Forensic Psyc exam 5 (10-11)
What legal venues to crime victims have for obtaining justice?
-Criminal justice process -Protection of the rights of suspects, defendants, and victims -Laws for victims: •1980 - first Victim's Bill of Rights in Wisconsin•2004 - Victims' Rights Act passed by Congress -Notification of victims -Right of allocution -Presentence reports: victim impact statement
What are the characteristics of a psychopath as described by Cleckly
10 cardinal behavioral features Selfishness aka egocentricity Inability to love or give genuine affection to others Frequent deceitfulness or lying Lack of guilt or remorsefulness Callousness/lack of empathy Low anxiety proneness Poor judgment and failure to learn from experience Superficial charm Failure to follow any life plan Cycles of unreliability Disputed characteristics•Higher IQ•Not supported by research•Successful psychopaths?
What are the psychological effects of child abuse?
30 to 40% of individuals who experienced sexual abuse in childhood report a lifetime history of depression•Evidence from both clinical and empirical studies is that most victims of sexual abuse are negatively affected by their experience•Sexual abuse by fathers or stepfathers may have a more negative impact than abuse by perpetrators outside the home•Use of force or physical coercion in the assault usually results in more trauma for the child
In cases where a person brings charges or a civil suit against another person for abuse after recovering a memory what factors are important for that person to consider? Include things like statue of limitations, expert witnesses, and the effect of interviewing and/or therapeutic techniques.
Adults remembered previously "forgotten" traumas with the help of therapists under hypnosis or some other "discovery" process•Hot topic for decades: are repressed/recovered memories real? •Problem: Statute of Limitations•Have to bring a case to court withing a certain amount of time, typically withing a few years.•Many states have begun to extend statutes of limitations, particularly in civil cases, when sexual abuse is the issue.
What is the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, and how does it relate to Paroline v. United States?
Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018: Changes how federal courts determine the amount of restitution victims of child pornography offenses receive•Minimum of $3000 that courts must order defendants to pay to victims•Child Pornography Victims Reserve Fund•Victims of child pornography can choose a one time payment of $35000 if they choose (instead of suing for restitution)•Clarifies that the "full amount of the victim's losses" for trafficking in child pornography cases includes any costs incurred, or reasonably projected to be incurred in the future, as a proximate result of all the trafficking in child pornography offenses that involve the same victim•Allows child pornography victims to enjoy equal rights with criminal defendants to review the child pornography in question in the case•Access can help victims prepare expert testimony Paroline v. United States: An 8 year old girl was raped repeatedly by her uncle, who recorded the assaults and sold images and video on the internet.•He was convicted and sent to prison•Paroline was arrested for child pornography and had images of "Amy"•She reported a recurrence of trauma, sued him for 3.4 million in damages•Supreme Court ruled that she couldn't prove that him having those images was the "proximal cause" of the trauma.•Case focused on how much compensation must be paid to the victim under the Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004•No award•Court said "congress should pass a law..."•Congress said "hold my beer"
Describe the Psychopathy Check List. Is this fundamentally different than the characteristics described by Cleckly?
Assessment of affective, interpersonal, behavioral, and social deviance facets of criminal psychopathy•Uses multiple sources•self-reports, behavioral observations, reports from parents, family members, friends, and arrest and court records•Integrates behavior across domains•Work or school; behavior toward family, friends, and sexual partners, and criminal behavior •Each item scored on point scale of 0 to 2,•0 = consistently absent, 1 = inconsistent, 2 = consistently present•Scoring is, however, quite complex and requires substantial time, extensive training, and access to a considerable amount of background information on the individual. •Requires high degree of skill and training of examiners•A score of 30 or above usually qualifies a person as a primary psychopath•Maximum score = 40
Describe some of the psychological characteristics of batterers, including how the batterer justifies their behavior.
Battering: physical violence in intimate relationships•More serious and frequent abuse, including severe psychological abuse.•Men who batter often deny or minimize their use of violence, or they blame it on others.•Shoving, kicking, striking, choking, hitting, or punching inflicted on the victim is often not seen by the batterer as abuse.•Violence is perpetrated to exert power and control over the victim.•Justification of behavior by the batterer•Being provoked by, triggered by, or in response to something done by the victim.•Natural and understandable reaction to frustration
Describe the triarchic model of psychopathy.
Boldness (aka Fearless Dominance)• Fearlessness, being relatively immune to stress or anxiety, and being successful at negotiating social interactions to achieve desired goals• Hero vs. Criminal (Leadership vs. "the dark side") (Good vs. Evil)Meanness (Callous-unemotional traits)• Extreme arrogance, defiance of authority, destructive excitement seeking, and physical cruelty toward people and animals• Core component of psychopathyDisinhibition (aka Externalizing Proneness)• Lack of planning and foresight, impaired regulation of affect and urges, insistence on immediate gratification, and deficient behavioral restraint• EF difficulty?
Can juveniles be diagnosed with psychopathy? What are the special considerations in research of juvenile psychopathy?
