed

The victims of SSA often held conflicting feelings toward the sibling who harmed them.

On the one hand, they had sympathy for their sibling who was often the victim of sexual abuse themselves.

On the other hand, they often felt as though they could not forgive their sibling for hurting them.

Learn More about Sibling Sexual Abuse

Poor parental engagement and communication

Subjects reported that their parents were often absent or disengaged. This absence came in many forms.

For example, it could have been anything from the death of a parent to work outside the home or parental divorce.

The victims often felt as though there was parental disengagement even if both parents were in the home. This parental disengagement provided a situation where the abusive sibling often had power and control as they were often older and put in a position of authority due to the parental absence.

The parental disengagement also meant that the victims did not feel as though they could go to their parents for support.

Parents had poor and inconsistently enforced boundaries

Parents often had poor boundaries around sex, sexuality, and pornography. This normalized sexual behavior and the daughters often felt more sexualized while the sons were not challenged for overtly sexual behavior.

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Denial of Abuse

When the victims in this study did disclose the sibling sexual abuse to their parents, their parents often did not believe them or did not want to talk about the issue.

Furthermore, parents often were unwilling or unable to acknowledge what was happening in the family.

Normalization of dysfunction and acceptance of abuse

Because of the dysfunction in the family as well as the larger family circle, the victims often felt that how the family acted was normal and acceptable. Therefore, they did not know any other way that a family could be.

Clarity was found from gaining distance from the family

The victims often did not realize that their family was dysfunctional until they removed themselves from the family system. Once outside of the system, they came to realize that both the family dysfunction and the abuse were not normal and were not ok.

Not all families that experience SSA are the same

The authors are keen to point out that not all of the families of the victims interviewed in this study were the same and they are not all dysfunctional.

Based on the data, the authors that that treating instances of SSA should not be done on an individual basis. The entire family needs to play a role in treatment as often the beliefs that need to be identified and challenged are held by the family system as well. A whole family approach to treatment is required.

Reference: McCarten, K., King-Hill, S. & Gilsenan, A. (2023). Sibling sexual abuse: a form of family dysfunction as opposed to individualised behavior. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 29:3, 427-439

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

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Sibling Sexual Abuse: A Parental Perspective

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 21:03:12 +0000

In the last month, several scientific journals have published special issues focusing on the topic of Sibling Sexual Abuse (SSA).

Despite the incredible prevalence of SSA, the topic is not well researched.

As a therapist and forensic evaluator, I’m overjoyed to see research on a topic that has long been an issue.

Looking at Sibling Sexual Abuse From a Different Angle

When SSA occurs, it affects the entire family.

This article looks at the experience of living through the disclosure and aftermath of SSA from the perspective of the parents.

What little research that is published has not yet focused on this topic.

This study, published in the Journal of Sexual Aggression, interviewed 5 parents from Sweden whose family had experienced SSA reported to authorities.

The victims in these situations were all prepubescent children. The child who caused harm was placed outside the home for a period of time in a treatment facility.

The study used an in-depth interview style called Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to determine common themes from the experiences of the parents.

From the interviews, the authors found several themes.

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Sibling Sexual Abuse: Insecurity and New Challenges

Parenting now involves insecurity and new challenges.

Parents shared that whatever their parenting style was before the disclosure, it was forever altered. Many felt as though they were now guarding infants. They struggled to figure out how to manage the needs of one child without negatively affecting the other child or children.

If they were doing something to support the child who caused harm, how was that affecting the child who was harmed?

The parents struggled to manage their own emotions. Understandably, the experience left the parents with very strong and very conflicting emotions.

Finally, the parents also struggled with the ability to obtain guidance and support from professionals.

All of these families were involved with the child welfare system based on the SSA and the families felt that the system did not provide them with enough support.

Learn More about Sibling Sexual Abuse

The Family Unit is Altered

The disclosure of SSA often caused the parental duties to be split. Therefore, parents felt like they had to choose which child they needed to protect.

The harmed child needed support and care. The child who caused harm also needed parental care and advocacy in the system.

