William D. Murphy

First report of the collaborative outcome data project on the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sex offenders.

This meta-analytic review examined the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sex offenders by summarizing data from 43 studies (combined n = 9,454). Averaged across all studies, the sexual offence recidivism rate was lower for the treatment groups (12.3%) than the comparison groups (16.8%, 38 studies, un-weighted average). A similar pattern was found for general recidivism, although the overall rates were predictably higher (treatment 27.9%, comparison 39.2%, 30 studies). Current treatments (cognitive-behavioral, k = 13; systemic, k = 2) were associated with reductions in both sexual recidivism (from 17.4 to 9.9%) and general recidivism (from 51 to 32%). Older forms of treatment (operating prior to 1980) appeared to have little effect. Future directions for improving the quality of sex offender treatment outcome evaluations are discussed.

Self-Reported Sex Crimes of Nonincarcerated Paraphiliacs

This article will present data gathered by the authors through structured clinical interviews of 561 paraphiliacs regarding demographic characteristics, frequency and variety of deviant sexual acts, and number and characteristics of victims. Results show that nonincarcerated sex offenders (1) are well educated and socioeconomically diverse; (2) report an average number of crimes and victims that is substantially higher than that represented in the current literature; and (3) sexually molest young boys with an incidence that is five times greater than the molestation of young girls. The relevance of these findings is discussed.

Assessment and Modification of Cognitive Distortions in Sex Offenders

Sexual aggression against children and adults is being recognized both by professionals and by the public as a significant problem for society (Badgley, 1984; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987; Russell, 1982). In an attempt to address the problem, there have been attempts to more fully understand the individuals who perpetuate such abuse and to determine relevant target areas for treatment. This literature has produced numerous descriptive studies, personality assessment studies, and classification systems which have been well-reviewed previously (Knight, Rosenberg, & Schneider, 1985; Levin & Stava, 1987; Murphy & Stalgaitis, 1987; Prentky, Cohen, & Seghorn, 1985; Quinsey, 1984, 1986). All of these approaches provide some understanding of sex offenders, although they do not always clearly translate into specific treatment programs.

Serial Multiple-Site Biopsies in Patients with Bladder Cancer

A prospective study was done on 52 patients with bladder cancer to determine the incidence of atypia, carcinoma in situ and carcinoma in selected site biopsies from normal-appearing mucosa at the time of initial and subsequent endoscopy. Biopsies at initial endoscopy revealed abnormalities in 33 per cent of the patients, while 77 per cent of 43 patients undergoing 3-month selected site biopsies had at least 1 abnormal biopsy during a 1-year period.

A multi-center evaluation of the McGill Pain Questionnaire: results from more than 1700 chronic pain patients

&NA; We argue that the conflicting results reported in previous studies examining the factor structure of the McGill Pain Questionnaire Pain Rating Index (PRI) can be explained by differences in the patient samples and statistical analyses used across studies. In an effort to clarify the factor structure of the PRI, 3 different factor models were compared using confirmatory factor analysis in 2 samples of low‐back pain patients (N = 1372) and in a third sample of patients suffering from other chronic pain problems (N = 423). A 4‐factor model, similar to those obtained in previous studies where multiple criteria were used to determine the number of factors extracted, best explained covariation among PRI subclasses. However, relatively high interfactor correlations (approximately two‐thirds of the variance explained by the best fitting factor structure was common variance) cast doubt on the discriminant validity of PRI subscales; examination of relationships between the PRI and MMPI subscales also failed to provide evidence of the discriminant validity or clinical utility of PRI subscales. Reducing the information from the 10 PRI sensory subclasses to a single subscale score may seriously limit the usefulness of the PRI. Alternate methods of using PRI data are suggested.

What We Know And Do Not Know About Assessing And Treating Sex Offenders

Findings of the Supreme Court in Kansas v. Hendricks (1997) raise a number of issues related to public policy, law, and mental health. The purpose of this article is not to reargue these issues, which are covered in a number of articles in this special issue. Instead, the purpose is to review the clinical literature, empirical literature, and standards of assessment and treatment within the sex offender field and to examine how these impact implementation of the laws. This article outlines an approach to operationalizing the concept of mental abnormality and describes accepted assessment approaches, validated risk criteria, and currently acceptable treatment approaches. Limitations of researchers current knowledge about implementing sexual predator laws are also discussed.