Can features of adult psychopathy be found in children and adolescents in the first place? •Think about the juvenile brain...•The label has many negative connotations •Psychopathy assessments of youth must achieve a high level of confidence before they can be employed in the criminal justice system Instruments for measuring pre-adult psychopathy•The Psychopathy Screening Device, The Childhood Psychopathy Scale (CPS), The PCL:YV •Callous-unemotional traits•Predicts more severe aggression, conduct problems, and delinquency •Includes •Severe antisocial behavior beyond what is normally seen in other children with conduct disorders•Significant lack of empathetic concern for others•Limited capacity for guilt•Deficits in emotional expression.
Explain how the concept of multiculturalism is important in understanding the victims of crimes. Why is cultural competency required of clinicians who work with the victims of crimes?
Changing racial composition of the United States.•Caucasians are still a majority, but it's decreasing with every year•Expected to be below 50% of the population by 2045•Increasing numbers of people identifying as multiracial•Immigration and the US•Want to stir the pot? Ask your extended family about immigration reform!•Legal residency in US vs. illegally resident in the US•Legally admitted immigration is FAR more common•People who are in the US without legal status are often exploited •Fearful of being deported if they report crimes•Cross-cultural sensitivity•As the demographics change, psychologists must develop the necessary cultural competency
The NISMART study described parental kidnappers as having what kinds of beliefs?
Characteristics and risk factors of parental kidnappers•Paranoid and irrational beliefs•Partner betrayed and exploited them•Highest risk in people with history of IPV, psychiatric hospitalization, or SUD•Motive is sometimes (rarely) revenge
What factors impact whether children are willing to disclose abuse? Describe CSAAS and indicate which behaviors have and have not been empirically supported.
Child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome (CSAAS)•Proposed and elaborated on by Summit (1983; 1998), based on clinical experience•Child victims of sexual abuse experience feelings of helplessness, confusion, and fear•Feelings cause child victims to conceal the abuse•Delayed abuse disclosure•Denial of abuse•Recantation of abuse allegations after initial claims•Research findings•Delayed disclosure of childhood sexual abuse is not unusual, denial of abuse and recantation is unusual.•Recanting children more likely to have suffered parental abuse or lack of support from other parent.
What is the "cycle of sexual abuse"?
Childhood or adolescent sexual abuse increases probability of repeat victimization in adulthood•Chronic early abuse may lead to negative outcomes (e.g., destructive relationships, PTSD, danger desensitization, stress and health problems)•Chronic early abuse may lead to positive outcomes (e.g., escape from harmful environment, emotional recognition and expression assistance)
Discuss the Callous-Unemotional traits as they apply to juvenile psychopathy
Children measuring high on CU also show:•High levels of impulsivity and egocentricity •Diagnosed with severe conduct disorders •Highly aggressive and often violent •Inability to take the perspective of others•Self-serving cognitive distortions such as blaming others for their mistakes•Underestimate the likelihood they will be punished for misbehavior. Characteristics of children with CU traits •Not afraid of being punished for their aggressive actions•Believe that aggression is an effective means for dominating and controlling others •Tend to minimize the extent to which their aggression caused victim suffering•Acknowledged caring very little about the distress and suffering of others•CU traits in childhood and adolescence strongly predicted psychopathy patterns in adulthood
Do crime victims have legal rights? If so, what are those rights?
Crime victims' bills of rights•All states have one Restitution or compensation•Restoration to pre-crime state, but not punitive•Good luck collecting Legal venues for obtaining justice•Criminal vs. civil courts•Victims' rights to be hear through each step of the process•Civil courts - suing for restitution•OJ Simpson case
Describe how the patterns of criminal activity differ between psychopath and non-psychopath offenders.
Crimes of psychopathic sex offenders are likely to be more violent, brutal, unemotional, and sadistic than those of other sex offenders (Hare, Clark, Grann, & Thornton, 2000)•Prevalence of psychopaths among child sex offenders 10% to 15% , among rapists 40% to 50% •The unemotional killer: •Murder and serious assaults less likely to have a emotional reason such as committed during extreme emotional arousal.•More likely to choose stranger as victim, especially rape of women
Describe the Safe Harbor legislation and the STAR court, and why these programs may help victims of human trafficking.
Decriminalize youth victims of CSE and divert them to specialized services•Approximately 34 states and the District of Columbia have implemented Safe Harbor legislation as of 2020
Describe the characteristics of batterers.
Diverse group; difficult to categorize•Some basic traits identified•Jealous•Fear of abandonment•Suspicious•Impulsive•Substance abuser•May be lacking in social skills •Possess different attitudes toward women, the masculine role in the family, and violence.•May have serious mental disorders
What is battered women syndrome (BWS)? Is a syndrome the same as a mental disorder?
Dr. Lenore Walker (The Battered Women, 1979)•First to identify term BWS
Define emotional fixation and give an example.
Emotional fixation•What was experienced by the victim if the death was one of torture or of long duration
What is the psychological impact of family abductions on the child and left behind parent?
