Toward a Greater Understanding of the Assessment, Psychological Correlates, and Management of Human Perpetrated Sexual Behaviour Toward Animals

Sexual interest in and contact with animals has existed throughout history with varying levels of practice and acceptance. Despite this long history, very little is actually known about human sexual interest in animals and sexual behavior targeting nonhuman animals. The present dissertation aims to explore the phenomenon of sexual interest in animals through examining what veterinary medical professionals know about the detection and reporting of animal sexual abuse (ASA; Chapter 2), and through the creation of a psychometric self-report measure of sexual interest in animals and a visual stimulus set for animal attractiveness ratings (Chapter 3). To that end, this dissertation document is comprised of two studies. To date, there has been very little study of ASA. Subsequently, very little is known about veterinary medical professionals’ (e.g., Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, and Veterinary Nurses) knowledge of ASA and how they may contribute to the prevention of animal sexual abuse. Thus, the objective of this paper is to comprehensively and purposefully study ASA in a sample of veterinary medical professionals. Eighty-eight professionals were recruited through provincial/state professional associations and posts on social media to take part in a survey examining non-sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and criminal justice perceptions. Results indicated that, while veterinary medical professionals reported wanting more training on both nonsexual and sexual abuse, levels of knowledge were much lower for sexual abuse with fewer professionals reporting having received training in the area. Professionals also responded quite punitively towards individuals who have committed sexual abuse against animals and supported long prison sentences and registries for offenders. Veterinary medical professionals were very supportive of mandatory reporting of abuse but did not feel prepared to testify in these cases should they go to court. Sexual interest in nonhuman animals (zoophilia), is a scant investigated topic owing partially to difficulties in assessing the behavior outside of a clinical setting. While there have been previous attempts to categorize individuals with a sexual interest in animals into classification systems, this requires extensive clinical interviews and psychometric testing. Previous classifications also lack clarity on the adjacent concept of furryism and how it may be related to zoophilia. As there are currently no validated psychometric measures of zoophilia, individuals with a sexual interest in animals are a challenging population to research and may be under-detected in clinical settings. The central aim of the present study was to examine the measurement and correlates of sexual attraction to nonhuman animals through the development and refinement of psychometric and visual stimulus measures of animal sexual interest. Participants included 1,228 respondents (72% zoophilic and 35% furries) recruited from the online community. Results indicated that a Sexual Interest in Animals-Self Report (SIA-SR) scale had 4 distinct subscales with excellent discrimination for self-reported zoophilia. Moreover, endorsement of sexual interest in horses and dogs from visual stimuli was most common among the individuals in the sample, while dog and horse sexual and romantic attractiveness ratings also had the largest and most consistent associations with SIA-SR scores and self-reported zoophilia. Taken together, these results have implications for veterinary practice and education, as well as research and clinical practice with individuals with zoophilic interests. In terms of veterinary practice, the results indicate that veterinary medical professionals receive insufficient training on abuse—particularly sexual abuse—which could put their patients at risk of further harm. Moreover, the results contribute to a greater understanding of the sexual interest patterns for persons with zoophilia and have implications for theory, future research, and clinical practice

Knowledge of the effects of gestational alcohol consumption and FASD in an Ontarian sample

The current document is a two-paper manuscript-based thesis investigating what women in Ontario know about drinking during the gestational period. Though there have been many studies investigating what women in various countries and locations know about drinking during pregnancy, there is a lack of recent data focusing on Ontario, Canada. Both papers use a surveybased approach to answer the research questions posed in each respective manuscript. The first paper explored what women currently know about drinking during pregnancy and what individual characteristics may influence endorsement of drinking behaviours. The majority of participants did not endorse drinking behaviours, however, a small but substantial portion of the population still endorses drinking. The second manuscript addressed where individuals receive their information about drinking during the gestational period. Results indicated that women in Ontario saw information in print and news media, but would most prefer to get their information from health care professionals. Implications in terms of education and prevention are discussed.Master of Arts (MA) in Psycholog

Cost analysis of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy (MHS) court

Housing inmates, particularly those living with mental health concerns, is a very expensive prospect. Mental health courts (MHCs) are designed to divert justice-involved individuals living with mental health concerns away from the traditional criminal justice system and to mitigate some of the issues commonly seen in these systems. Given this diversion, it would seem that MHCs could reduce costs associated with crimes committed by this population. While intuitive, these cost savings are an untested assumption as there has been very little research examining the costs of these programs, particularly in Canada. Thus, this study presents the findings from a cost analysis of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy Court in Saskatchewan, Canada. Results demonstrated that Court costs increased in the first and second year post-Court entry. Most concerningly, a large proportion of these increased costs seem to be attributable to administrative charges applied by the Court. Recommendations for MHC operation and potential impacts of the cost analysis are further explored

One is the loneliest number : involuntary celibacy (incel), mental health, and loneliness

Incels—a ragtag collection of young males who have rallied around their shared experience of romantic rejection—have slowly emerged as an online group of interest to researchers, no doubt as a result of several high-profile attacks. Much of this work has centered around incels’ dating experiences, sexual attitudes, and online forums. However, it is possible that their moniker, short for involuntary celibate, has resulted in an overemphasis on their sexual exclusion and frustration. Recent work has identified social isolation as a key aspect of inceldom, which may help explain why incels have responded negatively to romantic rejection. The present study thus sought to examine the role of social support and loneliness in experiences of rejection in a sample of incel (n = 67) and non-incel (n = 103) men. Results indicated that incels experience more feelings of loneliness and less social supports than non-incel men. Both of these variables were associated with multiple mental and relational health issues that incels also scored more highly on. Further, incels reported using more solitary and problematic coping mechanisms. These results suggest that incels may be missing a key buffer in sheltering them from the adverse effects of romantic rejection. It also extends previous findings highlighting the importance of attachment styles in differentiating incels from non-incels, which may perpetuate feelings of isolation. Implications for how this may relate to incel discourse and clinical interventions are discussed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04275-z

Involuntary celibacy : a review of incel ideology and experiences with dating, rejection, and associated mental health and emotional sequelae

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Incels (involuntary celibates) have recently garnered media attention for seemingly random attacks of violence. Much attention has centered around the misogynistic and violent discourse that has taken place in online incel forums as well as manifestos written by incels who have perpetrated deadly attacks. Such work overlooks the experiences and issues faced by incels themselves, the majority of which have not engaged in any violent behavior. RECENT FINDINGS: A small number of studies have recruited incels. Results from these studies highlight the nuanced nature of the incel identity. It is also apparent that incels suffer from high levels of romantic rejection and a greater degree of depressive and anxious symptoms, insecure attachment, fear of being single, and loneliness. SUMMARY: Incels report significant issues pertaining to their mental, social, and relational well-being and may seek support from forums that often feature misogynistic and violent content