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Author:  Andrew J.  Harris, Ph.D..


Source: Volume 12, Number 03, April/May 2011 , pp.33-48(16)




Sex Offender Law Report

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Abstract: 

In preparation for the 2013 release of the fifth major edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association has convened a series of working groups to deliberate and field-test several newly proposed diagnostic categories and changes to DSM classification schema. Some of these proposed changes carry potentially significant implications for sex offender law and policy, particularly related to sex offender civil commitment. Among the proposed changes, they are considering diagnoses including Paraphilic Coercive Disorder (PCD), which involves among its criteria “recurrent, and intense sexual arousal from sexual coercion, as manifested by fantasies, urges, or behaviors.” The introduction of PCD as a potential diagnosis has generated controversy and debate surrounding the construct’s empirical foundations, its clinical viability and its legal and policy implications. To shed light on this evolving issue, SLR invited a series of commentaries on the proposed PCD criteria, reflecting a range of opinions and perspectives.

Keywords: Paraphlic Coercive Disorder; Adam Walsh Act; SORNA; GPS Monitoriing

Affiliations:  1: Journal Editor.

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