Emotionally traumatic to child and left behind parent•Worst in cases in which force is used to carry out the abduction, the child is concealed, or the child is held for a long period of time•Force used in 14% of parental abductions and coercive threats in 17% (NISMART)•Length of time separated•Children held for less than a few weeks don't suffer the emotional reactions found in long-term abductions•Laws treating family abductions as a felony•All states and DC treat family abductions as felonies
What is the prevalence of psychopaths in the general population? Do you think the estimates are accurate?
Estimates vary•General population is about 1%•Prison populations from 11% to 25%
Describe the Ingram case. Why was this considered to be a false conviction?
Example of suggestion, vulnerability, hypnosis, biased interviewer•Involves recovered memories of being sexual abuse perpetrator•Unusual because memories were "recovered" by the perpetrator Test of Veracity•Ingram asked about a "crime"•He later confessed and added details
What are the factors and facets of psychopathy as measured by the PCL? While you don't need to memorize each and every one, you should be able to identify which factor/facet a behavior or characteristic would represent.
Factor 1:Interpersonal-Affective Facet 1: InterpersonalGlib/SuperficialGrandiose sense of self worthPathological LyingConning/Manipulative Facet 2: AffectiveLack of remorse/guiltShallow affectCallous/Lack of empathyFil to accept responsibility Factor 2:Lifestyle-Antisocial Facet 3: LifestyleStimulation SeekingImpulsivityIrresponsibilityParasitic orientationLack of realistic goals Facet 4: AntisocialPoor behavior controlsEarly behavior problemsJuvenile DelinquencyRevocation of conditional releaseCriminal Versatility
Is memory like a video tape? Use the example of false memories to explain your answer. Why is this important in questioning people about possible sexual abuse?
False memories can be implanted•Loftus and Hyman studies•Authentic recovered memories are usually spontaneous•Several explanations for forgetting and remembering abuse, including transience of memory, individual differences•Many therapists have switched to less suggestive approaches False memories cannot be successfully implanted in everyoneSome therapy techniques facilitate the production of detailed visual images that can later be mistaken for real memories Expectancies play a crucial roleExperiments designed to implant false memories are relatively successful
What is the boldness factor and how is this related to psychopathy?
Fearlessness, being relatively immune to stress or anxiety, and being successful at negotiating social interactions to achieve desired goals• Hero vs. Criminal (Leadership vs. "the dark side") (Good vs. Evil)
What are some of the core features of BWS, and what is the danger of applying this label to all battered women?
Feelings of learned helplessness, the development of survival rather than escape skills, low self-esteem, and feelings of depression
How prevalent is child sexual abuse?
Global prevalence is about 27% among girls and 14% among boys•In the US prevalence is approximately 25% to 27% in girls and 16% in boys
Describe how the process of grief is different if the deceased person is a family member who died violently (murdered). How is the nature of the distress different than what is experienced if the person did not die violently?
Grief process is different than the loss of a loved one who died nonviolently•Mourning lasts longer, is more intense, and is more complex.•The grief reactions are deeper, display rage and vengefulness, and result in longer lasting anxiety and phobic reactions.•The cruel and purposeful nature of murder compounds the rage, grief, and despair of the survivors.•Nature of distress•Greater the perceived intentionality and malevolence of the murder, the higher is the distress. •Intrusive and repetitive images of the violence; nightmares; and episodic, turbulent emotions of anger and grief. •Excessive yearning or searching for the deceased, feelings of loneliness or emptiness, a sense of purposelessness or futility, and emotional numbness or detachment are also frequent symptoms of grief brought on by the violent death of a loved one.
Psychopaths don't feel emotions as do non-psychopaths. Psychopaths have high emotional intelligence. How can both of these statements be true?
High Emotional Intelligence•Emotional Intelligence•Ability to perceive and understand emotions and use emotional information as part of decision-making and the management of behavior •Used to manipulate, deceive, and control others. •Thrill-seeking •Behavior is motivated by an excessive need for thrills and excitement•May be displayed as race car driving, skydiving, and motorcycle stunts
What factors influence the intensity of bereavement?
Homicidal death bereavement responses•Rage, desire for revenge directed toward the killer, and frustrations with the criminal justice system.•Reactions will be intense if the deceased was subjected to torture, sexual assault, or other intrusive or heinous acts.•Desire for reassurance that death was quick and painless and suffering was minimal•Emotional fixation•What was experienced by the victim if the death was one of torture or of long duration•Racial biases may develop•If the offender was of another racial/ethnic or other minority group
Do victims of IPV show any symptoms of PTSD? Why might it be important to document this?
IPV-related PTSD symptoms•45% to 84% of IPV victims show PTSD symptoms•Abused women residing in domestic violence shelters usually display higher rates and severity of IPV-related PTSD symptoms compared to abused women not in shelters.•Higher rates of violence during the pre-shelter period•Fear of retribution from their abuser because they have fled the home•Importance of documentation of PTSD•More aggressive prosecution, consideration with plea negotiations, defense based on PTSD (vs. BWS) more successful, important for treatment
Describe the Ibn-Tamas case, and why this was important in the prosecution of battered women.