Parents reported harmed and non-harmed siblings often felt abandoned when they went to visit the sibling who caused harm or did things to support that sibling.

Parents also shared the change in the family unit included extended family such as grandparents.

The Parent’s Relationship is Altered

Parents shared that their relationship took a back seat to everything else going on in the family. They lacked any time to work on their marriage.

They felt that their personal lives disappeared while the well-being of all of the children became the only priority.

The disclosure of the SSA in the family also had an effect on the sexuality of the parents. It made them look at sex and sexuality differently.

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The Family Adapts after Sibling Sexual Abuse

Despite the disclosure of SSA having many negative impacts on all involved, parents did share there was some positive growth:

The family increased in closeness.
All of the children learned to manage their emotions in a healthier manner.
The parents worked to ensure they improved their relationship with their children so they felt they could come to their parents with questions and troubles.

The Takeaways

Parents need more help! Parents had to repeatedly ask professionals for assistance. Often non-abused siblings were not offered support though they were experiencing trauma from the event as well.
Parents feel disconnected, unsafe, and helpless. However, many of them were able to turn to their partners for support and improve the quality of their relationship with their children.
Parents lacked support from outside of the family. Parents felt as though people in their lives underestimated the emotional strain and burden they were experiencing.

For Professionals: Supporting Parents of Sibling Sexual Abuse

There is an extensive need for support from qualified professionals in the field.
The professionals in the field lack adequate skills and knowledge to help families.
The professional community needs to attend to the needs of the entire family including non-harmed siblings and the extended family.

Limitations of the Study

Every study has limitations.

This study employed a very small sample size.

The authors acknowledge that the data may not be generalizable to other SSA experiences and that the experiences of the parents in this study might not reflect the experiences of most parents in this situation.

Reference: Westergren, M., Kjellgren, C., & Nygaard, K., (2023). Living through the experience of sibling sexual abuse: parents’ perspectives. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 29:3, 343-358

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

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You Are Not a Monster: Review of A Long Dark Shadow

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 13:56:45 +0000

As a member of the professional community that works with Minor Attracted Persons as well as individuals who have committed sex crimes, I was immediately aware of the controversy surrounding Dr. Allyn Walker and the publication of their book A Long Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and Their Pursuit of Dignity.

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Dr. Walker is a professor and researcher who focuses on various aspects of human sexuality. The book is the result of a qualitative study they did using interviews of individuals in the MAP community. This research was done in a completely appropriate and professional manner with the full support of their academic institution.

Fallout from A Long Dark Shadow

After an interview discussing the book, Dr. Walker became the subject (or victim) of social media. There was immediate pushback from people at their university stating that they were promoting child abuse or other similar complaints.

The comments went crazy.

This initially resulted in the university placing them on leave. I imagine the hope was that the fervor would die down. Dr. Walker ultimately resigned from their position based on the harassment and death threats they were receiving.

All of this for what? People, who had not read the book, getting upset by assumptions.

People misconstruing Dr. Walker’s statements, which clearly stated that sexual abuse of children is abhorrent and unacceptable, as being supportive of sexual offending. It is because of this controversy that I immediately purchased the book. The topic is of interest but my main motivation for purchase was to support Dr. Walker.

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My Review

I will start this review by saying that if I were ever to write a book about minor attraction, this is the book I would write.

The first thing I felt upon reading it was a great sense of validation.

Yes!

There are other psychology professionals in the world who understand that pedophilia ≠ sexual offending. There are other psychology professionals willing to spread the word.

I am an adjunct professor for a local graduate program as well as an instructor of a law enforcement polygraphy school.

Everyone who has ever had a class with me leaves (hopefully) with a clear understanding of the differences between attraction and behavior and that pedophilia is a sexual attraction and not a behavior AND that there are plenty of people in the world who are attracted to children who never commit a sexual offense.

The Real Research Behind A Long Dark Shadow

The book is based on Dr. Walker’s research which involved extensive interviews with people who identify as minor attracted. These individuals were brave enough to come forward to a psychology professional, who they often duly distrust, to share their stories. The chapters focus on many aspects of living with a minor attraction.

