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Understanding Pedophilia and the Brain

US$325 Regular Price

-US$25 GIFR Member Price


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CE Credits: 3.5 Credits
Length: 3.5 Hours
Level: Introductory
CE Eligibility: APA, ASWB ACE, ANCC, NBCC, NAADAC, CPA
Training Style: Video
Category: ATSA Master Classes - General
Intended Audience: Mental Health, Correctional, and Legal Professionals

Training Description
Brain scanning stands poised to revolutionize our understanding of pedophilia and hebephilia. Although the potential importance of brain scanning technologies is widely recognized, their results and implications are not yet widely discussed outside the scientific arena. This ATSA Master Class is aimed at viewers from all disciplines, regardless of background in neuroscience or sexology, who wish to understand the current state of the science and its implications for how we think about pedophilia in clinical, ethical, and prevention efforts. The first section of the training reviews how pedophilia was historically thought to develop, how sexual interests are currently assessed, and then—in laymen’s terms—how Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) works. Also reviewed will be Computerized Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and Diffusor Tensor Imaging (DTI). The second section then helps viewers to understand (1) the neuropsychological and other known correlates of sexual offending behavior, (2) the parts of the brain that process sexual stimuli, (3) the MRI techniques used to study the relevant brain functions and structure, and (4) the current body of MRI findings about pedophiles and hebephiles. Finally, the third section explores the implications of not only this work but the very idea that pedophilia and hebephilia manifest in the brain at all and could (at least partially) be fixed before birth. This training will not only make the current literature accessible to viewers, but also will help professionals critically evaluate claims made about the implications of brain scan findings for policy, practice, and science.
Trainer Biography
James Cantor, PhD is a clinical psychologist and sexual behavior scientist, focusing on atypical sexualities. His appointments have included Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and Editor-in-Chief of Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. Dr. Cantor has been applying MRI and other techniques with pedophilic men for over 20 years, identifying the role of the brain in causing the sexual interest in children. His findings suggest that having a sexual interest in children is not a result of suffering sexual abuse in one’s own children, but is an innate characteristic of neurological origin, comparable to a sexual orientation. His team’s research findings have been published in Psychological Bulletin, the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and the Oxford Textbook of Psychopathology, and Dr. Cantor appears regularly to discuss how to apply the science in public policy to prevent child sexual abuse. Interviews with him have appeared internationally, including in the National Post, CNN, The New York Times, BBC, and Dan Savage’s Savage Love.
Learning Objectives
This training is designed to help you:
  • Differentiate pedophilia from child molestation
  • Review seminal research on sexual offending and the brain throughout history
  • Explore contemporary neuropsychology and biometrics
  • Discuss the contributions being made by current brain imaging technologies
  • Examine the evidence for biological testing for pedophilia

1 Sponsorship: The Global Institute of Forensic Research, Inc is approved by the American Psychological Association, National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and Canadian Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education trainings. Global Institute of Forensic Research (GIFR) has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education provider, ACEP No. 6711. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GIFR is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. The American Nurses Credentialing Center accepts Continuing Education Credit sponsored by the American Psychological Association. The Global Institute of Forensic Research, Inc (provider #1371) is also approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. ACE provider approval period: 6/8/2022-6/8/2025. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval. The Global Institute of Forensic Research, Inc maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.
2 Refund/Cancellation Policy: If you wish to request a refund on account of technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
3 Commercial Supports: The Global Institute of Forensic Research, Inc reports no conflicts of interest in the development and sponsorship of this training. The Global Institute of Forensic Research, Inc receives no commercial support for its Continuing Education programs or from its presenters.

Note 1: The CPA's approval of an individual, group, or organization as a CE Sponsor or Provider is restricted to the activities described in the approved application or annual report form. The CPA's approval does not extend to any other CE activity the Sponsor or Provider might offer. In granting its approval, the CPA assumes no legal or financial obligations to Sponsors, Providers, or to those individuals who might participate in a Sponsor or Provider's CE activities or programs. Further, responsibility for the content, provision, and delivery of any CE activity approved by the CPA remains that of the CE Sponsor or Provider. The CPA disclaims all legal liability associated with the content, provision, and delivery of the approved CE activity.

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