Ibn-Tamas trial (Ibn-Tamas v. United States, 1979)•First trial•No expert testimony allowed•Second-degree murder conviction•Appeal•Expert testimony on BWS to jury prohibited, but heard by judge; more lenient sentence•First case in which battered women syndrome (BWS) testimony offered
What kinds of methods are used to "tease out" repressed memories?
Inappropriate questioning can lead to people "remembering"
What "ground rules" for effective interviewing of children are empirically supported? Explain each of the rules.
Interview ground rules found useful•Conversational rules explained early in process•Interview prompts used•Child account seen as important and without pressure•Ground rules with significant research support•"Don't know" instruction•Oath to tell the truth•Explicit statement conveying that adult does not know what happened
Should investigators use props like anatomically correct dolls when children are reluctant to disclose information? Is there an alternative?
Interview props used with children reluctant to disclose information•Effectiveness research inconclusive•False allegations of sexual touching increases when used with children under 6 years of age•Body diagrams better for accuracy elicitation; best used for clarification after disclosure NICHD investigative interview protocol Interview ground rules found useful ground rules with significant research support
What are the symptoms of BWS?
Intrusive recollections of the traumatic event(s)•Hyperarousal and high levels of anxiety•Avoidance behavior and emotional numbing •Disrupted interpersonal relationships •Body image distortion and/or physical complaints•Sexual intimacy issues
Do jurors tend to believe kids' testimonies? All kids? What has been done to make things easier for kids to testify in court?
Jurors believe children in abuse cases; young children more likely believed than adolescents•Hearsay testimony allowed by most states•Adult stand-ins are acceptable•Hearsay and adult testimony viewed favorably by jurors•Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is an alternative for presenting child testimony; child emotional distress reduced; conviction rate not lowered
Is exposure to IPV damaging to children? If so, in what way?
Kids. Know. Everything.•15.5 million kids are exposed to IPV each year•Kids with IPV exposure•More likely to have PTSD, mood disorders, loneliness, lower self-esteem, increased likelihood of self harm. •Difficulty with emotion regulation that can lead to more violent behavior in adolescence and adulthood•Psychopathic traits?•Psychological child abuse?
Do all victims take full advantage of their rights? If not, why not?
Many are not aware of these rights; many others do not take advantage of them
In cases of incest, why might an offender claim that the child was being seductive in some way? What is the behavior of the child in cases of incest?
Many victims are simply looking for affection, wanting only to be hugged or cuddled or to have human contact•Offenders justify their own behavior by saying the child acted "seductively"•Child may participate in the molestation primarily because the child is too frightened to protest Positive feelings towards victims•Research indicates that child sex offenders, tend to have positive feelings toward their victims, perceiving them as willing participants•They frequently victimize children living in their immediate households •Positive feelings are presumably restricted to crimes that do not involve sexual penetration•In many cases the sexual behavior between the offender and the same child has gone on for a sustained period of time
Compare and contrast false memories and repressed memories. What was Freud's view of repressed memories?
Memory that is not based on an actual experience vs. memory that is actively kept from conscious awareness•Sigmund Freud's view•Rejection of the painful/traumatizing memory•Full or partial amnesia•Remains in the unconscious until teased out (dream analysis, hypnosis, or other method of recovery)
Why is the psychological impact of criminal violence thought to be more impactful?
More impactful than the crime•Sleep disturbances, irritability, worry, interpersonal strain, attention lapses, and the exacerbation of prior health problems
What are the important racial and ethnic considerations in diagnosing psychopathy?
Most measures of psychopathy have been developed using white inmates as subjects•A metaanalysis reports minimal differences between white and black inmates •Black criminal psychopaths tended to be less impulsive than white criminal psychopaths (Kosson, Smith, and Newman, 1990)•Equal proportions of incarcerated white and black females score above the cutoff on psychopathy scales •Few studies look at other ethnic or racial differences•May raise criminal justice and public policy issues•Psychopathy is often used during sentencing in death penalty cases•If there are differences in diagnosis based on differences in race this could affect sentencing
Who is most likely to commit a murder? Who is most at risk for being murdered?
Most murders are committed by someone known to the victim•Family, acquaintances,•Higher risk of homicide for young children•95,000 young children estimated to be murdered globally each year•57% are ages 15-19, 20% are children under 5 years old
Who is most likely to fear becoming a crime victim?
Most people, but especially women and elderly, fear becoming victims•Lots of sensationalized media - news, TV shows•More fears of terrorism after 9/11/2001
What are the guidelines for effective interviewing of children? How are these guidelines designed to decrease the imaginative nature children's memories?
NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol (NICHD)•Guides interviewer away from biased questioning•Uses open ended prompts•Avoids suggestive questions•Uses 3 phases: Introductory, rapport building, substantive•Records interviews•Interview ground rules found useful•Conversational rules explained early in process•Interview prompts used•Child account seen as important and without pressure
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey how likely is it for a woman to experience rape at some point in their lives? Is that figure different if you include coercion and unwanted sexual contact?
