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Clinical characteristics associated with paedophilia and child sex offending – Differentiating sexual preference from offence status
- Hannah Gerwinn, Simone Weiß, Gilian Tenbergen, Till Amelung, Carina Födisch, Alexander Pohl, Claudia Massau, Jonas Kneer, Sebastian Mohnke, Christian Kärgel, Matthias Wittfoth, Stefanie Jung, Krassimira Drumkova, Kolja Schiltz, Martin Walter, Klaus M. Beier, Henrik Walter, Jorge Ponseti, Boris Schiffer, Tillmann H.C. Kruger
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 51 / June 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2020, pp. 74-85
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Contrary to public perception, child sex offending (CSO) and paedophilia are not the same. Only half of all cases of CSO are motivated by paedophilic preference, and a paedophilic preference does not necessarily lead to CSO. However, studies that investigated clinical factors accompanying and contributing to paedophilia so far mainly relied on paedophiles with a history of CSO. The aim of this study was to distinguish between factors associated with sexual preference (paedophile versus non-paedophile) and offender status (with versus without CSO). Accordingly, a 2 (sexual preference) × 2 (offender status) factorial design was used for a comprehensive clinical assessment of paedophiles with and without a history of CSO (n = 83, n = 79 respectively), child sex offenders without paedophilia (n = 32) and healthy controls (n = 148). Results indicated that psychiatric comorbidities, sexual dysfunctions and adverse childhood experiences were more common among paedophiles and child sex offenders than controls. Offenders and non-offenders differed in age, intelligence, educational level and experience of childhood sexual abuse, whereas paedophiles and non-paedophiles mainly differed in sexual characteristics (e.g., additional paraphilias, onset and current level of sexual activity). Regression analyses were more powerful in segregating offender status than sexual preference (mean classification accuracy: 76% versus 68%). In differentiating between offence- and preference-related factors this study improves clinical understanding of both phenomena and may be used to develop scientifically grounded CSO prevention and treatment programmes. It also highlights that some deviations are not traceable to just one of these two factors, thus raising the issue of the mechanism underlying both phenomena.
Executive Functioning in Pedophilia and Child Sexual Offending
- Claudia Massau, Gilian Tenbergen, Christian Kärgel, Simone Weiß, Hannah Gerwinn, Alexander Pohl, Till Amelung, Sebastian Mohnke, Jonas Kneer, Matthias Wittfoth, Inka Ristow, Kolja Schiltz, Klaus M. Beier, Jorge Ponseti, Martin Walter, Tillmann H.C. Kruger, Henrik Walter, Boris Schiffer
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 23 / Issue 6 / July 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 17 May 2017, pp. 460-470
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Objectives: Pedophilia (P) is a psychiatric disease associated with sexual attraction toward children and often accompanied by child sexual offending (CSO). Consequently, it is important to address the understanding of executive dysfunctions that may increase the probability of CSO. Moreover, this research field has been lacking to disentangle executive deficits associated with pedophilia (as a deviant sexual preference) from those associated with CSO (as a deviant sexual behavior). Methods: The German multi-sided research network NeMUP offers the opportunity to overcome these limitations. By applying the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery in four carefully matched groups of men: (1) pedophiles with (N=45) and (2) without (N=45) a history of sexual offending against children; (3) child molesters without pedophilia (N=19), and (4) non-offending controls (N=49), we were able to analyze executive functioning in pedophilia and CSO independently. Results: Both CSO groups as compared to both non-CSO groups exhibited worsened response inhibition ability. However, only non-pedophilic offenders showed additionally disabled strategy use ability. Regarding set-shifting abilities, the P+CSO group showed the best performance. We also found that performances were affected by age: only in pedophiles, response inhibition worsened with age, while age-related deficits in set-shifting abilities were restricted to non-pedophilic participants. The latter also differentiated between both sexual preference groups. Conclusions: Our results are the first to demonstrate that executive dysfunctions are related to offense status rather than pedophilic preference. Furthermore, there was evidence for differentiating age and performance correlations between pedophiles and non-pedophiles, which warrants further investigation. (JINS, 2017, 23, 460–470)
6 - Nitrogen processes in terrestrial ecosystems
- from Part II - Nitrogen processing in the biosphere
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- By Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Per Gundersen, University of Copenhagen, Per Ambus, Risø DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Jürgen Augustin, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Claus Beier, Risø DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Pascal Boeckx, Ghent University, Michael Dannenmann, University of Freiburg, Benjamin Sanchez Gimeno, CIEMAT, Spain, Andreas Ibrom, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Ralf Kiese, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Barbara Kitzler, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Robert M. Rees, Scottish Agricultural College, Keith A. Smith, University of Edinburgh, Carly Stevens, Open University, Timo Vesala, University of Helsinki, Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests
- Edited by Mark A. Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Clare M. Howard, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Jan Willem Erisman, Gilles Billen, Albert Bleeker, Peringe Grennfelt, Hans van Grinsven, Bruna Grizzetti
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- Book:
- The European Nitrogen Assessment
- Published online:
- 16 May 2011
- Print publication:
- 14 April 2011, pp 99-125
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Summary
Executive summary
Nature of the problem
Nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems is complex and includes microbial processes such as mineralization, nitrification and denitrification, plant physiological processes (e.g. nitrogen uptake and assimilation) and physicochemical processes (leaching, volatilization). In order to understand the challenges nitrogen puts to the environment, a thorough understanding of all these processes is needed.
Approaches
This chapter provides an overview about processes relating to ecosystem nitrogen input and output and turnover. On the basis of examples and literature reviews, current knowledge on the effects of nitrogen on ecosystem functions is summarized, including plant and microbial processes, nitrate leaching and trace gas emissions.
Key findings/state of knowledge
Nitrogen cycling and nitrogen stocks in terrestrial ecosystems significantly differ between different ecosystem types (arable, grassland, shrubland, forests).
Nitrogen stocks of managed systems are increased by fertilization and N retention processes are negatively affected.
It is also obvious that nitrogen processes in natural and semi-natural ecosystems have already been affected by atmospheric Nr input.
Following perturbations of the N cycle, terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly losing N via nitrate leaching and gaseous losses (N2O, NO, N2 and in agricultural systems also NH3) to the environment.