Countertransference Reactions Aroused by Sex Crimes in a Forensic Psychiatric Environment

Measuring Feelings of Staff Members Towards Their Most Complex Female and Male Forensic Psychiatric Patients: A Pilot Study into Gender Differences

“…In the open questions, it was notable that several staff members indicated that they felt that differences in feelings towards female versus male patients relate more to psychopathology than to gender, more specifically, higher rates of borderline personality disorder in women and higher rates of antisocial personality disorder in men. Furthermore, it is likely that sexual offenses evoke different feelings compared to other offenses, particularly anxiousness and disgust (see Soares Barros, Rosa, & Eizirik, 2014), especially in female staff members who are potential victims. On the other hand, offenses like filicide which are predominantly committed by women may also evoke strong emotional reactions in staff members, especially in those who have children.…”

The Experience of Working With Individuals Who Sexually Offend

“…Further, Mitchell and Melikian (1995) reported that therapists working with those who offend sexually might experience sadistic thoughts and feelings, as well as anger and aggression directed at their clients, especially toward those who do not demonstrate remorse. Barros and colleagues (2014) found that almost two-thirds of their sample reported disgust when working with those convicted of sex crimes, while approximately one-third reported feelings of anger, irritation, or distrust. These types of feelings may be particularly distressing for clinicians whose job is to be empathetic and to help the offender change for the better.…”