ARE PEDOPHILES WITH AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES MORE SEXUALLY VIOLENT

Pedophiles use varying degrees of persuasion, coercion, and physical f orce in their sexual assaults. Pedophiles may also display aggressiven ess and characteristics of hostility in nonsexual areas of their behav ior. This study (N = 263) investigates the relationship between pedoph iles with aggressive tendencies and the degree of sexual violence in t heir pedophilic acts. The degree of sexual violence was rated subjecti vely after a comprehensive psychiatric and psychosexual assessment and obtaining collateral information from police reports and witness stat ements. The degree of sexual violence was also rated more objectively using the penile plethysmography. Strict DSM-IV pedophilic disorder cr iteria were adopted for this study. The authors discuss whether sexual violence in a pedophilic population is focused to sexual areas or ten ds to be more generalized in other physically aggressive and hostile a reas.