National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey•Approximately 1 in 5 Black (22.0%) and White (18.8%) non-Hispanic women, and 1 in 7 Hispanic women (14.5%) in the United States have experienced rape at some point in their lives
What neural structures have been associated with psychopathy?
Neural basis of psychopathy•Decreased activity in:•Orbital frontal cortex•Insula•Amygdala•Cortical deficits in processing facial expressions of anger and fear
Does domestic violence only happen to women? What are the statistics about domestic violence? How does domestic violence against women differ from domestic violence against men?
No 40% or more domestic violence victims are men 24% of women and 14% of men have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner.•30% of women worldwide indicated they had experienced physical or sexual IPV.•13% of all homicides in the United States involve one family member killing another family member.•One third of the victims of family homicides were wives slain by a husband or ex-husband, usually during an argument.•1 in 4 American, British, and Australian women report experiencing a physical assault by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.•40% reported being injured enough to require medical attention.
Why is it difficult to estimate the number of people trafficked?
No uniform system for collecting data on victims so it's extremely difficult to estimate•Victims are fearful of retribution from their traffickers•Victims also tend to be highly distrustful of authority because they may be runaways or undocumented immigrants•The best estimates report that approximately 20.9 million people across the globe are victims, and many of them are children
Which racial groups, ethnic groups, SES groups and ages are likely to experience IPV?
Non-discriminatory•Across ethnic, racial, SES, ages•More likely in isolated family, areas of poverty
Why do we know relatively little about female psychopaths? How do female psychopaths differ from male psychopaths?
Not studied nearly as much as males•Way more males than females in prisons•Female psychopaths tend to be more subtle and skillful in their aggression, exploitative relationships, and manipulation of others•Less likely to draw the attention of law enforcement•More likely to target family, friends, or acquaintances rather than strangers (Nicholls & Petrila, 2005)•Female psychopaths may be experiencing greater levels of environmental deprivation, victimization, and mental health problems compared to male psychopaths
Describe PTSD. Compare and contrast testimony of RTS vs. PTSD at trial.
PTSD More established diagnosis than battered women's syndrome (BWS) or RTS Problems with RTS testimony indicate need for RTS to be replaced by PTSD•Symptoms of PTSD developed by rape victims•50% of women who are raped develop clinical symptoms of PTSD•Critics contend PTSD does not adequately explain RTS symptoms and propose use of five- level model of expert testimony•Level 1 - Testimony on victim behaviors described by the defense as "unusual"•Level 2 - Testimony on common victim reactions and general criteria for PTSD•Level 3 - Testimony hat the victim's behavior or symptoms are consistent with PTSD diagnosis•Level 4 - Testimony that the victim suffers from PTSD •Level 5 - Testimony that speaks to the "ultimate issue"•Most states do not allow this
What are some of the consequences of sexual victimization?
Physical and emotional distress, substance abuse, and reduced abilities to pursue educational and professional goals
What are the purported motivations for IPV?
Power and control over women by men•Female violence is usually in self-defense, in anticipation of violence, or in retaliation for violence perpetrated against women by men•Often serial abuse - leave one partner to abuse the next
What is the definition of a psychopath? How are psychopaths different form sociopaths?
Psychopath is a person who demonstrates a discernible cluster of psychological, interpersonal, and neuropsychological features that distinguish him or her from the general population Distinguished from sociopath•The term criminal psychopath refers to those psychopaths who demonstrate a wide range of persistent antisocial behavior Sociopath•Someone who commits repeated crime•Have a sense of morality•Show genuine empathy for others •Generally possess a well-developed conscience •50-80% of incarcerated males Psychopaths•Demonstrate very little empathy, compassion, and conscience compared to the general population•Additional emotional deficits in certain areas•Reduced capacity for emotional experience•Show violent and aggressive behaviors—including verbal abuse, threats, and intimidation—at a much higher rate than is found in other populations•11-25% of incarcerated males
What kind of treatment would you recommend for a psychopath and what evidence is there for that treatment?
Psychopaths are difficult to treat because (Farrington, 2005)•They are an extreme, qualitatively distinct category•Psychopathy is extremely persistent throughout life•Psychopathy has biological causes which cannot be changed by psychosocial interventions•The lying, conning, and manipulativeness of psychopaths make them treatment resistant•Juvenile Treatment Children and adolescents with both CD and CU traits (Frick, et al., 2014) •Less likely to participate in treatment•Showed lower rated quality of participation in treatment•Showed poorer institutional adjustment•More likely to reoffend after treatment Not very many•Therapeutic Community Program (Rice, Harris, and Cormier, 1992)•Retrospective study 10 years after completion of therapy•Maximum security psychiatric facility•Psychopaths who participated in the therapeutic community exhibited higher rates of violent recidivism than psychopaths who did not. •Reverse was true for non-psychopaths•But, can this be generalized to all psychopaths?•Some success?•Level of violence and the frequency of offending can be reduced, if psychopaths are provided intensive treatment in a conventional violence reduction program (Skeem et al., 2002)
Describe rape trauma syndrome (RTS), including recovery from rape, characteristics of recovery, and some of the features of faster recovery.