The first chapter discusses identity formation. MAPS themselves often share the negative views held by society about minor attraction and struggle to integrate their own sexual interest into their identity. Many of them questioning, “Am I a Monster” which is a question I have heard in my office many times.

The book continues to address the effect of societal shame on MAPS.

Many people, due to stigma, feel that they have to live a dual life and never disclose their minor attraction. They fear rejection from family, partners, loved ones, friends and society at large. Unfortunately, this fear is not unfounded as many also do experience that rejection.

Often this living a dual life can lead to depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts for some.

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Strategies for Coping

Subsequent chapters deal with the strategies they use to cope with their own attractions as well as to refrain from sexual offending. Many MAPS acknowledge an attraction to children but do not have a desire to physically act on those attractions. This goes against a societal assumption. As the book states, we don’t assume all adult attracted people are walking around actively thinking about raping other adults so why do we think this about minor attracted people?

However, the reality cannot be ignored that some MAPS do, in fact, not resist these urges and sexually abuse children. The book also discusses what strategies some of the individuals use to avoid engaging in any type of contact sexual offense.

Medical Professional Reactions

Another book chapter discusses MAP’s experiences with mental health professionals.

This chapter is upsetting to me as a mental health professional but an expression of reality. People avoid seeking therapy to help cope with the attraction, stigma, shame, or other mental health issues around the minor attraction for many reasons.

They fear, rightly, that many therapists will have a negative reaction to their disclosure and will refuse to treat them. They often fear that a therapist will make an unwarranted call to children and youth, or the police based on the disclosure of an attraction, not based on any behavior. While some might think this is farfetched, I have experienced this in my own practice, hearing of other therapists thinking they need to make a mandatory report when a client says they have an attraction to minors but never disclosed any behavior in that direction.

A final concern for some MAPS that keeps them from treatment is the fear that a therapist might try to engage in a sexual orientation change experience. Basically, the minor attraction equivalent of conversion therapy. We know that we cannot change sexual attractions, and many consider SOCE to be inhumane or unethical.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Final Thoughts

The plea to reduce stigma against individuals who are attracted to minors is twofold.

The one that comes to mind first for many is to help with primary prevention. For those MAPS who do struggle with urges to act on their desires, providing safe spaces to work through these urges and work on resilience techniques can help keep a child safe as well as keep the person from engaging in a behavior that everyone knows is not appropriate.

The main reason to reduce stigma, particularly by therapists, is that MAPs are people.

They are just as deserving of a safe place to work through their issues with depression, anxiety, stigma, grief, and loss, etc. as the rest of us. They deserve a safe space and a nonjudgmental professional to work with that can help them improve their general health and wellbeing.

If you have an interest in this topic, I strongly urge you to read this book. I will be incorporating it into our treatment program for those individuals who are minor attracted.

I don’t want to make this disclaimer but given the nature of our world and the internet, I feel that I need to say that supporting Dr. Walker, this book, and the reduction of stigma against minor attraction in no way supports harming children.

It actually supports working to prevent child abuse.

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Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

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Sex Abuse in the News

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 19:52:51 +0000

When I teach my graduate Human Sexuality course, we begin each class with “Sex in the News.” Unfortunately, this typically means we’re talking about Sex Abuse in the News.

I was reading the Wall Street Journal this morning and was struck how much reporting there was on sexual abuse in a financial paper.

By starting today, I missed much of the coverage of the Maxwell trial which brings sexual trafficking into the spotlight. Today’s WSJ topics related to sexual abuse.

Gymnasts who were victims of sexual abuse settle for $380 million

I cannot imagine anyone who has not heard of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal. Or it’s perpetrator Dr. Nassar.

The brave ladies who were victims of abuse have come forward. And several actually testified in front of Congress.

Yesterday, after over three years of waiting, a settlement was reached for the victims. The settlement was delayed due to a bankruptcy filing by the USOPC.

