This information-rich volume expands current knowledge about sexually violent predators and critiques SVP laws with the goal of fostering improvements in clinical practice and public policy. It offers a finely detailed evidence base on this problematic class of offenders, including the complex interactions of biophysiological and environmental factors that contribute to criminal sexual behavior. Chapters discuss a wide range of assessment issues and instruments central to SVP evaluation, and the possibilities for developing interventions that address individual motivations and behaviors to reduce the risk of reoffending. And throughout, careful attention is paid to ongoing legal, ethical, and logical concerns regarding sexually violent offenders, their treatment and confinement, and their post-confinement placement. Among the topics covered: * Civil commitment of sex offenders. * The physiological basis of problematic sexual interests and behaviors. * Sexually violent predator evaluations: problems and proposals. * Cultural considerations in the assessment of sexually violent predators. * Management of sex offenders in community settings. * Effective use of an expert in sexually violent predator commitment hearings. Offering numerous issues for discussion and debate with considerable implications for clinical practice, policy, and the judicial system, Sexually Violent Predators will interest and enlighten forensic psychologists and psychiatrists as well as social workers, policy-makers, and legal professionals.

Now in paperback, renowned sex therapist Ian Kerner shares the unique and indispensable methodology he uses to help thousands of couples get unstuck and into sexual sync. Dr. Ian Kerner is a Sherlock Holmes of the bedroom--a sexual detective helping individuals and couples solve the mystery of their sexual distress. His secret weapon? Anaylzing your "sex script." Kerner takes a magnifying glass to a recent sexual event, examining the entire sequence of interactions--beginning, middle, and end--from multiple angles. In those details--the what, where, when, and why of the last time you had sex--all the clues of what went wrong are revealed and the mystery of how to create mutual pleasure can be solved. When our sex scripts work, we lose ourselves in mutual pleasure; but when they fail, it's all we can do not to ruminate over the details. What can be learned by looking at your sex life in action? With wit and warmth, the nationally recognized sex therapist and author of the smash hit She Comes First shows readers how to tap into their erotic personalities and realize their sexual potential. Dr. Kerner provides the tools and techniques you need to assess, fix, and expand your sex scripts, as well as discuss many common sexual problems that get in the way of happy endings. With the help of decades of clinical insight, the latest sexual science and research, valuable homework assignments, case studies, and more, this insightful and original book strips away discomfort and offers couples not just the ability to talk about sex, but the ability to actually do something about it.

Please Scream Quietly is the collective autobiography of the BDSM subculture. It argues that most people are a little bit kinky, but the BDSM subculture teaches its members to emphasize and cherish their kinky differences. Drawing from interviews, survey data, and years of observations conducted by a self-identified kinkster and professional sociologist, it tells the story of how people live and love in this much misunderstood subculture. The book begins with a discussion of BDSM identities, explaining how kinksters learn to define kink/BDSM, and to construct socially meaningful identities for themselves as kinksters. It next discusses what kinksters get out of doing BDSM, with a particular focus on how they experience BDSM as sexual or not. It then moves from individual experiences to relationships, with a focus on BDSM relationships and consensual non-monogamy/polyamory in the subculture. Then it describes community-level experiences of group norms and rules, analyzing subcultural demographics, as well as behavioral and attitudinal norms in and out of public BDSM dungeons. The book concludes with an analysis of how the subculture constructs positive and negative social status for members, and reflects on how the subculture's world of BDSM might be different from BDSM outside of it.

An in-depth study of recent developments in the field of sex therapy presents detailed descriptions of the diverse techniques used to enhance sexual experiences and to treat sexual problems.

Is prostitution immoral? In this book, Rob Lovering argues that it is not. Offering a careful and thorough critique of the many-twenty, to be exact-arguments for prostitution's immorality, Lovering leaves no claim unchallenged. Drawing on the relevant literature along with his own creative thinking, Lovering offers a clear and reasoned moral defense of the world's oldest profession. Lovering demonstrates convincingly, on both consequentialist and nonconsequentialist grounds, that there is nothing immoral about prostitution between consenting adults. The legal implications of this view are also brought to bear on the current discourse surrounding this controversial topic.