RTS: How victims respond to trauma of rape•Recovery from rape is a two-stage process•Acute crisis phase•Reorganization phase•Recovery and characteristics•Greater risk of divorce and unemployment•Fear, anxiety, self blame, loss of sexual desire•Loss of sense of safety•Loss of control over environment•Recovery based on personal/supportive resources of victim•Characteristics of the person (e.g., age, maturity, coping capabilities, ability to make use of social support)•Characteristics of the event itself (e.g., the violence of the rape, the duration of the rape), •Survivor's environment (e.g., support of friends and family, attitudes of surrounding community, physical and emotional safety)•Therapeutic intervention (if any) used (e.g., timing of the intervention, how effectively the intervention empowers the survivor).
Why might racial biases develop after a murder?
Racial biases may develop•If the offender was of another racial/ethnic or other minority group
What are the three identified types of batterers? Are these categories useful for research and treatment?
Relationship/family-only batterer (50% of batterers)•Typically not violent outside the family•No severe mental disorders or psychopathology•Borderline personality disorder/dysphoric (25% of batterers)•Mental disorders present; "psychologically disturbed" and volatile•Moderate to severe spousal abuse - physical, psychological, sexual•Generally violent antisocial batterer (25% of batterers)•More likely to use weapons, inflict more severe injuries•Lots of history with police for violence outside of family Limited research on effectiveness of typologies and prevention or treatment of intimate partner violence
What therapy techniques increase the likelihood of false memories?
Relaxation and visualization techniques used to recover deeply buried memories through regression hypothesis
What happens when a victim of IPV tried to leave the relationship?
Repeated attempts to leave, but return due to obstacles that they believe they cannot overcome.•Most lethal time is immediately after leaving the relationship•Women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of being killed by their batterers than those who stay.•Victims who try to leave are often stalked, harassed, and threatened on an ongoing basis•Can occur after a divorce is filed or granted •Most of the reported injuries from IPV occur after the separation of the couple
What factors make it more likely that the reports of young children are inaccurate?
Reports of children likely contaminated/unreliable if•Interview begins with belief that abuse has occurred (Day Care Center Cases)•Interviews repeated with biased interview style•Delay between alleged abuse and interview
The NISMART-3 study noted some positive changes in child abductions. What are those differences?
Revelations of the survey•105 stereotypical kidnapping (stranger/slight acquaintance)•New technology and report findings•8% killed (40% in 1997)•92% recovered alive (57% in 1997)•Cell phones and internet!!•81% girls, 50% of girl were 12-17y•69% reported missing by parents•Missing children•No one missed 30% of children•Some were returned to the home before being missed•Others had no one keeping track of them
What is the role of the forensic psychologist in IPV cases?
Risk assessments of batterers•At all stages of the criminal justice process•Pre-trial assessment to sentencing to correctional release.•Expert witness during a civil or criminal trial•Assess batterer's level of danger if released on bail before the next court appearance•If a defendant assaulted or killed an abusive partner may be asked to assess if defendant qualified for BWS or PTSD. •Evaluation of the extent of myths (jury bias)•Evaluation of family dynamics for custody decisions
What did the Global Report on Trafficking Persons suggest wat the most common form of human trafficking?
Sexual exploitation was the most common form of human trafficking- 79%, followed by forced labor-18%
How are same-sex IPV and opposite-sex IPV similar and different?
Similarities of same-sex IPV and opposite-sex IPV•Violence cycle and stages of abuse between are similar •Both OS-IPV and SS-IPV perpetrators blame their partners, are extremely controlling, and are highly self-focused. •Victims share common characteristics Difference between OS-IPV and SS-IPV•Response of community and law enforcement•Shelters for battered women aren't helpful to SS-IVP victim•Find police, lawyers and medical personnel are least helpful•NOTE: finding are from 2000; may be different now
What are some of the reasons a woman my return to a violent relationship?
Some women return to their abuser (over and over)•Financial resources, self-blame, "kids need a dad", family pressure, shelter environment, emotional attachment
Describe the 9 stages of IPV, and why this may result in a person not leaving a violent relationship.
Stage 1: Husband or partner takes an active interest in everything his spouse or partner does and everywhere she goes. Stage 2: He begins to insist on knowing her whereabouts at all times, begins making decisions for her, and demands her loyalty to the relationship, indicates he is in charge, will make the rules, and expects her to follow them and attend to his needs Stage 3: The woman becomes adjusted to the attention, jealousies, and control he displays and makes a commitment to him, usually under his pressure and convinces herself that she is happy to be with someone who cares so much for her Stage 4: Characterized by the beginning of excessive control through psychological and emotional abuse Stage 5: Characterized by the first incident of physical abuse Stage 6: The psychological and physical abuse occurs again Stage 7: Occurs roughly simultaneously with stage 6 and is the beginning of the isolation process Stage 8: She experiences considerable emotional conflict and confusion; abuser blames the victim, and the victim is confused about what is wrong. Stage 9: The abuser increases his use of psychological threats and physical force to gain and maintain control and dominance. If she confronts him or threatens to leave him, he escalates his use of threats and force.
