Neuropsychological profile of pedophilic child sexual offenders compared with an IQ-matched non-offender sample – Results of a pilot study. (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Franke, Irina; Seipel, Solveig; Vasic, Nenad; Streb, Judith; Nigel, Stefanie; Otte, Stefanie; Dudeck, Manuela
• Is Part Of: International journal of law and psychiatry. Volume 64(2019)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 141
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: Pedophilia -- Child sexual offending -- IQ -- Neuropsychology -- Executive function; Forensic psychiatry -- Periodicals; Insanity (Law) -- Periodicals; Criminal psychology -- Periodicals; Forensic Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie médico-légale -- Périodiques; Aliénation mentale -- Périodiques; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; Electronic journals; 614.15
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2019.03.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-2527

Abstract

Abstract: Child sexual offenders have been found to have a lower average IQ than the general population. Several studies indicate that they also exhibit executive dysfunction, but the specificity of this dysfunction is unclear; the inconclusive results have been attributed to methodological problems and the heterogeneity of the population. Our study aimed to describe the neuropsychological profiles of convicted child sexual offenders with pedophilia (n = 15). To control for IQ-related effects on neuropsychological performance, we compared the sample with an IQ-matched control group (n = 15). Test scores in both groups were significantly lower than the norms, but we did not find significant differences between the two study groups. The findings of our pilot study indicate that the neuropsychological deficits of pedophilic sexual offenders are unspecific rather than the result of a pedophilia-specific brain dysfunction.