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Evolutionary Psychology ambitiously brings together an eclectic and provocative body of work from some of the brightest minds in comparative psychology and evolutionary psychology, highlighting the strengths and insights of each field. Across chapters, readers will come to appreciate the new field of "comparative evolutionary psychology," which successfully combines laboratory and field approaches, drawing on diverse methodologies and theoretical viewpoints to elucidate the mysteries of animal behavior and cognition. This comprehensive volume includes coverage of:
- Unique specializations in a wide range of taxa from insects, cephalopods, reptiles, corvids, canines, cetaceans, and primates
- Communication, cooperation, social learning, memory and cognitition in different species
- Controversial theories about the evolution of sometimes surprising abilities in species, both phylogenetically close to and distant from humans.
Suitable for seasoned researchers and graduate students alike, this volume reflects a range of views on human and non-human behavior and cognition, and advances these topics in a wide range of species.

This book explores the growing understanding and evidence base for the role of trauma in sexual offending. It represents a paradigm shift, in which trauma is becoming an important risk factor to be considered in the treatment of individuals convicted of sexual crime. The authors consider the theoretical and historical explanations and understandings of sexual offending and its relationship with early trauma, paving the way for a volume which considers client's treatment needs through a new, trauma-informed lens. The experiences and challenges of specific groups are also explored, including young people and women. Readable, yet firmly anchored in a sound evidence base, this book is relevant to psychologists, therapists, criminologists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses, social workers, students, and to practitioners and the general public with an interest in learning more about the topic.

"This stimulating, courageous, wide-ranging account of the psychopathology of Tolstoy may be as warmly recommended to the novice as to the seasoned scholar. It is a penetrating, richly rewarding account of a fascinating subject."--"Slavic and East European Journal"

In 1888, Leo Tolstoy mysteriously declared that sexual intercourse should no longer exist. Years later he would admit to being "horrified" by this pronouncement, but still remained an ardent believer in sexual abstinence. Frequenter of brothels in his youth, father of thirteen children by his wife and at least two children by peasant women before he was married, Tolstoy now had the audacity to suggest that people should stop having sex. How can such a repudiation be explained?

Beginning with Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonataahis first written "declaration of war on human sexuality"--Tolstoy on the Couch takes us on a sweeping psychoanalytic tour of Tolstoy's diaries and other private materials, revealing that behind his campaign for celibacy lay a painful and complicated drama of early childhood. Rooting Tolstoy's polarized feelings about women and sexuality in his uncontrollable rage toward the mother who died when he was a toddler, Rancour-Laferriere offers profound psychobiographic insights into Tolstoy's lifelong animosity toward women--and into the women he loved to hate.

Experience Serenity and Hope Daily "The Woman's Book of Joy is like a comforting friend supporting us in our struggles." -Mandy Keast-Southall, therapist and yoga teacher When you learn to tap into the deep wellspring of joy that is within you, nothing is impossible. A book of joy. Women have a great many challenges to deal with in their lives. Among the most ubiquitous of those challenges is self-care. Too often, we are focused on caring for others and not ourselves. Low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression are all too common when our lives are less fulfilling than they could be. Yet deep within, women have a tremendous spiritual resource a capacity for real joy that is not dependent on anything external. It is always available, regardless of circumstances. Find your inner spirituality. Many self-help books can lead people into further self-judgement. Instead, The Woman's Book of Joy encourages and inspires women to care more deeply for themselves and to face life's challenges with courage and joy. It's a practical motivational book for accessing inner wisdom, enhancing self-esteem, overcoming sorrow, and deepening relationships. Thinking deeply. The meditations and affirmations in this book will provide you with the opportunity to contemplate a wide range of topics, including: Developing awareness Letting go Believing in your dreams Living in the now Finding your true purpose Practicing kindness Being optimistic Trusting the universe Appreciating life's blessings If you found joy in meditation books and inspirational books for women like I've Been Thinking..., Journey to the Heart, and Each Day a New Beginning, you'll be encouraged and uplifted by The Woman's Book of Joy.

The present book aims to examine how sexual selection works in the human species. Almost all scholarly effort focuses on sexual selection in non-human species and extrapolates the findings to the human one. However, human mating has a unique pattern not found in any other species, namely parental influence over mate choice. Across preindustrial societies, the typical pattern of long-term mating is arranged marriage, where parents choose spouses for their children. By doing so, parents effectively become a sexual selection force. Traits that enhance an individual's chance to be selected as a son- or a daughter-in-law confer important reproductive advantages to those who are endowed with them, increasing in frequency in the population. The author has coined the term parental choice to describe the sexual selection force that arises from parental control over mating. He synthesizes extensive theoretical and empirical work in order to understand and model this force. The aim is to understand which factors give rise to parental choice and to combine these insights into constructing a more formal model. It also aims to further examine whether the predictions of the model fit the patterns of mating found across different types of human societies, and how the model can be used to understand the evolution of behavioral traits involved in mating. By synthesizing the various arguments put forward and published across the literature, the book offers a comprehensive argument and overview of an aspect of sexual selection unique to our species. Furthermore, the book revises and extends previously made arguments and models, while it provides useful insights on how the proposed revision of sexual selection theory can enable us to understand a wide range of human behavioral phenomena. It should be key reading for those interested in studying sexual selection in general and in the Homo sapiens species in particular.

