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Biomedical subjects

Tony Ward

Publications and source records attributed to Tony Ward.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The identification of sexual and violent motivations in men who assault women: implication for treatment.

A qualitative analysis of interview data with 41 rapists determined that five implicit theories (ITs) underlie rapists' offense supportive beliefs/feelings/motives: (a) dangerous world (DW)-where men have feelings of generalized anger and/or resentment toward others; (b) women are dangerous-where men hold a set of attitudes that are hostile toward women; (c) women as sexual objects (WSO)-where women are seen as primarily sexual objects; (d) male sex drive is uncontrollable-where sexual urges are seen all consuming; (e) entitlement-where men feel that they can do exactly what they want. Consideration of whether DW or WSO ITs were present or absent indicated that three main groups could be identified: Group 1: violently motivated-presence of DW and/or absence of WSO; Group 2: sexually motivated-presence of WSO and/or absence of DW; Group 3: sadistically motivated-presence of DW and WSO. These results are discussed in terms of treatment needs of rapists.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The contribution of statistical parametric mapping in the assessment of precuneal and medial temporal lobe perfusion by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in mild Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia.

AIM: To assess the role of 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime single-photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-HMPAO SPECT) imaging of the precuneus and medial temporal lobe in the individual patient with mild Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using statistical parametric mapping and visual image interpretation. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with mild late-onset Alzheimer's disease, 20 patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, 15 patients with DLB and 31 healthy controls were studied. All patients fulfilled appropriate clinical criteria; the DLB patients also had evidence of dopaminergic presynaptic terminal loss on 123I-N-omega-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-tropane imaging. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT brain scans were acquired on a multidetector gamma camera and images were assessed separately by visual interpretation and with SPM99. RESULTS: Statistical parametric maps were significantly more accurate than visual image interpretation in all disease categories. In patients with mild late-onset Alzheimer's disease, statistical parametric mapping demonstrated significant hypoperfusion to the precuneus in 59% and to the medial temporal lobe in 53%. Seventy-six per cent of these patients had a defect in either location. No controls had precuneal or medial temporal lobe hypoperfusion (specificity, 100%). Statistical parametric mapping also demonstrated 73% of patients with DLB to have precuneal abnormalities, but only 6% had medial temporal lobe involvement. CONCLUSION: These findings illustrate the capability of statistical parametric mapping to demonstrate reliable abnormalities in the majority, but not all, patients with either mild Alzheimer's disease or DLB. Precuneal hypoperfusion is not specific to Alzheimer's disease and is equally likely to be found in DLB. In this study, medial temporal hypoperfusion was significantly more common in Alzheimer's disease than in DLB. Statistical parametric maps appear to be considerably more reliable than simple visual interpretation of 99mTc-HMPAO images for these regions.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Working positively with sexual offenders: maximizing the effectiveness of treatment.

In this article, the authors draw on literatures outside sexual offending and make suggestions for working more positively and constructively with these offenders. Although the management of risk is a necessary feature of treatment, it needs to occur in conjunction with a strength-based approach. An exclusive focus on risk can lead to overly confrontational therapeutic encounters, a lack of rapport between offenders and clinicians, and fragmented and mechanistic treatment delivery. The authors suggest that the goals of sexual offender treatment should be the attainment of good lives, which is achieved by enhancing hope, increasing self-esteem, developing approach goals, and working collaboratively with the offenders. Examples are provided of how these targets may be met. When this is done within a therapeutic context where the treatment providers display empathy and warmth and are rewarding and directive, the authors suggest that treatment effects will be maximized.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed2005

Sexual murderers' implicit theories.

