| 1. |
- Arvidsson, Hans, 1947, et al.
(author)
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Effects of the Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM): A one-year cluster randomized study in a group of severely mentally ill persons
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Social Psychiatry. - : SAGE Publications. - 0020-7640 .- 1741-2854. ; 60:1, s. 95-102
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In a health-care service with the emphasis on improvement related to functioning and well-being, the communication process between patient and professionals is essential. There is a lack of research on this matter. Aim: The aim was to investigate, in a group of severely mentally ill persons, whether the use of a simple communication tool could influence the sense of empowerment, satisfaction with care, therapeutic alliance and unmet needs. Method: The study had a cluster randomized design. The intervention was a communication tool (2-COM) applied in two teams during one year. In a comparison group of two other teams, the treatment was as usual. At baseline, after six months, and after one year, assessments were made. Results: After one year the 2-COM groups seemed to have a larger reduction in unmet needs compared to the treatment-as-usual group. However, there were large problems with attrition in the study, and it was not possible to draw relevant conclusions. Conclusions: The methodological problems were substantial, and the study may be considered as a pilot study. In a main study the researchers ought to take control over the selection of patients on the basis of the experiences from this study.
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| 2. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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Court evaluations of young children's testimony in child sexual abuse cases
- 2018
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In: Legal and Criminological Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1355-3259. ; 23:2, s. 176-191
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Prosecutors working with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases involving young children have raised concerns that reliability criteria from the Supreme Court of Sweden are holding children's testimony to impossible standards (e.g., expecting the child's testimony to be long, rich in detail and spontaneous). This study aimed to address these concerns by investigating how District Courts and Courts of Appeal employ said criteria in their testimonial assessments of young child complainants. Methods Court documents from District Courts (n = 100) and Courts of Appeal (n = 45) in CSA cases involving 100 children age 7 years and under were analysed with respect to the courts’ testimonial assessments. Results Testimonial assessments were more frequently referenced in acquitting verdicts and in cases with evidence of low corroborative value. Richness in detail was the most frequently used reliability criterion, followed by spontaneity. Most criteria were used in favour of the children's testimony. However, the length criterion was typically used against the reliability of the children's testimony. Conclusions Our findings confirm prosecutors’ concerns that criteria from the Supreme Court are frequently used in evaluations of young children's testimony. This is troublesome, as some criteria do not correspond to current research on young children's witness abilities. For example, compared to testimony given by older children or adults, testimony provided by a young child is typically not long or rich in detail. We encourage prosecutors to extend their own knowledge on young children's capability as witnesses and present this to the court.
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| 3. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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Prosecutors' reflections about sexually abused children and their ability to stand trial
- 2015
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In: European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) + World Conference, August 4-7 2015, Nuremberg.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are difficult to investigate and prosecute; something that especially holds true when the victim is a small child. The present study investigated prosecutors’ perceptions of working with CSA cases involving small children (ages 6 or under). Nine prosecutors who had specialized in working with child cases were either interviewed about their experiences, or discussed them in themed focus group sessions. Three themes were identified: 1) A credible child, 2) an unheard child and 3) an exploited and abandoned child. The findings showed that most of the time, children who disclosed abuse were perceived as credible by the prosecutors. Factors that could enhance or decrease the credibility of a child in the eyes of the court were discussed. Eliciting good quality testimonies from children was seen as difficult, both because the children themselves might be reluctant to disclose the abuse, and because of shortcomings on part of the interviewer. Children were seen as disadvantaged in the legal process, and their testimonies were described as being held at unrealistic standards. Additional evidence was described as vital in order to corroborate the child’s testimony, and different types of corroborating evidence were discussed. In addition to being victims of sexual abuse, children who figured in CSA investigations were described as potentially being used as a weapon in a custodial dispute, or as sometimes being abandoned by the non-abusive parent. These results highlight issues and complications in investigating and prosecuting CSA cases.