In addition, there is also a provision that allows for survivors of the sexual abuse to have official roles in USA Gymnastics. Michigan State University had previously settled a claim for $500 million dollars in 2018 brought by victims of Dr. Nassar when he was working in his capacity as a sports medicine doctor at that university.

There is still an ongoing FBI investigation into the mishandling of the allegations of abuse by the Deputy Attorney General in 2015 and 2016.

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Sex Abuse in the News and the Canadian Military

Yesterday Canada’s Defense Minister Anita Anand issued a statement and an apology to the members of the Canadian military who were harmed by the lack of enforcement of sexual harassment and abuse claims in the military. The issue came to light earlier this year when allegations were made against several high-ranking military officials. Some of these allegations have led to criminal charges being filed.

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Pope to Acknowledge Abuse in Canada

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has taken a different tact in handling the sexual abuse issues within the church.

The latest effort will come next year when he meets with indigenous Canadians. He will acknowledge the sexual abuse suffered by the children who were at church run indigenous schools.

While this is a move in the right direction, there are those who criticize the church’s efforts. The church only has laws in the US to remove a cleric after being found guilty of sexual abuse.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

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Book Review: Sibling Sexual Abuse

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:10:00 +0000

I bought this book as soon as I saw it. I was excited to read it. That may sound odd to someone not in my field, there is so little published on sibling sexual abuse that any new readings on the topic catch my eye.

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The occurrence of sibling sexual abuse is not that uncommon. However, it is VERY UNCOMMON for this type of abuse to be reported to parents, care givers or the authorities. There are so many people in the world who experienced this type of sexual abuse who have remained silent for decades. It is a taboo topic that is not talked about, though it should be.

My Review of Sibling Sexual Abuse

In my continued effort to be totally honest, I am going to say that I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. Here are some of my struggles with the book.

Most of the research cited is old. Some of it from the late 1990’s, which, by research standards, is old. There are only a few citations from the past five years or so. In the author’s defense, there is not a lot of scientific research on sibling sexual abuse to draw from. However, a quick Science Direct search reveals newer research from the past few years.
There is a heavy use of “offender” and “deviant” when referring to a sibling sexual abuser. While the term offender is technically correct, in our more trauma informed world, I had a personal struggle with what felt like the heavy use of the word when we are talking about children, some pretty young, who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior. I own that the lens of my work is heavily trauma informed. So the use of words like deviant can hit my button for being very shame inducing. Others may not see the use of these words through that lens.
The author expresses some ideas, that are currently theories, as facts. Concepts such as pornography addiction shaping arousal templates of young people are not considered to be scientifically proven at this point and are rather controversial in our field. While I do agree with the author’s thoughts about the influence of large amounts of pornography viewing on young people’s sexual attitudes and possibly behavior, I struggle to speak of them as absolute facts.
I found the book a little confusing as well. Though I perceived the language in the beginning of the book as not terribly trauma informed, the author then laid out treatment options and philosophies that were very trauma informed. The holistic, individualized, trauma informed treatment that he suggests is sometimes at odds with the language used.

Learn More about Sibling Sexual Abuse

How My Review is Shaded by My Professional Experience

After I write my list of complaints about the book, I need to take a step back and check my perspective.

I do a large amount of forensic work which means I am steeped in research articles and science. Actually, I love it too! I realize that not everyone looks at what is basically a self-help book through a scientific lens. I am, perhaps, being way too hard on this book and the author.

With my own biases in mind, I realize that this is a book that is not written for the scientific community, I can then truly see the value in this book.

We NEED to talk about sibling sexual abuse. The people who were victims of this form of abuse need a voice and this book is a starting point for them to understand that we see them, and they are not alone.

The book also offers some very solid treatment options, as well as looking very honestly at the issues that can arise for a family dealing with sibling sexual abuse. This can include Children and Youth involvement, legal issues, family separation and possible placement of the child that has committed the sexually abusive behavior.

Sibling Sexual Abuse, available on Amazon.

This post contains affiliate links. The author or blog owner may earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

The post Book Review: Sibling Sexual Abuse first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

The Truth About Halloween and Sex Offenders

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 21:54:38 +0000

Halloween is at the end of this week. There are a lot of assumptions made about Halloween and Sex Offenders. Let’s take a look at the realities.

