Corine de Ruiter

Different ways of remembering sexual abuse - continuous memories, spontaneously recovered memories, and recovered memories following an active search - have been shown to differ in the availability of case-level corroborative evidence. The present study examined whether memory types in delayed sexual abuse statements also differ in terms of verifiability, a statement feature previously associated with differences between truthful and deceptive accounts. Victim statements from archival police files (N = 140) were classified according to how the abuse was remembered. Confirmatory analyses showed that statements based on continuous memories contained more verifiable details than statements based on recovered memories following an active search. Exploratory analyses indicated that details reported following an active search were more often disconfirmed than those reported in continuous or spontaneously recovered memories. Verifiability may extend beyond deception detection paradigms to capture systematic differences associated with memory retrieval and reconstruction processes in delayed sexual abuse reports.

Objective: Assessing the validity of testimony is critical in sexual abuse cases, particularly in case of recovered memories, whose authenticity has been considered controversial. The current study examined whether different types of memories (i.e., continuous, spontaneously recovered, recovered following an active search) could be reliably distinguished and whether they differed in the extent to which they are supported by evidence. Hypotheses: We predicted that three types of memories could be reliably differentiated: Continuous memories, spontaneously recovered memories, and recovered memories following an active search. We further predicted that continuous memories and spontaneously recovered memories would be more frequently corroborated by evidence than recovered memories following an active search. Method: We analyzed 140 police files on complex cases of sexual abuse in the distant past in which the prosecutor requested advice from an expert committee of behavioral experts. One pair of coders identified memory type based on continuity and retrieval, and another set of coders scored the degree of supporting evidence. Results: Memory types could be differentiated reliably. Statements from (alleged) victims in the continuous memory group were corroborated more often than those in the recovered memory-following-search group, which were rarely supported by strong evidence. The data were inconclusive regarding whether recovered memories following an active search and spontaneously recovered memories differ in the extent to which they were corroborated by evidence. Exploratory analyses showed that spontaneously recovered memories were more often related to single incidents, whereas recovered memories following an active search frequently involved sexual abuse over an extended period, including reports of multiple perpetrators. Conclusions: Reports of sexual abuse in the distant past can be reliably categorized into three types that help shed light on the likelihood of finding corroborating evidence in a criminal context. Recovered memories should not be treated as a homogeneous phenomenon because their phenomenology varies.

Within forensic populations, exposure to traumatic experiences is high. These experiences are associated with multiple mental and physical health problems later in life. Forensic services would therefore ideally adopt a trauma-informed approach. The aim of this scoping review is to identify trauma-informed training or education for staff within forensic mental health care. A database search of English or Dutch language articles from PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science was performed. Researchers reviewed 6,386 articles and nine were included for final analysis, all in justice-involved youth populations. Results show that training in trauma-informed care may facilitate the relationship between staff members and residents and create safer treatment units. Besides this, a reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms and greater clinical improvement in depression, anxiety, hope and optimism among justice-involved youth was noted. Trauma-informed staff training may also lead to a decrease in incidents taking place as well as a decrease in use of restraints and seclusion.

Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common problem with severe consequences for perpetrators, their families, and society. IPV perpetrators are a heterogeneous group of which family-only (FO) perpetrators constitute the largest subgroup. Previous research suggests that FO perpetrators have a different risk profile than other subgroups, implying that they may require different treatment programs. Most studies have focused on static and stable risk factors; however, acute dynamic risk factors (ADRFs) – i.e., factors that constitute an immediate risk for offending behavior and can rapidly change over hours, days, or weeks – help to explain offending behavior. This study explored ADRFs for FO perpetration according to therapists to improve our understanding of FO perpetration, which could help in intervention planning for this group. Methods: Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with therapists in a community setting. Each interview included one FO case. Data were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results: ADRFs were categorized into personal and situational factors. Six ADRFs for FO perpetration were identified: mental exhaustion, perceived cheating/abandonment, psychological hurt, uncertainty, feelings of inadequacy, and intoxication. According to therapists, the dyadic relationship between the perpetrator and their partner plays an important role. Additionally, ADRFs were found to be often interconnected with each other and with static and stable risk factors. Conclusions: This exploratory study revealed which types of ADRFs might play a role in FO perpetration. Future research should focus on the interrelationships between ADRFs and their relation to static and stable dynamic risk factors.