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| 4. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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Prosecutors’ reflections on sexually abused preschoolers and their ability to stand trial
- 2016
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In: Child Abuse & Neglect. - : Elsevier BV. - 0145-2134 .- 1873-7757. ; 57, s. 20-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are notoriously difficult to investigate, and less than 10% of cases are prosecuted. We aimed to investigate prosecutors’ experiences of preparing for and prosecuting suspected CSA cases with preschool aged victims. Nine specialized child prosecutors (6 women, 3 men) took part either in individual interviews or in focus groups on this subject. The transcripts were analyzed thematically. The prosecutors said that children's testimony was sometimes held to an adult standard and that child complainants who expressed emotion could be perceived as more credible than their less expressive counterparts. CSA victims were identified as vulnerable victims who had difficulty telling their stories. Some of the interviewers were described as lacking in the ability to approach these children. The results imply that the reliability and credibility of sexually abused preschoolers and their testimony might be influenced by a number of verbal and non-verbal factors and that there are several obstacles preventing prosecutors from prosecuting these cases.
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| 5. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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Sexual abuse cases in Swedish courts – what is required from preschoolers as witnesses?
- 2016
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In: The 9th annual conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), London, United Kingdom, June 22 - 24 2016.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases offer a considerable challenge for the court, as evidence other than the complainant’s testimony is rare. The court is faced with the task of evaluating the reliability of the testimony, a task that can be especially challenging when the complainant is a small child. Reliability assessments made by Swedish courts require a complainant’s testimony to be long, clear, coherent, logical, rich in detail and free from equivocal statements. Such criteria are difficult for preschoolers to fulfil, as they tend to provide brief testimonies and might be unable to describe the abuse in great detail. So far, no studies have been conducted as to what extent these criteria are being used to evaluate the testimonies of preschoolers, nor to how the assessment of these criteria affect the outcome in court. Court data from 197 CSA cases involving preschool-aged victims will be analyzed with respect to the use of said criteria. There will be an emphasis on the court’s assessments of the child interview and the child’s testimony, in order to see what is required from preschoolers as witnesses. The results will be presented in the light of current knowledge on preschoolers’ ability to testify.
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| 6. |
- Ernberg, Emelie, 1989, et al.
(author)
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Åtal vid misstänkta sexualbrott mot förskolebarn
- 2017
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In: Brottsoffermyndighetens Viktimologiska Forskarkonferens 2017. Stockholm: 21 november.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- När en anmälan av sexualbrott mot barn görs, ska fallet genast lämnas över till en åklagare, som sedan inte bara är ansvarig för att besluta om fallet ska gå vidare till åtal, utan även agerar förundersökningsledare. Vi har i två studier undersökt åtal av misstänkta sexualbrott mot förskolebarn. Inom ramen för Studie 1 intervjuades erfarna barnåklagare om sina erfarenheter och upplevelser av att arbeta med misstänkta sexualbrott mot små barn. Inom ramen för Studie II analyserades 37 nedlagda förundersökningar och 107 domar rörande sexualbrott mot barn i förskoleåldern, med avseende på vilka faktorer som kunde förutsäga vilka fall som ledde vidare till åtal.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Gedda, Sofie, et al.