This solutions-oriented guide offers problem solving and behavior changing strategies for people working on their most intimate relationships. The book provides readers with:
-- Enhanced knowledge of their own and their partners' beliefs, values, habits, desires, goals, likes, and dislikes
-- Ideas for opening communication and deepening a relationship
-- Skills for making healthy decisions about lifestyles and boundaries
-- An in-depth understanding of the role of self-esteem in relationships
-- Increased ability to let go of the past and embrace the present
-- The knowledge that it is important not only to choose the right partner, but also to be the right partner

What distinguishes Intellectual Foreplay from similar titles is that it includes guidelines on what to do with the answers it gives. This makes it useful in both creating and sustaining a relationship.

This volume considers the complex relationships that exist between Christianity, rape culture, and gender violence. Each chapter explores the various roles that Christian theologies, teachings, and practices have played in shaping contemporary understandings of gender violence and in sanctioning rape-supportive cultural belief systems and practices. Our contributors explore this topic from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including theology, gender and queer studies, cultural studies, pastoral care, and counseling. Together, the chapters in this volume testify to the considerable influence that Christianity has had, and continues to have, in directing conversations within the Christian tradition around gender violence and rape culture. They therefore invite readers to engage fruitfully in these conversations, fostering transformative dialogues with the Christian community about our shared responsibility to tackle the current global crisis of gender violence.

At a time when traditional dating practices are being replaced with new ways to meet potential partners, this book provides fresh insights into how are men responding to new ways of dating. Drawing upon original research, this book examines a wide range of contemporary dating practices that includes speed dating, holiday romances, use of dating apps, online sex seeking and dogging. It reveals the ways in which men draw upon traditional models of masculinity to negotiate these changes; but also, the extent to which men are responding by elaborating new masculinities. Through an investigation of the dynamics of heterosexuality and masculinity, this book highlights the importance attached to authenticity, and the increasing marketization and commodification of dating. It argues that in a post-truth world, men must also come to terms with a post-trust dating landscape. Combining rich empirical material with keen theoretical analysis, this innovative work will have interdisciplinary appeal for students and scholars of sociology, media studies, cultural studies, and gender studies.

This book is about sexual abuse in sport, and specifically about one girl's experience of long-term chronic abuse in sport. A 'non-conventional' approach is employed to explore the experiences of a female athlete named Bella who was groomed, sexually abused by her male coach, and then subjected to years of athlete domestic violence. Through a collaborative auto-ethnography process, these experiences are reported through vignettes and selected poems seeking to involve the reader in the grooming process of a young female athlete, so that they might react from the different social positions they currently occupy. Bella's story acts as a pedagogical resource in ways that stimulate ethical discussions and enhance knowledge of sexual abuse in sport, by assisting those involved to better understand their own 'field' and the dynamics of abuse within it, in order to develop effective abuse prevention strategies.

In the current debate around sexting, this book gives a nuanced account of motives, contexts and possible risks of intimate digital communication. Authors discuss how social media shape new dating opportunities through apps and dating sites, how sexting fits within individual's relational and sexual development. They examine the relationships between sexting, health and sexual risk behaviours and focusing on adolescents, further highlight which role parents can play in relational and sexual education. Chapters cover topics such as abusive sexting behaviours in the context of dating violence and slut shaming, media discourses concerning sexting and the legal framework in several countries that shape the context of sexting. This edited collection will be of great interest to academics and students of communication studies, psychology, health sciences and sociology, as well as policy makers and the general public interested in current debates on how social media are used for intimate communication.

Find out what it's like to go through puberty as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or asexual teen. What do you do when Mom says, "You're a woman now!" but you know you're not a woman? Or when Dad keeps asking when you're going to bring a girlfriend home, but you're not interested in girls? Puberty is an awkward and confusing time for anybody, but for queer youth, feelings of social and physical discomfort can be heightened. Adolescence should be a time for making social connections and exploring new ideas, but many queer youth must also wrestle with complicated identity questions, familial and social bigotry, and difficult decisions about whether to be safe or authentic. In this accessible book, personal accounts mingle with factual information and sensitive analysis to provide a snapshot of the joys and concerns of American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual adolescents. Whether you're a parent, a clinician, a teacher, or a queer person, this book will answer many questions and offer a way forward. Includes: Personal narratives and discussion about the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ youth in adolescence Concrete action plan for parents, teachers, and clinicians to better support the queer youth in their lives Vital glossary of up-to-date LGBTQIA+ and puberty terms Highly recommended queer-inclusive sex education materials

