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Strategies for treatment of sex offenses against children with relationship therapy.

Thore Langfeldt

This workshop will present a neuropsychological model for understanding the development of sexual offensive behavior against minors. The model is based on old and recent research on amygdala. In the 1950^th Kaada at the Neurophysiological institute in Oslo demonstrated sexual and emotional responses from stimulating amygdala and hypothalamus. Later in the 60^th King et al. showed that these responses in kittens first appeared in hypothalamus and later in amygdala. Then Pellegrino in 1992 published the discovery of mirror neurons. The Still Face experiment from 1975 made by Tronick, is an excellent demonstration of the mirror neurons in amygdala. (on YouTube).

The relationship therapy will be demonstrated in relation to amygdala and its role in forming bonding and sexuality. It is well documented that attachment problems in relation to the development of sexual offensive behavior. Bill Marshall published several articles in the 1990^th demonstrating how attachment problems and bonding are essential in the development of sexual offensive behavior. I will demonstrate with case histories both the neuropsychological development but also processes in therapy. The workshop is open for presenting case histories. Langfeldt.T (2024): Pedophilia. Pedosexual behabior, Psychological, Political and Legal aspects. Journal of Psychology & Behavior Research. Vol. 6. No. 2.

Thore Langfeldt specialist in Clinical Psychology and specialist in clinical sexology. He was educated psychologist at the University of Oslo in 1972. From 1968-1971 he had a student research stipend from Medical Faculty University in Oslo, working at Neurophysiological Institute at University of Oslo working with brain research, limbic structures. From 1971-1973 he had a Research fellowship from Hoffman La-Roche, Basel, working at Neurophysiological Institute Medical Faculty University of Oslo. In 1973-1974 he had a Research fellow Norwegian Research Council in brain research at the Neurophysiological Institute in Oslo. In 1974-1976 he had a Research fellow Norwegian Research Council studying sexology at Psychological Institute Univ. in Oslo. 1976-1980 working as psychologist and district leader at The Department of School Psychology in Oslo and in 1980-1983 he was department manager of an inpatient unit at Child Psychiatric Hospital, University of Oslo. In 1983 he started private practice in clinal psychology and sexology in Oslo and founded in 1989 a private Institute for Clinical Sexology and Therapy (IKST). In Oslo having treatment programs in sexology and sex offender treatment. There were 10 therapists connected to the institute. The institute got support from the government for treating sex offenders. IKST is co-operating with Psychological Institute at the University of Oslo training students in psychotherapy and supervising their thesis. From 2004 – 2006 he was senior researcher at Norwegian Centre on Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies. University in Oslo. The IKST treatment program for sex offenders was closed in 2020 when Oslo University Hospital started to work with sex offenders. Langfeldt was one of the founders of Nordic Association for clinical sexology, and the Norwegian Association for Sexology and president in both. Langfeldt was honored in 1999 by USA Foundation for Scientific Study of Sexuality, and honorary member of the Academy for Sexological Science in Poland. Crab Award from the Norwegian Association for Psychology 1987. (For presenting psychology in the media). In 2009 he got the Gold WAS Medal Award from the World Association for Sexology and Sexual Health. In 2011 he was knighted of the Order of St. Olav, 1st Class by the king of Norway for his work with group therapy with sex offenders.

Wysokie czy bardzo wysokie ryzyko recydywy? Możliwości oceny ryzyka recydywy sprawców na potrzeby Ustawy z 22.11.2013 

Filip Szumski

Warsztat dotyczy możliwości wykonania oceny ryzyka recydywy w warunkach określonych przez Ustawę z dnia 22 listopada 2013 r. o postępowaniu wobec osób z zaburzeniami psychicznymi stwarzających zagrożenie życia, zdrowia lub wolności seksualnej innych osób [zwanej dalej ustawą]. Ustawa pozwala m.in. na izolację postpenitencjarną osób uznanych za stwarzające zagrożenie. Kluczowe znaczenie dla możliwości orzeczenia tego środka zabezpieczającego ma ocenienie ryzyka recydywy jako „bardzo wysokiego”.