Therapists who work with sex offenders know this is the time of year probation officers ask us if we have made sure all of our clients have a plan for Halloween and know they are not to participate in the holiday.

Luckily, the area where our practice is located does not ask for more than our clients to avoid participation.

In other parts of the country, things are much different.

Halloween and Sex Offenders in the News

The Patch, a national news source, posted multiple articles providing detailed maps showing the homes of registered sex offenders for many areas.

Indiana

A town in Indiana performed a Halloween crackdown sweep of Sex offenders who failed to register.

Ohio

A news source in Ohio posted an article on how to keep your children safe from sex offenders on Halloween.

Georgia

In Georgia, the Butts County Sheriff’s Office places warning signs in front of the homes of anyone on the sex offender registry for Halloween. Several people on the registry sued the Sheriff’s office and recently lost the lawsuit. The court ruled that this practice did not violate their rights.

In some states, registered offenders still on probation or parole are provided a list of requirements which may include:

Being home after a certain time
Not answering the door to children
Not handing out candy
Having no outside lights on
Having a sign on their door stating specifically they’re not giving out candy

As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.

Halloween and Sex Offenders by the Data

We can all agree that sex crimes against children are profoundly serious and something everyone should work to prevent.

The question arises whether Halloween is a higher risk day than any other day of the year. To answer this question, Chaffin et al. (2009) conducted a study that analyzed child sex crime rates on Halloween.

The authors analyzed child sex crime victims from 1997 to 2005. The data came from up to 30 states.

They looked at a span of days that included Halloween as some locations have trick or treat events before or after the actual date of Halloween.

There was a total of 67,307 abuse reports during the Halloween time frame over the 8-year period.

Results of the Study

The results of the analysis indicated that for the children who were abused on Halloween, 73% were female and 27% male.

They were abused primarily by male offenders (94%) who had an average age of 24 years old.

The main result of this study was that the distribution of sexual offenses against children during the Halloween time period did NOT significantly differ from all other days of the year.

Halloween and sex offenders are not a recipe for increased chances of abuse.

The CDC has reported that children are four times more likely to be killed by a pedestrian/motor vehicle accident on Halloween than any other day of the year.

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Looking Beyond Sexual Offenses

The authors of this study also looked at other crimes committed during the Halloween time period.

The most common types of crime during Halloween are theft, destruction of property and assault.

Vandalism and destruction of property accounted for a significantly greater proportion of the crime around the Halloween time period.

Sex crimes accounted for a little more than 1% of all Halloween crime and sex crimes against children accounted for less than .2% of Halloween crime incidents.

Halloween and Sex Offenders: The Realities

We know that the majority of the sexual offenses committed against children are by someone the child knows. We see the results of this study show no increased risk of criminality. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that scarce resources could be better spent policing other crimes on Halloween such as vandalism.

Extra policing of sexual offenders on the registry during Halloween might make the public feel better or feel that their children are safer. However, it appears that these efforts are more publicity than efficacy in reality.

Reference: Chaffin, M., Levenson, J., Letourneau, E. & Stern, P. (2009). How safe are trick or treaters? An analysis of child sex crime rates on Halloween. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. (21) 3, 363-374.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

The post The Truth About Halloween and Sex Offenders first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Sex Offender Treatment: Helpful or Placebo?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 13:29:45 +0000

In most jurisdictions in the United States, a person convicted of a sex crime is mandated to sex offender treatment.

This treatment tends to be group therapy primarily being Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT.

As the leader of a community of treatment providers, I am always striving to improve my practices. Therefore, I use evidenced based treatment modalities and the interventions best suited to our clients to decrease risks of recidivism.

So, when the question of whether or not what we are doing is helpful or harmful comes up, I pay attention.

Meta-Analysis of Sex Offender Treatment Outcomes

The keynote address Thursday morning at this year’s ATSA conference was by Dr. Teresa Gannon.