Areh et al. (Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 29:183–205, 2022) recently commented on what standards should be applied to determine whether a test is appropriate for psycholegal use and concluded that the Rorschach does not meet their proposed standards. Accordingly, they concluded that psychologists should not use it in legal contexts. However, Areh et al.’s (2022) claims are based on a significant misunderstanding of how the Rorschach task works, relative neglect of the last 20 years of Rorschach research, unrealistic psychometric standards for assessing the reliability and validity of a psychological assessment measure, and a single European legal case in which a forensic expert used the Rorschach inappropriately. Our article seeks to clarify and correct some of their errors and misleading assertions. First, we clarify how the Rorschach task works according to more recent and widely accepted conceptualizations. Then, we show that Areh et al.’s (2022) position that Rorschach task data do not meet acceptable validity standards, especially when compared to medical tests, is empirically untenable. Next, we provide a detailed and nuanced account of what the Rorschach has to offer as a performance-based assessment method for forensic evaluators and the legal system, with attention paid to the anecdotal legal case Areh et al. (2022) highlighted. Finally, we provide four reasons why the Rorschach can be a useful tool for forensic mental health assessments when using the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS).

Although the inclusion of protective factors in risk assessment is believed to improve prediction, most risk assessment tools emphasize risk factors. In response, the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for violence risk (SAPROF) has been developed, which focuses exclusively on protective factors and is used in conjunction with a structured risk assessment tool. It has received increasing attention from both researchers and forensic mental health practitioners, and additional versions have been developed for use with adolescents (SAPROF-YV) and sex offenders (SAPROF-SO). To assess their psychometric performance, we conducted a meta-analysis of validation studies. Our final sample included 39 articles with 5,434 subjects from 16 countries. Overall, the SAPROF(-YV/-SO) showed good interrater reliability and moderate-to-good predictive performance for the absence of recidivism and institutional misconduct. All three instruments exhibited incremental validity when used in conjunction with a risk-focused assessment tool. Our meta-analysis additionally showed that changes on the SAPROF are associated with decreased violent and general recidivism after controlling for baseline risk. We also uncovered several shortcomings in current research with the SAPROF(-YV/-SO). Studies did not report calibration indices and most studies were retrospective and limited to male offenders. The present findings provide support for the relevance of protective factors in risk assessment, but future research should focus on their hypothesized role in treatment and risk management. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

This qualitative study investigated which types of interventions are made by group therapists during group cognitive–behavioral therapy (GCBT) with individuals who have perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV) in the “Not ‘Losing It’ Anymore”(NLIA) outpatient programs across the Netherlands. Audio recordings of group sessions (N = 60) facilitated by 13 co-therapist teams across 25 different groups were analyzed using the general inductive approach. Fifteen distinct therapist interventions were identified, categorized, and described using examples from the data. Two categories of interventions could be distinguished: CBT interventions and process-oriented interventions. In future research the coding manual can be tested for interrater reliability and might be used in research on the effectiveness of GCBT therapist interventions.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a mix of traits belonging to four facets: affective (e.g., callous/lack of empathy), interpersonal (e.g., grandiosity), behavioral instability (e.g., impulsivity, poor behavioral controls), and social deviance (e.g., juvenile delinquency, criminal versatility). Several scholars have argued that early childhood maltreatment impacts the development of psychopathy, although views regarding its role in the four facets differ. We conducted a meta-analysis including 47 studies comprising a total of 389 effect sizes and 12,737 participants, to investigate the association between psychopathy and four types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. We found support for a moderate link between overall psychopathy and childhood physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect, as well as overall childhood maltreatment. The link between psychopathy and childhood sexual abuse was small, but still statistically significant. These associations were stronger for the behavioral and antisocial facets than for the affective and interpersonal facets of psychopathy, but nearly all associations were statistically significant. Our findings are consistent with recently developed theories on the role of complex trauma in the development of severe personality disorders. Trauma-focused preventive and therapeutic interventions can provide further tests of the trauma-psychopathy hypothesis.