According to a study that followed the emotional effects after a mass shooting, what were the results?
Study involving female undergraduates•Had already been part of a study prior to mass shooting event•Most on campus and saw first responders/police, half experienced lockdown, 2% were onsite of the shooting•Data collection •Prior to (Intro Psych Experiment), 17 days after, and 8 months after•Results•Most showed stress right after shooting•Most were resilient at 8 months (few to no symptoms)•Better recovery if person had fewer past traumas and stronger emotion regulation skills
What are the psychological effected of commercial sexual exploitation of children victims?
Symptoms shown by CSEC victims•Depression, anxiety, shame, low self-esteem, hopelessness, sleep disorders, and PTSD •Physical injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, and a variety of other health concerns•Complex PTSD•Repeated trauma, pattern of lack of trust, problems in relationships, etc.•Runaway youth, survival sex, and poverty•Gay and transgendered youth at greatest risk•Parents may sell a child to care for other children•Women are devalued in many parts of the world
What proportion of assailants are know to their victims, either as intimate partners or acquaintances?
The assailant could be an intimate partner, a relative, a friend, a date, a known person, or a stranger. •A large portion (51%) of female sexual violence is perpetrated by an intimate partner, which could be a current or former spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend•Another 40% is perpetrated by an acquaintance
What is human trafficking? Does this have to involve the actual movement of people?
The luring or kidnapping and exploitation of people, including children, for monetary gain. Usually but not necessarily involves sexual exploitation.•Victims and captors•Usually the most marginalized people •Enslave victims through mechanisms such as isolation, intimidation, fear, shame, and by creating a sense of hopelessness and helplessness•Label no longer requires actual movement of people
What are some of the common characteristics of battered women?
Traditional sex-role attitudes•Poor self-image•Tendency to accept responsibility for abuse•Socially isolated•Increasingly dependent on abuser•Lack of education•Lack of independent resources•History of childhood abuse
Can you rely on the memory of young children in child abuse cases? Why or why not?
Under age of 5, children have difficultly distinguishing imagined from real events•Ability to encode, store, and retrieve information not fully developed in young children•Greater risk for inaccuracy with suggestive or biased questioning
Why do crime victims find the criminal justice system intimidating of frustrating?
Victim isn't in control of events•Fears of the perpetrator's rights creating unsafe environment for the victim Victims' rights are not as protected as the accused perpetrator•No lawyer, difficult to be recompensed for lost wages for testifying, emotional difficulty of testifying
Is there such a thing as a victimless crime? Why or why not?
Victimless crimes•Gambling, drug use, etc. BUT...there is always a price paid by others
Does RTS help win convictions in a criminal trial? Describe the role of judges and RTS testimony
Victims often respond in unexpected and counterintuitive ways•Expert testimony•Educate jurors about victim reactions•Disabuse common juror misconceptions (rape myths)•Non-stranger sexual assault trials typically about consent issues•Defense and prosecution experts offer differing opinions•Research is inconclusive or contradictory Judges make decisions on admissibility based on•Scientific validity of testimony•Helpfulness to jury•Prejudicial impact of testimony•Judges must consider•RTS outside common juror knowledge•Only information assessed as beyond the ken of jurors admitted•RTS testimony might be prejudicial or invade province of jury Judges more willing to admit evidence through expert testimony on counter-intuitive victim behavior (CIVB)•Accurate information about effect of sexual assault and victim behavior after sexual assault•Contradiction of rape myths and other misinformation•Emotional dysregulation
Who is looking out for the victims' rights in a court case?
Victims' rights are not as protected as the accused perpetrator•No lawyer, difficult to be recompensed for lost wages for testifying, emotional difficulty of testifying
Define IPV. Why was the terminology changed from domestic violence to intimate partner violence?
Violent crimes committed against persons by their current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends
What factors should make you most skeptical that a memory may not be an accurate reflection of past events?
We should be especially skeptical of allegedly recovered memories that: •Were recovered over time•Began as vague images or feelings•Involve repeated abuse extending into adolescence •Involve abuse that occurred before the age of 3
What is WEIRD science? Why is this a factor in understanding crime victims?
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic•Does this apply to psychotherapy or psychological services?•Hint: If there is no science we don't know!! People of color and women have been misdiagnosed or mistreated by psychology for many decades•Women are often misdiagnosed when the condition is really ADHD•Without appreciation of their cultural backgrounds, some individuals become not only victims of crime, but also victims of the criminal justice system and victims of the mental health professions
What conclusions did the working group established by the APA reach about recovered memories?
Working group of researchers and clinicians•Appointed by APA to find consensus on research•Nope!
Is there a difference between the perceived validity of these memories between scientists and non-scientifically trained therapists?