She presented her recently published meta-analysis of the effectiveness of sexual offender treatment. It was recently published in Clinical Psychology Review and is open access.

She looked at all types of violent offending but spoke this morning, specifically, about treatment for sexual offending.

There have been some studies that have been published that have provided a grim picture of treatment. Most specifically, Dr. Gannon points to a 2017 report from the UK Ministry of Justice that stated that people who had committed sexual crimes and had treatment had a 25% increase in their rates of recidivism.

To those of us who do this work, that’s a shocking number. No treatment provider wants to do more harm than good. Furthermore, none of us would ever knowingly do anything that would increase the risk of harm to anyone.

Details of the Meta-analysis

Enter Dr. Gannon and her colleagues. They embarked on a meta-analysis of 70 studies on offending behavior. Furthermore, they analyzed variables that could influence treatment outcomes.

Their work asked three specific questions:

Does offense specific treatment influence recidivism risk?
Is a trained psychology professional needed?
What program variables are important for success?

Results of the Study on Sex Offender Treatment

The results of the meta-analysis were both encouraging and enlightening.

Over a 6 year follow up period, individuals who engaged in sex offender specific treatment reoffended at a rate of 9.5%.

Those who did not attend sex offender specific treatment reoffended at a rate of 14.1%.

Sex offenders who attended treatment were 32.6% less likely to reoffend than those who did not attend. This result is the encouraging part.

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What has the Greatest Impact on Sex Offender Treatment?

The first important question involved the presence of a licensed psychology professional. Was there a licensed professional involved in provision of treatment?

This was broken down into unclear/none meaning that a psychology professional was not directly involved with providing treatment or it was unclear. The other categories were inconsistent and consistent.

The results indicated that treatment is more effective when a psychology professional is consistently hands on in the treatment process.

What Other Factors Impact Recidivism?

The last set of factors investigated involved actual variables in the treatment program.

It was found that offenders who attended group only had better outcomes than those who attended group and individual therapy.

Those programs where a licensed psychology professional provided supervision had better outcomes.

Programs that used arousal conditioning had lower recidivism rates.

Programs that didn’t use polygraph testing had better outcomes than those that did use it.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

Takeaways for the Sex Offender Treatment Study

The meta-analysis posits that, we need to think about several key elements.

The most effective treatment programs had the following characteristics:

A licensed psychology professional with expertise in treating sexual offenders, who is hands on and consistent in the treatment.
Inappropriate sexual interest is addressed.
It is group based and supervision by a psychology professional is provided.
The polygraph is not used in treatment.

On a side note, the study indicated that the countries with the best outcomes for treated offenders were Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

This is the most up to date meta-analysis of sexual offender treatment efficacy published. It is the first to provide some evidence for the efficacy of arousal conditioning. It also indicates that it is not just treatment that is effective but treatment provided by individuals with expertise in the field and offer supervision to treatment providers.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.

Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

The post Sex Offender Treatment: Helpful or Placebo? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Institutional Abuse and How to Predict and Prevent it

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 12:34:17 +0000

Institutional abuse, stories of sexual harm from schools and churches, seems to be in the news almost every day.

This is both a good and a bad thing.

It is good because it means that more victims are starting to come forward, speak their truth and hold their abuser accountable.

I think it’s kinda obvious why it’s bad. No one should be able to abuse their position of power or authority.

So, How do we Prevent Institutional Abuse?

As with any type of sexual abuse, the question becomes, how do we prevent institutional abuse?

We all want to believe that there is some way to screen out those individuals who might be prone to sexually abusing others. We would love to bar them from becoming clergy, boy scout leaders, teachers, etc.

Despite the prevalence of this form of abuse, there is not a lot of research on institutional sexual abuse as a specific form of abuse.

ATSA’s most recent edition of their scientific journal, Sexual Abuse, was dedicated to the problem of institutional abuse.

Learn more about Primary Prevention and its benefits in these articles:

Scientific Studies and Research

I think it would be easier for most to believe there’s something unique about people who commit institutional abuse.

Harris and Terry (2019) indicate that child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetrators in institutional settings are similar to those who offend elsewhere.