Interviews with 28 sexual murderers were subjected to grounded theory analysis. Five implicit theories (ITs) were identified: dangerous world, male sex drive is uncontrollable, entitlement, women as sexual objects, and women as unknowable. These ITs were found to be identical to those identified in the literature as being present in rapists. The presence of dangerous world and male sex drive is uncontrollable were present, or absent, such that three groups could be identified: (a) dangerous world plus male sex drive is uncontrollable; (b) dangerous world, in the absence of male sex drive is uncontrollable; (c) male sex drive is uncontrollable in the absence of dangerous world. These three groups were found to differ in motivation: (a) were motivated by urges to rape and murder; (b) were motivated by grievance, resentment and/or anger toward women; (c) were motivated to sexually offend but were prepared to kill to avoid detection, or secure compliance.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The etiology of risk: a preliminary model.

The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach that links risk-assessment and theory-directed research. Here we describe a theoretical underpinning to current notions of dynamic risk assessment. The paper has two facets. First, the reframing of a number of concepts such as (i). Stable dynamic factors that we note would be better described as traits and hence have a grounding in the extant general psychological literature on trait theory, (ii). Static risk factors that can be viewed as historical markers of the same underlying psychological dispositions measured by stable dynamic risk factors; (iii). Acute risk factors that are better described as triggering/contextual risk factors (iv). Acute risk factors that should be defined as the state expression of traits triggered by triggering/contextual risk factors. And second, the description of an etiological model of risk- model taking into account the interaction between significant learning events (i.e., developmental variables), psychological vulnerabilities (i.e., marked by static/historical variables and/or stable dynamic risk factors), contextual or triggering factors and their convergence in offense-related acute dynamic risk (i.e., acute psychological states).

Child↗
PubMed2004

The content of sexual fantasies for sexual offenders.

Although the phenomenon of sexual fantasy has been extensively researched, little contemporary inquiry has investigated the content of sexual fantasy within the context of sexual offending. In this study, a qualitative analysis was used to develop a descriptive model of the phenomena of sexual fantasy during the offence process. Twenty-four adult males convicted of sexual offences provided detailed retrospective descriptions of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors before, during, and after their offences. Using Grounded Theory, a model was developed to elucidate the content and themes of sexual fantasy for sexual offenders, as well as the way fantasy content was used in the process of sexual offending. The Sexual Fantasy Content Model (SFCM) comprises of three higher-order (level 1) and five second-order (level 2) categories that describe the content of sexual fantasy across the offence process. The level 1 categories are general sexual fantasy, nonspecific offence fantasy, and offence-specific fantasy, whereas the level 2 categories included demographic, behavioral, relational, situational, and self-perceptual considerations. The strengths of the SFCM are discussed and its clinical implications are reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Implicit cognitive distortions and sexual offending.

This work develops and tests the semantic-motivation hypothesis of sexual offenders' implicit cognitions. This hypothesis posits that sexual offenders' cognitive distortions emerge at the interface between implicit motivation and cognition. The semantic-motivation hypothesis is used to guide the development of 3 implicit association tests (IATs). These IATs were used to test for the existence of 3 expected child sexual offender implicit cognitive distortions in child sexual offenders ("children as sexual beings," "uncontrollability of sexuality," and "sexual entitlement-bias"). Results showed that child sexual offenders had larger IAT effects than did mainstream offenders and male and female nonoffenders for the "children as sexual beings" and the "uncontrollability of sexuality" implicit theories. Child sexual offenders also had a larger IAT effect than male and female nonoffenders for the "sexual entitlement-bias" implicit theory. Implications for the semantic-motivation hypothesis are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Developmental risk factors for sexual offending.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify the general, common, and specific developmental risk factors for pedophilia, exhibitionism, rape, and multiple paraphilia, and to address five methodological issues observed in this area of research. METHOD: This study involved 64 sex offenders and 33 nonsex, nondrug-related, and nonviolent property offenders. The group of 64 sex offenders was further divided into eight subgroups, some of which overlapped in memberships because of multiple diagnoses. To overcome the methodological problem associated with overlapping group memberships, a special approach involving comparisons of sets of logistic regression analyses was adopted. Offenders were clinically assessed for evidence of paraphilias, and their adverse childhood experiences were measured by a battery of tests. RESULTS: Childhood Emotional Abuse and Family Dysfunction, Childhood Behavior Problems, and Childhood Sexual Abuse were found to be general developmental risk factors for paraphilias. Furthermore, Childhood Emotional Abuse and Family Dysfunction was found to be a common developmental risk factor for pedophilia, exhibitionism, rape, or multiple paraphilia. Additional analyses revealed that childhood emotional abuse contributed significantly as a common developmental risk factor compared to family dysfunction. Besides, Childhood Sexual Abuse was found to be a specific developmental risk factor for pedophilia. CONCLUSIONS: The study has supported the value of conceptualizing certain childhood adversities as developmental risk factors for paraphilic behaviors. The role of childhood emotional abuse as an important developmental risk contributor, and the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and pedophilia are of theoretical significance. Furthermore, the results have significant implications for the prevention of childhood abuse and treatment of sex offenders.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Sexual offenders' perceptions of their early interpersonal relationships: an attachment perspective.