Warsztat składa się z trzech części. Pierwsza z nich dotyczy podstawowych informacje nt. procedury oceny ryzyka recydywy: rodzaje czynników ryzyka i rodzaje podejść do procesu oceny ryzyka recydywy.

Druga dotyczy specyficznych trudności w zakresie oceny ryzyka recydywy przeprowadzanej po powołaniu zgodnie z Ustawą. Są to: (1) problem zakresu kategorii zdarzeń objętych prognozowaniem, (2) problem różnicowania pomiędzy górnymi podkategoriami ryzyka recydywy oraz (3) problem braku pełnych polskich adaptacji narzędzi do oceny ryzyka recydywy. 

Trzecia część warsztatu jest poświęcona rekomendacjom. Konsekwencją w/w ograniczeń jest nie brak możliwości oceny ryzyka na potrzeby Ustawy a jego mniejsza precyzja. Problem braku polskich adaptacji  może być rozwiązany poprze walidację odpowiednich narzędzi, natomiast dwa pozostałe problemy wynikają wprost z rozwiązań zawartych w ustawie i przy aktualnym jej brzmieniu nie mogą być rozwiązane. Zatem główną konkluzją płynącą z przedstawionej pracy jest konieczność brania omówionych ograniczeń uwagę przez biegłych, uczestników postępowania i organy procesowe. Ocena ryzyka na potrzeby Ustawy powinna być oparta na pomiarze wszystkich rodzajów czynników ryzyka, w tym przede wszystkim statycznych, następnie dynamicznych stabilnych a w ostatniej kolejności dynamicznych ostrych. R. W przypadku sprawców przestępstw związanych z przemocą konieczna jest ocena ryzyka recydywy związanej z przemocą, natomiast w przypadku przestępców seksualnych należy ocenić ryzyko recydywy zarówno seksualnej, jak i związanej z przemocą. 

Filip Szumski, Phd is a psychologist with specialization in psychosexology and a lawyer. He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan where he is the head of the Criminological and Forensic Psychology specialization. Dr. Szumski is a member of the bord of International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) and Polish Sexological Society (PTS). He is a president of the PTS’ Forensic Sexology Section and deputy editor of Journal of Sexual and Mental Health. His research interests focuses on sexual violence and the impact of the legal context on the professional functioning of psychologists. In 2018 he received Scholarship of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists. He is an European Commission expert, expert witness in the field of sexual offending and trained systemic therapist.

The history and current state of our understanding of pedophilia 

Thore Langfeldt

It was an Austrian journalist and gay activist who in 1869 published three new concepts in sexology. It was homosexuality, heterosexuality and monosexuality. He claimed that homosexuality was an inborn phenomenon. This word, homosexuality, was grabbed by other activist at that time, and in 1886 Krafft-Ebing used the term in his book Psychotathia Sexualis. It soon became understood as a sexual orientation. Both hetero- and homosexuality were considered as an orientation. This was an important step in normalizing homosexuality. In the late 60’s and early 70’s pedophile activist wanted to have the same status and claimed that pedophilia was a sexual orientation independent of homo- and heterosexual orientation.  This term automatically entered the medical vocabulary as a truth without discussion. Because pedophilia was an orientation like homosexuality, it could not be changed. Treatment strategies appeared to help people to stop the behavior, and “Relapse prevention programs emerged” with rather limited effects. By the major revelation in 2002 of Catholic priests who had abused mainly boys, leading to that “The pedophile orientation” took responsibility away from the already vulnerable homosexual Catholic priests. This way they could exclude the pedophiles. New groups arrived trying to prove that pedophilia was a sexual orientation. In 2009 I sent a paper to Archives of Sexual Behavior about men offending children and we found that men who offended boys manly had homosexual orientation and men how offended girls were heterosexual was not well received. The paper was refused by a referee who was fighting for that pedophilia was a sexual orientation. The paper was printed I IATSO journal in 2010. When the same referee tried to coup DSM-5 new edition in 2013 by claiming that pedophilia was a sexual orientation, the American Psychiatric Association immediately stopped the first edition and changed the concept to pedophile disorder.  (Journal of psychology and behavior research. Langfeldt 2024).  New research and understanding on mirror-neurons in amygdala open up new perspectives in the development of abusive behavior against children with implications for therapy. 