YES Scientists : are skeptical, they can be implanted by therapists and trauma response is uncontrolled remembering not forgetting Non- scientific psuedotherpists: memories are credible and are repressed
Can memories be created when an event hasn't occurred?
Yes Common patterns of recovered memories suggested some sexual abuse memories were implanted during therapy, not recovered
Is it easy to instill false memories (sometimes referred to as pseudo-memories? Use the results of the class demonstration to support your answer.
Yes in many cases wording questions a certain way and the fact that people beleive their memories to be infalible leads to them creating false memories which we will never know if something actually happened or not
What are the three main categories of child abduction? Describe the details, including statistics, for each type. Be prepared to identify the type of abduction from a description of the abduction, and whether that is typical of that type of abduction.
family abduction Parental abduction•80% of family abductions•Non-custodial parent takes, detains, conceals or entices away child from custodial parent•200,000/year in US•Child usually around 2y, but typically under 6y•Both genders•Difficult for child - isolated out of fear (by abducting parent) of discovery aquaintance abduction: Juveniles are more likely to be kidnapped by family members or acquaintances than by complete strangers. •Acquaintance kidnapping most often involves a teenage female victim (72%)•The perpetrator is often also a juvenile (30%) and is frequently a boyfriend or former boyfriend (18%). •Motive: revenge for being spurned, to force a reconciliation, sexual assault, or to evade parents who want to break up the relationship•Gang members kidnap other teenagers whom they know for intimidation, retaliation, or recruitment. •Family friends or employees abduct children for sexual assault or retaliation against the family•Acquaintance abduction victims suffer a higher rate of injury compared to victims of the other forms of abduction, possibly because the victim is usually older and therefore more likely to resist the abduction slight acquaintance and stranger abduction: Stereotypical kidnappings•Child doesn't know kidnapper; kidnapper may know child•More likely to end with the death of the child•Victims are typically abducted from public outdoor location or their own residence. •Outdoor locations (streets, highways, parks, playgrounds, beaches, lakes, and amusement parks) are especially favored by abductors•Child murder and residential abductors•55% of the abducted female and 49% of the male victims were killed or never found. •Asphyxiation was the primary cause of death in most cases.•When the child is murdered, it is usually within the first 24 hours after the abduction.•74% of murdered abducted children are killed within 3 hours of abduction •60% of residential abductors were known by the victim or the victim's family•Peripheral person - handyman, employee, etc.•Frequency vs. media•Fairly rare events, but highly publicized (probably due to high rate of murder)•VERY traumatic to communities•Fears for safety, etc.
What is "rape culture"? Why are behaviors such as sexist attitudes or "locker room banter" contributing to rape culture?
its a pyramid it starts with normalisation such as rape jokes boys will be boys etc. then degradation stalking cat-calling stalking/following. Then removal of autonomy such as sexual coercion groping etc. and then explicit violence such as murder molestation rape violence
How has learned helplessness been used to explain the behavior of domestic abuse victims?
learned helplessness model: - uncontrollable bad events - perceived lack of control - generalized helpless behavior
Are the biggest cities the most dangerous?
murder rates in big cities have been decreasing especially in New York St Louis has the highest murder rate out of all the big cities
What do the scientific studies suggest about recovered memories?
no controlled studies or scientific proof
Who are the co-victims of a homicide?
people close to victim of serious case•These are the people who deal with the aftermath of a murder. •Originally used to describe close family Expansion of the term co-victim•Now includes extended range of people impacted by a murder•Witnesses, friends, etc.•Increase in psychological disruptions (anxiety, depression, stress)
Define the term "crime victim"
person who has been harmed (physically or psychologically)
Compare and contrast successful vs. unsuccessful psychopaths. Include criminal activity, and possible different characteristics, especially antisocial behavior and boldness.
unsuccessful psychopaths Psychopaths are more likely to violate the conditions of their release from prison 37.5% violated conditions of a temporary unescorted release from prison; none of the non-psychopaths violated the conditions of the program.•33% of psychopaths vs. 7% of non-psychopaths violated parole requirements, •Psychopaths show higher recidivism rates, •65% of the psychopaths vs. 25% for non-psychopath were convicted of another crime within 3 years •In a study of convicted sex offenders 80% of psychopaths vs. 25% of non-psychopaths reoffended within 6 years of release from prison. successful psyhpaths we do not have data on since we only look at ones that go to jail What is a successful psychopath?•Slick, smooth, likeable, socially poised, and charming but does not engage in a life of antisocial or criminal behavior (Lillienfeld, 2012)•The Boldness Factor•aka Fearless Dominance•Ability to remain calm and focused in stressful or life-threatening situations•Exhibit high self-assurance and social efficacy in a wide variety of social situations•Capacity to recover rapidly from disastrous events.•Are leaders psychopaths?
According to the NISMART-2 Study, are stereotypical kidnappings frequent or rare?
•NISMART-2.•Stereotypical kidnappings were quite rare. Only 115 incidents occurred in 1997
What is Walker's hypothesized cycle of abuse?
•Proposed a recurring three-phase cycle of abuse•Tension building•Acute battering•Contrition