The present study examined the perceptions of early interpersonal experiences of sexual offenders (child molesters and rapists) and two criminal comparison groups. A grounded theory approach was applied to a comprehensive list of responses provided by the participants to questions about their early interpersonal experiences. The raw data was collapsed into 14 basic categories by grouping together responses of similar meanings. The categories were responsiveness, consistency, acceptance, boundaries, emotional regulation, autonomy, self-evaluation, developmental trauma, sexual abuse and deviation, physical abuse, loss, conflict, safety, and positive mediating interactions. In the second part of the study, the four groups were compared using the categories and the differences noted. All four groups experienced significantly negative early interpersonal experiences.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Dynamic risk factors: the Kia Marama evaluation.

Risk assessment is an essential part of clinical practice. Each of the three aspects of risk (static, stable, and acute dynamic) are important at various points of contact between the man and the systems that are responsible for providing service. Dynamic factors, the typical treatment and supervision targets, have received less research attention than static factors. This paper examined the extent to which pretreatment, posttreatment and change scores were associated with reoffending among men incarcerated for sexually molesting. The results were generally supportive of change in prooffending attitudes as the key to not reoffending and suggested that the perspective-taking component of empathy and the use of fantasy may be important mechanisms. Affect scales generally failed to show any relationship with reoffending, outside decreases in trait and suppressed anger. Moreover, these data suggest that we could improve our assessments and treatment through increased sensitivity to offense pathways.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Community corrections officers' attributions for sexual offending against children.

The present research examined gender differences in community corrections officers' (CCOs') attributions for child sexual offending. Eighty-five CCOs were asked to write down the reasons why they thought men sexually abused children, and then rate their reasons using Benson's Attributional Dimensions Scale. The results found that CCOs' reasons regarding why men sexually abuse children strongly paralleled current scientific theories on the etiology of child sexual abuse. Also, significant gender differences were found regarding the frequency with which participants cited certain types of reasons for child sexual abuse. Female CCOs were more likely to cite power and control as a reason, while male CCOs were more likely to cite psychopathology as a reason for child sexual abuse. No other gender differences were found. The research, clinical, and educational implications pertaining to these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns of asthma symptoms and perceptions of harm from seasonal atmospheric events in rural Western Montana.

To characterize the frequency of and relationship between self-reported asthma symptoms and physician-diagnosed asthma, identify seasons associated with heightened symptoms, and describe the influence of seasonal atmospheric events and ambient environmental factors on asthma symptoms and perceptions of harm, a seven-county region of Western Montana was surveyed, utilizing a two-stage sampling method. Respondents were queried concerning asthma-related history, symptoms, and environmental concerns. Of 2,790 respondents, 12% reported physician-diagnosed asthma. Eighteen percent reported one or more and 9% reported two or more asthma-related symptoms. Over 70% of asthmatics reported worsened asthma symptoms during wildland-fire smoke exposure. Of those reporting summer as the season they experienced the greatest breathing problems, 81% reported breathing problems from wildland-fire smoke (p < 0.01). Of those reporting worsened symptoms in fall or winter, 61% reported breathing problems during winter inversions (p < 0.001).

Adolescent↗