The training will be held via Zoom. All paid registrants will receive a link for the training one week prior to the date. Up to 6 NBCC CEU’s will be provided upon completion of training and session evaluations
This session will examine sexual offenders who use technology to commit their crimes. We will examine the etiological and motivational patterns between pedophilic and non-pedophilic offenders, risk propensity, and intervention strategies used in clinical evaluation and management of individuals with internet based sexual offenses. Participants will be able to identify various risk assessment tools and techniques, distinguish between offender types and identify and implement relevant interventions.
Sam Wallace, Ph.D. LPC has been a licensed therapist for twenty-two years. He is in private practice in Fayetteville, AR. Dr. Wallace is a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA) and the Past-President and current Treasurer of the Arkansas Chapter of ATSA. Dr. Wallace has worked with juveniles who have offended for twenty-two years and with adult offenders for nineteen years. Dr. Wallace has provided consultation and training to law enforcement, child advocacy centers, and clinicians at at over forty state and national conferences. Dr. Wallace also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and is reviewer for the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse as well as the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma.
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (1.5 CEU)
Juvenile Sex Offenders: What We Know & Common Challenges that Exist
This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of juvenile sex offenders in Texas, with the Northeast region being the primary focus. An overview of the psychopathology of youthful sex abusers as well as patterns and risk factors of sexual offending will be provided. Examples of assessment instruments used, as well as treatment and case management plans, will be provided. Challenges in dealing with both these youth and their families will also be an area of focus. These presenters will also explain the program currently implemented in Wichita County and discuss some of the challenges that clinicians may face.
Attapol Kuanliang, Ph.D. is a professor of criminal justice and the director of the Institute of Juvenile Justice at Midwestern State University. He completed his clinical internship at Wichita County Juvenile Probation in Texas, where he worked with juvenile sex offenders.
Patrick Coyle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and mental health coordinator for Wichita County Juvenile Probation. He has worked with adjudicated juveniles and juvenile sex offenders for over a decade.
1:00p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (1.5 CEU)
Child Advocacy Workers' Accounts of the Connections between Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse
Despite high rates of pornography exposure in youth, noted associations between child pornography and pedophilic abuse perpetration, and theoretical articles suggesting links, relatively little research explores youth exposure to pornography and child sexual abuse (CSA). We therefore solicited the perspectives of 50 seasoned providers of support to survivors of CSA about the possible links between pornography and the sexual abuse of children. We conducted semi-structured interviews with frontline child advocacy support professionals from a range of countries and settings representing diverse gender and racial identities, each with at least five years of experience in the field. Based on participants’ accounts, a conceptual model of the possible connections between pornography and CSA was developed. The model illustrates various connections between risk factors, pornography, potential “interrupters,” and CSA, highlighting the circular nature of these connections. Respondents reported connections between pornography and CSA, felt that pornography provided part of the answer to explaining shifts in witnessed patterns of abuse, and felt things could be done to aid both prevention and response in relation to CSA including increased education and training and addressing of both systemic (distal) and more individual (proximal) risks that contribute to CSA and to youth pornography exposure and consumption.
Marley Fradley is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Arkansas. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology (B.S.) and English (B.A.) at the University of Central Arkansas in 2019. Marley then went on to gain professional experience as discharge coordinator in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting and then as a Clinical Research Associate at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences examining trauma, mental and behavioral health, healthcare utilization, and incarceration. Marley's research focuses on the intersection of trauma and the legal system. She is especially interested in identifying and addressing gaps between evidence-based practice and underserved populations, such as those with histories of justice-involvement, housing insecurity, and chronic mental and behavioral health issues.
Ana Bridges, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Arkansas. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her master's degree at Illinois State University, and her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Bridges' research focuses on scientifically-informed clinical practices that reduce mental health disparities in marginalized, underserved populations. She also has expertise in the drivers and consequences of sexually explicit media use, especially as they intersect with sexual health behaviors and trauma.
2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.(1.5 CEU)
Addressing both Domestic Violence and Sex Offending through a Combined Program Approach
Initial discussion of correlates between domestic abuse perpetrators and sexual abuse perpetrators is provided. Despite research that shows that sexual abuse is commonly encountered in domestically abusive relationships, most batterer intervention programs avoid going in-depth to discuss this area of intervention. The ‘entitlement’ mentality of domestic abusers is showcased as a partial contributor the intersection of these types of abuse among these offenders. This is followed by a discussion of four commonly encountered phases of these relationships, including 1) the beginning sexual relationship, 2) the onset of jealousy and infidelity, 3) the escalation of sexual coercion, and 4) the weaponization of sex. To address this, several intervention tools used with domestic violence perpetrators are likewise recommended for treatment with sex abusers, including the Responsibility Exercise, the Accountability Exercise, "I" Statements, the Duluth Power and Control Wheel, the Abuse of Children Wheel, and the Nurturing Children Wheel. Lastly, the need for treatment providers to be conversant in working with both domestic abusers and sex offenders is the final point of discussion for this presentation.
Robert D. Hanser, Ph.D., LPC-SA, LAC-CCS is the director of the NELA Batterer’s Intervention Program (BIP) and is also the program director of the Louisiana Transitional Center for Women (LTCW) where he has overseen groups with female sex offenders. He is also a past director of the sex offender treatment program at Richwood Correctional Center (RCC) and currently treats sex offenders at Madison Parish Correctional Center (MPCC).