Thore Langfeldt specialist in Clinical Psychology and specialist in clinical sexology. He was educated psychologist at the University of Oslo in 1972. From 1968-1971 he had a student research stipend from Medical Faculty University in Oslo, working at Neurophysiological Institute at University of Oslo working with brain research, limbic structures. From 1971-1973 he had a Research fellowship from Hoffman La-Roche, Basel, working at Neurophysiological Institute Medical Faculty University of Oslo. In 1973-1974 he had a Research fellow Norwegian Research Council in brain research at the Neurophysiological Institute in Oslo. In 1974-1976 he had a Research fellow Norwegian Research Council studying sexology at Psychological Institute Univ. in Oslo. 1976-1980 working as psychologist and district leader at The Department of School Psychology in Oslo and in 1980-1983 he was department manager of an inpatient unit at Child Psychiatric Hospital, University of Oslo. In 1983 he started private practice in clinal psychology and sexology in Oslo and founded in 1989 a private Institute for Clinical Sexology and Therapy (IKST). In Oslo having treatment programs in sexology and sex offender treatment. There were 10 therapists connected to the institute. The institute got support from the government for treating sex offenders. IKST is co-operating with Psychological Institute at the University of Oslo training students in psychotherapy and supervising their thesis. From 2004 – 2006 he was senior researcher at Norwegian Centre on Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies. University in Oslo. The IKST treatment program for sex offenders was closed in 2020 when Oslo University Hospital started to work with sex offenders. Langfeldt was one of the founders of Nordic Association for clinical sexology, and the Norwegian Association for Sexology and president in both. Langfeldt was honored in 1999 by USA Foundation for Scientific Study of Sexuality, and honorary member of the Academy for Sexological Science in Poland. Crab Award from the Norwegian Association for Psychology 1987. (For presenting psychology in the media). In 2009 he got the Gold WAS Medal Award from the World Association for Sexology and Sexual Health. In 2011 he was knighted of the Order of St. Olav, 1st Class by the king of Norway for his work with group therapy with sex offenders.

Sex offenders registration, public notification, and civil commitment. Implementation in Poland

Filip Szumski

Both sex offenders registration and public notification (SORN) and sex offenders civil commitment (CC) have  high level of support within the community and moderate level of support among professionals. This is despite the lack of empirical evidence of their effectiveness. In Poland, CC was introduced by the Act of November 22, 2013 and SORN by the Act of May 13, 2016. Both solutions were clearly inspired by solutions from the United States. During the lecture: (1) I will describe the Polish version of SORN and CC. (2) I will present the history of the introduction of SORN and CC in Poland, including a description of the actions of professionals who tried to influence the legislative process to stop or mitigate the negative effects of these solutions. Based on this, I will try to answer the question: what can professionals around the world do to mitigate the effects of harmful sex offender legislation? (3) I will analyze the operation of the criminal justice system from the perspective of general system theory in order to explain the reasons for the introduction of SORN and CC, the reasons for maintaining the functioning of these solutions, and the possible influence of professionals on the functioning of SORN and CC.

Filip Szumski, Phd is a psychologist with specialization in psychosexology and a lawyer. He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan where he is the head of the Criminological and Forensic Psychology specialization. Dr. Szumski is a member of the bord of International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) and Polish Sexological Society (PTS). He is a president of the PTS’ Forensic Sexology Section and deputy editor of Journal of Sexual and Mental Health. His research interests focuses on sexual violence and the impact of the legal context on the professional functioning of psychologists. In 2018 he received Scholarship of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists. He is an European Commission expert, expert witness in the field of sexual offending and trained systemic therapist.