Factors related to coercive sexual behavior in a nonclinical sample of males.

The sexual coercion literature has suggested numerous factors related to aggressive sexual behavior. The present investigation explores a number of these factors in a community sample. Data collected from 189 volunteers from the community included measures of sexual arousal, social perception, personality variables, attitudes toward women, and self-reported likelihood to rape. Multiple-regression analyses were used to determine the relative association of these factors to coercive sexual behavior. The present findings suggested that social perception, Extraversion and Neuroticism from the Eysenck Personality Inventory, sexual arousal, and self-reported likelihood to rape all contributed to the multiple regression. Rape Myth Acceptance, although not contributing significantly to the multiple regression, did show a significant zero-order correlation with coercive sexual behavior. Additional analyses were performed in an attempt to replicate an earlier predictive study by Malamuth and Check (1983) that found self-reported sexual arousal to be predicted by a combination of self-reported likelihood to rape, Psychoticism and Neuroticism from the Eysenck Personality Inventory, power motivation, and sexual experience. In the present study, both self-reported sexual arousal and penile tumescence measures were significantly related to attitudinal measures, social perception measures, and self-reported likelihood to rape. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Characteristics of abused and nonabused adolescent sexual offenders

The current study was designed to provide further information on characteristics of adolescent sexual offenders who have and have not experienced abuse. The subjects were approximately 300 adolescent offenders seen in a clinical treatment program. Abused and nonabused adolescent offenders were compared on a number of offense-specific variables and standardized instruments including the MMPI, Interpersonal Behavior Survey, Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, and Self-Reported Delinquent Behavior Checklist. Results indicated that those offenders who were sexually abused had an earlier onset of their offending, had more victims, were likely to abuse both males and females, and tended to show more psychopathology and interpersonal problems, although no differences were found in terms of self-reported delinquent behavior or family functioning. The data are discussed in terms of their possible etiological significance and clinical implications.

Differential sexual responding among four groups of sexual offenders against children

Previous literature on typologies of child molesters has separated groups into those that display a primary sexual orientation to children (the pedophile) versus those where children serve as a surrogate (i.e., the incest case). However, empirical evidence to substantiate this distinction has been conflicting. A study by Quinsey et al. (1979), employing physiological measures of erection responses to slide stimuli, supported the above distinction. However, Abel et al. (1981), measuring erection responses to audiotaped descriptions of sexual interactions with children, found no differences between pedophiles and incest cases. The present study compared erection responses to slide and audiotaped stimuli of four groups of offenders against children: homosexual pedophiles, heterosexual pedophiles, incest cases, and a mixed diagnostic group. In general, regardless of the scoring method employed (percentage full erection or z-score transformation), the results indicated that with slide stimuli, pedophiles showed more responding to children than adults, while the opposite was true for the incest cases. However, with audiotaped descriptions, all groups evidenced more responding to children than adults. Reasons for the differences observed with various types of stimulus material are discussed, as are treatment implications.

An Exploration of Factors Related to Deviant Sexual Arousal Among Juvenile Sex Offenders

To date, there has been limited literature on the measurement of sexual arousal in adolescent sex offenders. The data that exist have been somewhat mixed in terms of factors related to deviant sexual arousal in this group. The present study, with 71 adolescent sex offenders, investigates the relationship between offender and offense characteristics, including gender of victim, history of sexual abuse, history of physical abuse, race, and interactions between these factors in the prediction of physiologically measured sexual arousal to deviant and nondeviant stimulus categories. A number of variables significantly predicted sexual arousal. The most consistent predictors were gender of victim, race, the interaction of race and gender of victim, and to some extent the interaction of offender abuse history and gender of victim. Caucasian subjects tended to respond more than African American subjects did, and this has not been reported previously in the literature. The data are discussed in terms of consistency with other literature, suggesting that those juvenile offenders who target male victims and have been abused themselves may be a high risk group. Limitations of this study are also addressed.