The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Spring 5-2007 CRIMINAL SEXUALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PORNOGRAPHY AS A CONTRIBUTORY RISK FACTOR IN THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS Thomas J. Tiefenwerth University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Clinical Psychology Commons, Criminology Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons, and the Legal Theory Commons Recommended Citation Tiefenwerth, Thomas J., "CRIMINAL SEXUALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PORNOGRAPHY AS A CONTRIBUTORY RISK FACTOR IN THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS" (2007). Dissertations. 1255. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1255 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi CRIMINAL SEXUALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PORNOGRAPHY AS A CONTRIBUTORY RISK FACTOR IN THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS by Thomas J. Tiefenwerth A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Studies Office of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Appr< May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. COPYRIGHT BY THOMAS J. TIEFENWERTH 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The University of Southern Mississippi CRIMINAL SEXUALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PORNOGRAPHY AS A CONTRIBUTORY RISK FACTOR IN THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS by Thomas J. Tiefenwerth Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Studies Office of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT CRIMINAL SEXUALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PORNOGRAPHY AS A CONTRIBUTORY RISK FACTOR IN THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS by Thomas J. Tiefenwerth May 2007 The researcher conducted interviews with 25 adult, male sex offenders convicted of felony offenses and incarcerated in a 500-man detention facility located in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Those interviewed were selected by the institution’s senior administrators on the basis of a criminal-offense profile prepared and submitted by the researcher, and all parties interviewed participated voluntarily. The crimes of the subjects interviewed included not only those for which they were currently incarcerated but also those for which they had been convicted earlier in their lives, and the crimes of the subjects interviewed included a wide range of sex offenses with varying degrees of concurrent violence. The comprehensive psycho-social histories and mental status evaluations of those interviewed were consulted by the researcher, and interviews also considered professionally-recognized phenomena associated with individual sex-related psychopathology: psychopathy, violence, sexual fantasy, paraphilias (sexual fetishes and perversions), alcohol abuse and other types of substance abuse/dependency, behavioral addictions, childhood sexual abuse/trauma, and negative gender-based attitudes. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The purpose of the study was to measure the extent to which exposure to pornography generally, and to Internet or cyber-pornography more particularly, was a contributory risk factor in the psychopathologies of those interviewed, and the degree, if any, said exposure had contributed to the psycho-social development of those interviewed. Research findings disclosed that among those interviewed (a) the link between pornography, criminal sexuality, and psychopathology differed; (b) early developmental exposure to violent pornography exacerbated other forms of psychopathology; (c) regular use of pornography as an adult did not precipitate a behavioral sex addiction; (d) the use of alcohol and/or other drugs increased the violence demonstrated by sex offenders; and (e) the utilization of psychological defense mechanisms was more pronounced among older offenders. in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION To my wife, Jana, my best friend and confidant, whose love, patience, and unwavering support made this professional goal possible. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I want to thank the entire graduate faculty of the Department of Administration of Justice at The University of Southern Mississippi. Their valuable assistance alone allowed me to bring this educational experience to fruition. Due to personnel turnover within the department, the task required the assistance of all of them, more or less, and I am indebted to Dennis J. Stevens, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Studies, for agreeing to serve as the director of my dissertation committee quite late in the process. Of those who were intimately involved from first to last, I owe a special debt of gratitude to William Banks Taylor, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and former Director of Doctoral Studies, who had the vision to initiate an academically- rewarding program that extended doctoral education to myself and many other non-traditional students, and who worked hard, even after his retirement, to assure that our educational needs were met. Special thanks also must be extended to Robert E. “Bobby” Moore, Ph.D., currently Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Delta State University and a certified peace officer employed by the city of Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Moore provided countless hours of patient instruction and guidance, both in and out of the classroom, and he shouldered the task of coordinating final revisions among the members of my dissertation committee. I must also thank Randy Haley, Assistant Professor of the Social Work Program at Northwestern State University, for agreeing to serve as the mental health authority on the dissertation committee, and Joe Morris, Associate v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Professor of Criminal Justice and Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Mr. Morris graciously granted adjustments in my teaching schedule so that I could attend dissertation- related conferences, allowed me to leave early in the afternoons to conduct dissertation-related research, and introduced me to Victor Jones, Sheriff of Natchitoches Parish, to whom I likewise owe a great debt. Sheriff Jones granted permission for the clinical-forensic interviews I conducted and provided the facilities and personnel that made the research project possible. Collaborating personnel at the Natchitoches Detention Facility to whom I am especially indebted include Mr. J. D. Thornton, Administrator for the Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office and Adjunct Instructor in the Criminal Justice Program at Northwestern State University; Mr. Calvin McFerrin, Chief of the Corrections Division of the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Dean Dove, Warden of Security for the Natchitoches Detention Facility, who arranged my interviews with inmate-participants and facilitated all matters related to their participation. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the assistance, both material and emotional, of Ms. Robyn L. Ring, a former police officer who is currently Instructor of Criminal Justice at San Jacinto College; of Stephen L. Morrison, sergeant within the Robbery Division of the Houston Police Department and Adjunct Instructor of Criminal Justice at San Jacinto College; of Mr. Bruce Stewart, a retired police officer who is currently Adjunct Instructor of Criminal Justice at San Jacinto College; and of Mr. Donald R. Stewart, a former vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. police officer and currently Chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice at Tyler Junior College. These four individuals and I were given the nickname of the “Texas-Five” years ago by the faculty and staff of the Southern Miss Department of Administration of Justice, who recognized us as the diehards among a larger group of Texans who commenced doctoral study at about the same time. It was only through mutual fellowship and support—during the many arduous hours of study groups and hotel trips associated with the doctoral program—that the members of the group endured. I recall thinking on several occasions that the process was similar to that which I had experienced going through U.S. Marine Corps Boot Camp. Truly, we get through difficult times “with a little help from our friends.” vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE My professional interest in sexual criminality began as a correctional officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. After attending Military Police and Corrections