Sexual Progressives is a major new study of the feminists and socialists who campaigned against the moral conservatism of the Victorian period. Drawing on a range of sources, from letters and diaries to radical newspapers and utopian novels, it provides the first group portrait of Scotland's hitherto neglected sexual rebels. They include Bella and Charles Pearce, prominent Glasgow socialists and disciples of an American-based mystic who taught that religion needed 're-sexed'; Jane Hume Clapperton, a feminist freethinker with advanced views on birth-control and women's right to sexual pleasure; and Patrick Geddes, founder of an avant-garde Edinburgh subculture and co-author of an influential scientific book on sex. A consideration of their lives and work forces a reappraisal of our understanding of British sexual progressivism during this period and will therefore be of interest to all historians of modern gender and sexuality. -- .

This book takes the head-scratching out of human sexuality. Personal construct theory provides the foundation for a psychosocial explanation of sexuality that views everyday social interaction as key to the development of sexual identity and desires. The theory developed here accounts for stability and change in sexual identity through an understanding of the importance of experience and the importance of meaning in everyday life. The potential impact of erotica and pornography on sexual desire is discussed, as is the role of social power on sexual behaviour. The variation of sexual expression among individuals-everything from asexuality and sado-masochism to sexual assault-is examined and explained. Formal techniques for changing sexual desires are also presented.

This book provides a feminist psychological analysis of contemporary resistance to sexual harassment in and around #MeToo. It explores how women's assumed empowerment in postfeminist and neoliberal feminist discourses has shaped understandings of sexual harassment and social responses to it. This exploration is grounded in the trajectories of feminist activism and psychological theory about sexual harassment. Lazard addresses the gendered binary of female victims and male perpetrators in contemporary victim politics and the treatment of perpetrators within postfeminist and neoliberal frames. In doing so, the author unpacks the cultural conditions which support or deny who gets to speak and be heard in #MeToo politics. This book will be a valuable resource not only for scholars and students from within the psychological sciences and gender studies, but for the wider social sciences and anyone interested in the psychological grounding of the #MeToo movement.

In The Myth of Desire: Sexuality, Love, and the Self, Carlos Dominguez-Morano draws on psychoanalysis to explore the broad and complex reality of the affective-sexual realm encompassed by the term desire, a concept that propels individual aspirations, pursuits, and life endeavors. In the first part of this book, Dominguez-Morano observes this concept from a global view by introducing a methodology, examining the present socio-cultural determinations affecting desire, reviewing the main stages in the evolution of desire, and reflecting on affective maturity. In the second part of this book, Dominguez-Morano explores the five basic expressions of desire: falling in love and being a couple, homosexuality, narcissism and self-esteem, friendship, and the derivative of desire by way of sublimation. Scholars of psychology, philosophy, and sociology will find this book particularly useful.

Compulsive Sexual Behaviours offers a unique approach to the struggles people face with their out-of-control sexual behaviours. This comprehensive guide is deeply rooted in the science of sexology and psychotherapy, demonstrating why it is time to re-think the reductive concept of 'sex addiction' and move towards a more modern age of evidence-based, pluralistic and sex-positive psychotherapy. It is an important manual for ethical, safe and efficient treatment within a humanistic and relational philosophy. This book will be an important guide in helping clients stop their compulsive sexual behaviours as well as for therapists to self-reflect on their own morals and ethics so that they can be prepared to explore their clients' erotic mind.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of human trafficking in Cambodia and the mechanisms of poverty in Southeast Asia. By examining personal narratives, the author traces trafficked women's efforts to liberate themselves from the poverty trap with the aid of external supporting organizations.

This book uses storytelling as an analytical tool for following wider social attitude changes towards sex and female sexuality in Iran. Women born in 1950s Iran grew up during the peak of secularization and modernization, whereas those born in the 1980s were raised under the much stricter rules of the Islamic Republic. Using extensive ethnographic research, the author juxtaposes narratives of body and sexuality shared by these different generations of women, showing the intricate ways in which women construct and convey meanings and communicate their emotions about the unspoken aspects of their lives.

Located within a burgeoning therapeutic/self-help culture this book explores stories of childhood sexual abuse, recovered memories and multiple personalities, and explodes the myths surrounding women who, without memories, redefine themselves as victims.