Additionally, the factors that make children vulnerable to abuse are not unique to these settings either.

This makes it difficult to identify those who might abuse and keep them out of situations where they have easy access to victims.

Personality Characteristics and Institutional Abuse

Amrom, Calkins & Fargo (2019), researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, looked at personality characteristics of sexual abusers.

They hoped to find a way to identify sexually abusive clergy.

They used the MMPI-2 and MCMI-III in the study, which are widely accepted personality measures.

What is known from studies of pre-employment MMPI-2s is that clergy applicants tend to present as:

Defensive
Extroverted
Compulsive
Self-confident
Uncomfortable with expressions of anger
Strongly needing approval

Additionally, past research shows us that Episcopal and Presbyterian clergy applicants tend to present as generally well adjusted, but do display elevations of narcissistic, compulsive and histrionic traits.

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The Categorization of Amrom’s Study

Amrom et. al.’s study looked at the MMPI-2 and MCMI-III of three categories of clergy:

Sent to treatment for child sexual abuse
Referred to treatment for noncriminal sexual behavior with adults
Referred to treatment for non-sexual reasons such as depression, drug, or alcohol problems

Finally, Amrom’s control group took the test for pre-employment and had no history of clinical or sexual issues.

Results of Amrom’s Study

Amrom’s study indicated there were no differences between the sexual abuse group and the sexual misconduct group.

There was, however, a difference between the sexual abuse group and the control group. The control group showed more signs of psychopathology than the sexual abuse group.

Amrom, et. al. identified an elevation on the MCMI-III’s Aggressive/Sadistic subscale for the sexual abuse group.

Ultimately, the authors opined that the MCMI-III and MMPI-2 were not able to distinguish between the four groups. Therefore, these personality measures aren’t very helpful for screening out potential sexual abusers from the clergy applicants.

Institutional Abuse and Grooming

Another study in the special edition by Spraitz and Bowen (2019) looked at the grooming techniques used by priests who have sexually abused.

Some studies have shown, in addition to traditional grooming techniques, clergy will use their role as priests or as an extension of God to abuse parishioners. The researchers analyzed records from several Archdioceses and unsealed records that all involved priests or monks in sexual abuse cases. They created a taxonomy of grooming techniques in the priest sexual abuse cases.

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What is Grooming?

Grooming is the process an abuser uses to create a “special” relationship with a victim and create opportunities to abuse. Typically the abuser is an adult and the victim is a child.

In this study, priests used the following techniques:

Giving alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to the victim
Giving gifts to the victim
Taking the victim on overnight trips
Physical contact
Using mentorship or friendship
Playing favorites
Creating a relationship with the family
Abusing the position of respect and reverence

Results of the Grooming Study

Unfortunately, the researchers found the grooming techniques of abusive clergy in their sample were no different from non-clergy.

The technique of abusing the position as a person of God was not an overt form of grooming.

They found that the use of this technique may not be “purposeful, overt, or done consciously in all instances.”

There were clergy who did use this technique overtly, but not many in this study.

Takeaways About Institutional Abuse

In short, the studies in this special issue of Sexual Abuse confirm, for the studies published, the individuals who perpetrate sexual abuse in institutions are not significantly different from those who abuse outside of institutions.

These results are frustrating as it would be a boon to the prevention of sexual abuse if there was a way to predict who might abuse versus who might not.

The research will continue and hopefully, in the future, more work will be published that can help institutional abuse prevention efforts.

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.

The post Institutional Abuse and How to Predict and Prevent it first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.

Sentence Mitigation: Is it Just Faux Remorse?

Dr. Jennifer Weeks — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 11:17:59 +0000

I recently posted on social media about my clinic’s intensive program for sexual offenders and how it aides sentence mitigation. I got accused of providing lighter sentences for financial gain.

I’m angry, to say the least. I take our work with people who have committed sex crimes very seriously because I consider it sexual abuse prevention work.

I’ve decided to put my emotions to the side and write something informative about sentence mitigation.

What is Sentence Mitigation?

