Stefan Bogaerts

Adult female sexual offending: A comparison between co-offenders and solo offenders in a Dutch sample

Abstract Few studies have examined female sexual offenders who committed a sexual offence with an accomplice (co-offender) and without an accomplice (solo offender). In this study, several offence, victim and offender characteristics of 60 adult female sexual offenders were examined. The first purpose was to explore the personality pathology among these offenders. The second purpose was to examine the sexual, violent and any recidivism rates of these offenders. These offenders were referred for an inpatient or outpatient psychiatric and/or psychological evaluation between January 1999 and December 2008. The results revealed that the mean number of DSM-IV Axis I disorder was larger among solo offenders compared to co-offenders. Conversely, the mean number of DSM-IV personality disorders was larger among co-offenders compared to solo offenders. Furthermore, the sexual, violent and any recidivism rate of these female sexual offenders was 0, 1.9 and 7.7%, respectively. Offender type (i.e. solo offender) significantly predicts a new offence of any type.

Personality Disorders in a Sample of Paraphilic and Nonparaphilic Child Molesters

This article renders the results of research that investigated personality disorders in a sample of paraphilic and nonparaphilic child molesters. The sample contained 36 paraphilic child molesters and a matched comparison group of 34 nonparaphilic child molesters. The analyses of the research results show that four personality disorders discriminate between both groups. Only the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder contributes significantly to the explanation of paraphilic child molestation. This result also contributes to the development and differentiation of the treatment of paraphilia-related disorders. For several child molesters, psychological approaches to the treatment of sexual offending (e.g., cognitive—behavioral treatment, psychotherapy in general) are limited and cannot be expected to immediately reduce risk. Interest has been expressed in medical approaches to reduce recidivism, in combination with psychotherapy.

Measuring childhood abuse and neglect in a group of female indoor sex workers in the Netherlands: A confirmatory factor analysis of the Dutch version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form

Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the responses to the Dutch version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form from a sample of 123 female indoor sex workers in The Netherlands. Results indicate the expected five-factor structure fit the data well. In line with Bernstein and others, the instrument was a valid measure of retrospective childhood abuse and neglect in this sample.

Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators in a Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient Setting: Criminal History, Psychopathology, and Victimization

This study investigated criminological, psychopathological, and victimological profiles of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators in a sample of 119 Dutch female and male forensic psychiatric outpatients aged 18 to 58 years. In addition, differences in criminological, psychopathological, and victimological factors between IPV perpetrators (n = 61, 51.3%) and non-intimate violence (NIV) perpetrators (n = 58, 48.7%) were examined. All data, including information on demographics, criminal history, history of psychological, sexual, and physical victimization during childhood or adolescence, family history of psychopathology, history of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence, and mental disorders, were derived from archival electronic medical records. Mental disorders were measured using structured psychiatric interviews and final consensus diagnoses were established during weekly case consultations. Both IPV and NIV perpetrators displayed high rates of criminal history, psychopathology, and previous victimization, but the two groups did not differ in these factors with two exceptions. IPV perpetrators were significantly more likely to have higher rates of previous physical victimization and intermittent explosive disorder than NIV perpetrators. The current study suggests that a history of physical victimization and intermittent explosive disorder are specific characteristics of IPV perpetrators in a forensic psychiatric outpatient setting. Future research should focus on mechanisms explaining the association of childhood victimization and IPV and increase our understanding of the role of intermittent explosive disorder in IPV.

DISMISSIVE ATTACHMENT AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AMONG SECURELY AND INSECURELY ATTACHED BELGIAN SECURITY WORKERS

This study examined Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in relation to secure and insecure attachment styles based on data collected in a sample of 81 Belgian security workers. All had experienced one traumatic event in the previous year. The sample was divided into a securely attached and an insecurely attached group. The three PTSD symptom scales, Re-experiencing, Avoidance, and Hyperarousal, differentiated significantly between the two attachment groups; the dismissive attachment style was negatively related to PTSD. Individuals with a positive view of themselves and a negative view of others have less risk of developing PTSD than those with a fearful or preoccupied attachment style. A relationship between the dismissive attachment style with grandiose narcissism seems possible. Interest has been expressed in medical approaches; therefore, the importance of medical research on PTSD is emphasized.

Research on Parental Sensitivity, Trust, Intimacy and Adult Romantic Attachment as Predictors for Sexual Delinquency

Some important authors in the field of sexual delinquency stress the importance of inadequate attachment in the aetiology of sexual abusive behaviour. This contribution reports on parental sensitivity, trust, intimacy and adult romantic attachment in a group of sexual offenders (exhibitionists, child molesters and child rapists) and a matched normal control group. Based on the analyses, it appears that parental sensitivity, trust, intimacy and adult romantic attachment significantly differentiate between sexual delinquents and the control group. There is no significant relationship between the different categories of sexual offenders, except for the variable adult romantic attachment. Furthermore, it was found that parental sensitivity, trust and the adult romantic attachment style contribute independently to the explanation of sexual delinquent behaviour. The results tend to be important for the prevention and the treatment of sexual delinquent behaviour.