(author)
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Gruppsykoterapeutisk behandling med LRV-dömda mänsom begått sexuella övergrepp: Dynamik och mönster i övergreppshandlingarna samt förändringsprocesser under pågående gruppterapi
- 2007
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- I denna delrapport presenteras den första analysen av gruppsykoterapeutisk behandling med LRV-dömda män som begått sexuella övergrepp dels mot barn, dels mot annan vuxen. Underlaget bestod av utskrifter av ljudbandsinspelade gruppterapisessioner och fokus för analys var dels dynamik och mönster i övergreppshandlingarna, dels förändringsprocesser under pågående gruppsykoterapi. En analys, nyligen avslutad, är en fördjupad analys av samtalsprocessen i gruppen bestående av män som begått sexuella övergrepp mot annan vuxen. Detta arbete kommer att publiceras i form av en FoU-rapport ”Samtal med flertal i enrum – en studie av samtalsprocessen i en gruppterapi med våldtäktsmän” författad av Appelqvist, Leman och Tidefors. En pågående analys sker, också av utskrifterna från gruppen bestående av män som begått sexuella övergrepp mot annan vuxen, av hur männen diskuterar aspekter såväl av sin tillåtna som av sin destruktiva sexualitet. Detta arbete kommer också att publiceras i form av en FoU-rapport "Våldtäkt – av nöd eller lust" författad av Kordon och Tidefors. I planerade rapporter kommer analys med avseende på skuld och skam samt analys av reflektionsförmåga och relateringsmönster att presenteras. Därutöver skisseras en studie där såväl patienter som terapeuter kommer att intervjuas om sina upplevelser av att ha deltagit i de båda aktuella grupperna. Rapporten inleds med en beskrivning av projektets bakgrund, övergripande syfte, empiriska underlag samt metod och tillvägagångssätt. Därefter följer en översikt av aktuell kunskap. Denna översikt består dels av generella teorier och tidigare forskning om förövare av sexuella övergrepp, dels av en översikt av teorier och studier relevanta för beskrivningen av dynamik och mönster i övergreppshandlingar samt förändringar under pågående gruppsykoterapi. Begreppen mentaliseringsförmåga/Theory of Mind förmåga beskrivs, då dessa begrepp är centrala för den generella förståelsen av en övergreppsbenägenhet. I kommande rapporter, avseende analys av aspekterna skuld och skam samt reflektionsförmåga och relateringsmönster, sker en uppdatering av forskningen inom området i stort, för att sedan fokusera på teorier och studier relevanta för den aktuella rapportens specifika frågeställning.
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| 9. |
- Ingevaldson, Sara, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Experiences of intimate relationships in young men who sexually offended during adolescence: interviews 10 years later
- 2016
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In: Journal of Sexual Aggression. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1355-2600 .- 1742-6545. ; 22:3, s. 410-422
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intimate relationships and sexuality are important, but often complicated, aspects of life. In this study we examined experiences of intimate relationships and sexuality in 20 young men, aged 22–31 years, who had sexually offended during adolescence. The participants were interviewed and the transcripts were thematically analysed. The main picture observed was that of young men with unfulfilled needs and a low capacity to meet those needs. Additionally, the men’s experiences of intimate relationships and sexuality seemed to be affected by their experience of having sexually offended. Some men longed for closeness with a partner but were afraid of getting too close. Others distanced themselves from relationships, claiming that they did not need others. These findings may demonstrate the men’s self-protective strategies for handling their identification as sexual offenders. These 20 men could also have been struggling with universal questions about closeness and sexuality while bearing other burdens, such as mistrust in others and feelings of shame, that interfered with this struggle.
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| 10. |
- Ingevaldson, Sara, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Experiences of sexuality in a group of young men who sexually offended in their teens
- 2014
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In: Criminal policies in sexual violence: from research to legislation and treatment. 13th conference of the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO). - 0945-2540.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Sexuality is an important part in our lives. Probably, sexuality is more complicated for someone who has committed a sexual offence. Nevertheless, sexuality is present and something which the individual must relate to. In an ongoing study sexual experiences and psychosexual health in 18 young men, who in their teens committed sexual offences (22-30 years), were explored. Each participant was interviewed using a semi-structured interview, including questions about sexuality, and answered the Clinical Assessment of Psychosexual health (CAPS) questionnaire. CAPS measures aspects of psychosexual health that include relational skills, psychological/psychiatric and somatic symptoms. In the interviews the men emphasized proximity, love and lust as important in sexual relationships. Some however, downplayed the importance of sex and sexual relationships. Those who did had limited experiences of mutual loving relationships and/or were uncomfortable talking about sexuality. The pattern of emphasis on proximity in sexual relationships was confirmed by the results from CAPS. Some of these men however, told about a lonely life in which they were constantly seeking proximity but they had time and again been rejected. Clinical implications will be discussed.
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