Overview

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.

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Are you looking for more assistance with your sentence mitigation reports? Contact Dr. Jennifer Weeks, a recognized expert witness and forensic psychologist.

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

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Are you looking for more assistance with your sentence mitigation reports? Contact Dr. Jennifer Weeks, a recognized expert witness and forensic psychologist.

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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.

Overview

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. 

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

Overview

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. 

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

Overview

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. 

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

Overview

What sort of traumatic events are most likely to be in the history of female sexual offenders? Besides the offending behavior, what other effects might adverse childhood experiences have on female sexual offenders?

Summary

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) have been studied in many populations, from the general public to offenders of all types. ACES have been correlated to everything from medical issues to addiction and suicide risk.

What is the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale?

The ACE scale is a 10-point scale that assesses for the presence or absence of 10 different adverse events that a person may have experienced before their 18^th birthday.

These include items such as parental divorce or incarceration, abuse of any kind, parental addiction or mental health issues, the presence of domestic violence or neglect.  In the general public, women endorse more ACEs than men and 25% of women endorse a history of sexual abuse as a child.

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Are you looking for more assistance with your sentence mitigation reports? Contact Dr. Jennifer Weeks, a recognized expert witness and forensic psychologist.

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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.

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Are you a Licensed Professional Counselor looking for Continuing Education Hours? Dr. Weeks provides courses related to Female Sexual Offending and many other topics on Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.

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Did you arrive here looking for information about childhood trauma, or adverse childhood experiences? Dr. Weeks offers a free, scientifically-validated, anonymous assessment on her personal blog. Take the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire.

The post Adverse Childhood Experiences in Female Sexual Offenders first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

Exploring the nature of childhood trauma, mental illness, and substance abuse and its impacts on female sexual offenders.

Summary

This is a qualitative study published in 2015 by DeCou et al.  Previous research had suggested that women offenders have several domains of vulnerability that contribute to their offending behaviors. 

The post The Role of Victimization and Life Stress in Female Offending first appeared on Mitigation Aide.