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Home , Paraphilia, Zoophilia

Breaking New Ground: Understanding and Preventing 2015 ATSA Conference | Thursday October 15| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

T-6

RARE

Zoophilia and the Law: Legal Responses to a Rare

Brian Holoyda, M.D., MPH William Newman, M.D.

Though ' responses to have varied internationally, the response in the has typically involved condemnation and prosecution. Currently, over half of the states in the country have statutes prohibiting - sexual contact. Despite the prevalence of anti-bestiality legislation, there is limited case law in the United States. Most commonly, zoophilia arises in legal cases involving sexually violent predator (SVP) civil commitments. Identifying offenders who commit acts of zoophilia is important since these individuals may be at an increased risk of committing a variety of other sexual and nonsexual violent acts against . Due to different laws between states, however, commonly used forensic risk assessment tools for sexual recidivism can yield different scores for individuals charged with or convicted of bestiality offenses. Forensic evaluators should consider this factor when conducting risk assessments. State legislatures should also consider modernizing their bestiality statutes to accord with current terminology and objectives for such laws.

Goals of the Paper: 1. To summarize recent research findings on individuals who engage in human-animal sexual behaviors. 2. To review the legal status of human-animal sexual contact in the United States. 3. To provide a comprehensive summary and evaluation of statutory and case law and forensic issues pertaining to zoophilia.

Breaking New Ground: Understanding and Preventing Sexual Abuse 2015 ATSA Conference | Thursday October 15| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Using Case Formulations to Treat Clients with Rare Paraphilic Disorders: A Focus on

Andrew E. Brankley, M.A., Ph.D. Student Alasdair M. Goodwill, Ph.D. Jeffrey Abracen, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Rare parapihlic disorders (e.g., Urophilia, Telephone Scatologia, Zoophilia,) present unique challenges for clinicians, as there is a paucity of research to provide guidance in treatment planning. Moreover, when clinicians are confronted with disorders that evoke a strong emotional and/or moral response, and are without an empirically supported treatment guide, personal beliefs and biases may influence treatment decisions. Necrophilia is an example of a rare paraphilia that is characterized by this unfortunate coupling of poor clinical research and strong personal beliefs. Cases of individuals engaging in sexual acts with human remains have stirred both a public and academic interest in better understanding why people are sexually aroused by death and how this behaviour can be changed. Indeed, for clinicians, the why and how of an individual’s problem often forms the basis for intervention. However, the dearth of treatment research on necrophilia has led some to argue that the best way to educate clinicians on necrophilia is by forming movie clubs to screen films that deal with necrophilic themes (Kalra, 2013). Frankly, this evidences how desperate some clinicians are for methods to conceptualize rare paraphilic disorders. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how to use empirical research to develop case formulation for clients with rare paraphilic disorders. Specifically, a cognitive- behavioural case formulation framework (Persons, 2012) will be articulated to help clinicians flexibly address the specific needs of individual clients. This approach to formulation includes four sections: (1) articulating the problem for which the clients are referred for treatment, identifying the (2) origins and (3) percipients of this problem, and (4) making and testing hypotheses about the mechanisms that maintain the problem. Examination of the nascent research on necrophlia (Aggrawal, 2009; Rosman & Resnick, 1989) reveals clear connections with clinical research on , deviancy, and dysfunctions. In particular, three mechanism hypotheses related to empirically supported sexual violence risk factors (Mann, Hanson, & Thornton, 2010) could be targeted in treatment: (1) to human remains, (2) sexual arousal to the degradation of human remains, and (3) preference to sexual activity with human remains due to an aversion or deficits in intimacy. Specific theoretical and empirical support will be summarized in the context of each hypothesis. During the presentation, audience members will have an opportunity to practice case formulation in the context of necrophilia. Lastly, discussion will occur on specific interventions clinicians could include in treatment. The present discussion is the first to examine best practices on developing an empirically supported case formulation for rare paraphilic disorders with specific recommendations for treatment. While cognitive behavioural treatment models have received more empirical support than other modalities in treatment for paraphilias and Breaking New Ground: Understanding and Preventing Sexual Abuse 2015 ATSA Conference | Thursday October 15| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

sexual offenders (Beech & Harkins, 2012; Hanson, Bourgon, Helmus, & Hodgson, 2009; Marshall, Anderson, & Fernandez, 1999), clinicians need to accurately identify and address mechanisms to be effective in treating these criminogneic needs. The benefit of the current model is that it provides a strategic and collaborative approach to treating sexual offenders that can be adjusted for a clinician’s practice.

Goals of the Paper: By the end of this presentation audience members will be able to: 1. Explain the principles of a cognitive behavioural case formulation 2. Summarize and apply exigent research on necrophilia treatment 3. Construct and evaluate a cognitive behavioural case formulation of an individual committing sexual violence, which includes: o Analyzing problem behaviours o Hypothesizing mechanisms o Identifying origins and precipitants

References Aggrawal, A. (2009). A new classification of necrophilia. Journal of forensic and legal medicine, 16, 316-320. doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2008.12.023 Beech, A. R., & Harkins, L. (2012). DSM-IV paraphilia: Descriptions, demographics and treatment interventions. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17, 527-539. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2012.07.008 Hanson, R. K., Bourgon, G., Helmus, L., & Hodgson, S. (2009). The principles of effective correctional treatment also apply to sexual offenders: A meta-analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36, 865-891. doi:10.1177/0093854809338545 Kalra, G. S. (2013). Lights, camera and action: Learning necrophilia in a movie club. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 20, 139-142. doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2012.06.001 Mann, R. E., Hanson, R. K., & Thornton, D. (2010). Assessing Risk for Sexual Recidivism: Some Proposals on the Nature of Psychologically Meaningful Risk Factors. Sexual Abuse-a Journal of Research and Treatment, 22, 191-217. doi:10.1177/1079063210366039 Marshall, W. L., Anderson, D., & Fernandez, Y. (1999). Cognitive behavioural treatment of sexual offenders. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Limited. Persons, J. B. (2008). The case formulation approach to cognitive-behavior therapy. New York: Guildford Press. Rosman, J. P., & Resnick, P. J. (1989). to corpses: a psychiatric review of necrophilia. The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 17(2), 153-163.