I’d like to point out that what we’re talking about is not the trial. We’ve already determined guilt and we’re now determining the punishment for the crime(s) committed.

Judges are obligated to take all information about that person into consideration when being sentenced for a crime.

Prosecution’s role is to present evidence of all of the aggravating factors in the case. They use these factors to argue for stronger and harsher sentences.

Aggravating factors can include:

Prior offenses
Vulnerable victims
Hate crimes
Violence, etc.

Defense attorneys present facts about the person supporting a less harsh sentence.

Any facts presented for sentence mitigation are not related to the guilt of the person. They’ve acknowledged what they have done (pled guilty).

Mitigating factors can be in place prior to the offending such as:

Lack of criminal record
Mental illness
Addiction
Physical illness
History of abuse

Other mitigating factors are those the occur after the offense has happened. These can be:

Acceptance of responsibility
Rehabilitation post offense (treatment)
Cooperation with law enforcement
Addiction
Mental illness, etc.

Mitigating factors do NOT excuse a crime but help provide an explanation.

As professionals, our time is valuable. Dr. Weeks created the Mitigation Aide Research Archive because there isn’t enough focused, data-backed research available in easily digestible formats.

Therapy as a Sentence Mitigation Tool

Do defense attorneys suggest clients go to therapy so they have some fuel for sentence mitigation?

In a word, yes.

Many of our clients are referred to us by their attorneys after they have had a visit from the police or the FBI. This happens, basically, no matter the type of offense.

DUI?

Get a drug and alcohol assessment.

Domestic violence charge?

Do some classes.

Assault charge?

Complete an anger management program.

What Your Therapist Knows

What most people might not know, but all treatment providers know, is very few people self-refer for any kind or offending.

In over 10 years of practice ownership, I can count on one hand the number of clients who came to treatment because they felt they had a problem.

Many clients are pressured into treatment. This pressure may come from a partner, spouse, employer, or the police.

People don’t self-refer for many reasons: shame, fear, or stigma. They wait until they’re caught. Whether they’re watching pornography at work, getting a DUI, getting caught in an affair, running up the credit cards with gambling debt, etc.

Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.

Doing the Work, Not Just Showing Up

The act of going to therapy itself does not help the defense attorney make a mitigation argument.

What happens in therapy can help a defense attorney make a mitigation argument.

If a client is referred by an attorney for treatment, the initial thought might be something like “Okay, this will look good to the judge.”

Any good therapist will know whether or not a client is taking the therapy work seriously. If the client is just biding time, trying to look good for the judge, it’s reflected in the treatment reports that go to the attorney.

Trust me, bad treatment reports never make it to court.

Same thing for evaluations that deem a client high risk to re-offend. They hardly ever see the light of day in a court room.

Changing motivations

What gets a person in the door of a therapy office isn’t always what keeps them there.

I, and other treatment providers, aim to help the offender move from the shocked stage into looking deeply at their actions and motivations.

Although it’s popular to believe all people who commit sexual crimes are deviant monsters who deserve to die, most people who are committing these crimes know they have a problem, feel a good deal of remorse, and want to do what they can to avoid hurting anyone else.

Now we see how an attorney referral for sentence mitigation can turn into an offender into a healthy, productive member of society.

Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Take the free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.

Final Reflections on Sentence Mitigation

Sitting at the end of a day filled with many emotions, I reflect on the work I do. I am proud of the work I and my staff do with this population.

I realize I work with people the world would rather discard. Many people think they don’t deserve treatment.

It would be great if more people self-referred, I don’t really care if it’s an attorney that gets them through the door.

Those of us who work with sexual offenders are doing prevention work.

My final words are not mine but those of one of my wonderful colleagues: Everyone deserves treatment. Period. Full Stop.

References:

Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Consult with a professional.

Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

Are you a professional looking to stay up-to-date with the latest information on, sex addiction, trauma, and mental health news and research? Or maybe you’re looking for continuing education courses? Then you should stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

The post Sentence Mitigation: Is it Just Faux Remorse? first appeared on Dr. Jen's Recovery Readings.