Troubles de la personnalité et viol : implications théoriques et cliniques

During the past 30 years, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral theories of rape have evolved considerably. The influence of etio-logic factors related to personality, however, is limited to antisocial traits. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to investigate the presence of personality disorders in rapists. Forty-nine incarcerated rapists answered a French translation of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory questionnaire. On the basis of the Avery-Clark and Laws criteria (1983), 31 rapists were classified as less physically violent and 18 as more physically violent. Among the less physically violent rapists, we encountered most frequently avoidant, dependant, passive-aggressive and schizoid personality disorders. Among the more physically violent rapists, an antisocial personality disorder was predominant. The implications of these results concerning rape theories are being discussed

Étude de la récidive post-traitement chez des agresseurs sexuels judiciarisés

The aim of the current study was to assess the role of a treatment program (uncompleted; completed ; extended) on the posttreat-ment recidivism of sexual aggressors. Data on five types of recidivism (sexual ; violent ; property offense ; against a person ; total) were gathered for 102 pedophiles and 70 rapists. The recidivism rates for pedophiles who completed the treatment program was lower than for those of the pedophiles who did not complete the treatment. As to the rapists, the recidivism rates were lower for those who underwent an extended treatment program than for the other two groups. These data show that a treatment program reduces the recidivism rate in sexual aggressors. The optimal duration of treatment, however, varies according to the type of offender

The New Challenges for Medical Ethics

The evolution of medicine confronts healthcare professionals with new ethical challenges. Elements such as professional secrecy, patient benefit, justice in the distribution of resources are put in crisis by the evolution of medical procedures. Today, doctors must make life-and-death decisions about many patients. As the resources are not enough for all patients, the ‘first-come, first-served’ criterion crumbles under the weight of the overwhelming demand for treatment. Consequently, they can no longer make treatment decisions based only on proportionality and clinical appropriateness criteria. They must take into account the availability of resources and prioritise patients with ‘the longer life expectancy’. This amounts to saying ‘the weakest will die’ … with the doctors’ consent. While the guidelines issued by scientific societies may well protect doctors from lawsuits, the choice of who to treat and who to let die is left to the conscience of the individual doctor; and it is a choice sharply clashing with the Hippocratic oath and with professional and personal ethics. This and others are a real ethical problem

L'intervenant face au mineur: questions éthiques

peer reviewe

La délinquance sexuelle des mineurs

Après avoir présenté les approches cliniques dans le premier volume de La délinquance sexuelle des mineurs, Monique Tardif nous en présente les approches théoriques et les études empiriques. Outre la perspective d'une approche globale en criminologie de la délinquance sexuelle chez les mineurs, ce volume comporte de nombreuses références sur les notions de psychologie développementale