Overview

Beyond the standard actuarial testing, can these other studies help predict recidivism? How do these scores affect treatment needs?

Summary

When we talk about recidivism, we are usually talking about actuarial measures such as the Static-99R or the Stable or Acute 2007. This research article assesses whether or not there are other measures that can predict recidivism.

Predict Recidivism and Provide Trauma Informed Care

As the field slowly moves toward trauma informed care, the authors studied the association between recidivism and scoring on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale.

Reference

The post Can ACE or LSI Scores Predict Recidivism? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Does the data show childhood mistreatment leading to pedophilic behaviors? Is there a correlation between adult baby/diaper lovers (ABDL/Paraphilic Infantilism) and pedophilic desires?

Summary

Paraphilic Infantilism, more commonly known as Adult Baby/Diaper Lover (ABDL) is a sexual interest that is frequently misunderstood by the lay community and the mental health community alike.

When someone who participates in ABDL behaviors ends up on the radar of law enforcement, this misunderstanding can be exacerbated.

There continues to be little research on this topic to help us understand those who participate in ABDL behaviors better as well as to provide education as to what it actually means.

A Study on Paraphilic Infantilism

A 2019 study by Fuss et al looked at the association between childhood maltreatment and participation in paraphilic infantilism.

This research sought to address the assumption many people have that if someone engages in these behaviors, they must have been abused.

Reference

The post Were Men with Paraphilic Infantilism Mistreated in Childhood? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

What scientific data says about childhood abuse and neglect in relation to offenders who are diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Summary

Previous research has shown that trauma in childhood is common in individuals with schizophrenia. It is often one of the risk factors associated with the development of psychosis in individuals.

Research has also shown schizophrenics:

• Have difficulty understanding the emotions of others
• Have difficulty understanding social cues
• Struggle with empathy. 

This lack of ability to understand the emotions of thoughts of others is called Theory of Mind.

A Study on Trauma, Neglect, and Schizophrenia

The authors of this study sought to understand if there was an association between childhood trauma and/or neglect and Theory of Mind deficits

Reference

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Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The post What is the Role of Abuse and Neglect in the Affective Theory of Mind of Individuals with Schizophrenia? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

What are the links between substance abuse, particularly alcohol, and sexual offending?

Summary

From a risk assessment perspective, it is rather generally accepted that substance abuse or addictions are dynamic risk factors for recidivism.

Reference

The post Substance Abuse and Sexual Offending first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

And how do these experiences affect these victims upon reaching adulthood?

Summary

From a treatment perspective, it is often more difficult to talk about victim empathy with individuals who are internet only offenders that possessed child pornography but do not have hands on offenders.  They can have a harder time understanding how they caused harm to the children in the images as they did not create the images but “simply” viewed them.

Reference

The post What are the experiences of child pornography victims? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

How do maladaptive coping mechanisms stemming from childhood trauma influence an offender’s behavior?

Summary

Many individuals who commit a sexual crime have a trauma history. The percentage depends on what research you look at.  We also know that many of them are also under the influence of a substance when they commit their offense.  Indeed, the Motivation Facilitation Model of Sexual Offending by Seto calls this a state facilitator.  Therefore, it is wise for evaluators and attorneys to have an understanding of the relationship between trauma and substance abuse. 

Reference

The post What is the relationship between trauma and substance abuse in men? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Does this statement still hold true? A fresh look at this topic.

Summary

In both the lay world and the forensic psychology world, there has always been a hypothesis that being sexually abused as a child made that child more prone to becoming a sexual abuser him or herself.  This is called the sexually abused abuser hypothesis that was explained by Finkelhor and Brown. 

Reference

The post Childhood Sexual abuse is Associated with Subsequent Sexual Offending first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

How do Adverse Childhood Experiences impact overall criminal histories, in addition to histories of sexual crimes?

Summary

As the sexual abuser treatment field moves toward a trauma informed care model, more research is being conducted on the experiences of childhood trauma of those individuals who are convicted of sexual crimes. 

Reference

The post Trauma Histories of Sexual Offenders first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

How does alcohol and substance abuse affect the likelihood of violent and/or sexual offenses?

Summary

This study, published in 2000, is considered very old by academic standards.  However, it is one of the first to address alcohol and drug abuse in sexual offenders using the standardized measures of the MAST and DAST.  Prior to this research, there was anecdotal evidence and conjecture about the role of substance abuse in sexual offending but no hard data. 

Reference

The post Substance Abuse Issues in Sexual Offenders first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

What are the most frequent ACE items endorsed by sexually violent persons and can they be used as predictors for recidivism?

Summary

Using a previous study as a building block, Kahn at al (2021) looked at Adverse Childhood Experiences in 317 individuals who were identified as sexually violent predators and were in a secure treatment facility. In addition to looking at ACE scores, this study sought to address whether there were any associations between ACE scores and risk of sexual recidivism and mental health diagnoses.

Reference

The post Adverse Childhood Experiences in Sexually Violent Persons first appeared on Mitigation Aide.