Elizabeth Jeglic | John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center (original) (raw)
Papers by Elizabeth Jeglic
Psychology, Public Policy and Law, Feb 1, 2021
We examined statewide data of persons evaluated for Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) commitment an... more We examined statewide data of persons evaluated for Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) commitment and compared risk-relevant data of three groups: those committed as SVPs (n = 374), those not recommended for commitment (n = 2,707), and those nearly committed (recommended for commitment but ultimately not committed; n = 117). Consistent with legal language for SVP commitment, binary and multinomial regression analyses revealed risk scores predicted SVP commitment recommendations in addition to some historical factors (e.g., psychiatric history, never being married, prior sex offenses). For those recommended for commitment, prior sexual offenses predicted ultimate commitment. Those nearly committed had significantly higher sexual recidivism rates than others who were not committed; however, these recidivism rates were still low (11.5%). Findings suggest evaluators' SVP decisions incorporate risk data and follow empirically supported trends; however, the observed recidivism rates of a subset of those SVP commitment appears to target suggests SVP commitment's potential for reducing sexual recidivism effectively and efficiently appears to have a low ceiling.
Journal of Sexual Aggression, Sep 10, 2015
Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Sep 23, 2016
Detecting suicide risk among nonclinical populations is challenging due to low base rates and the... more Detecting suicide risk among nonclinical populations is challenging due to low base rates and the help-negation tendency of at-risk individuals. The current longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of the modified emotional Stroop task (EST) by conducting a follow-up study of 197 students who participated in a study by Chung and Jeglic (2016). The EST latencies for suicide-related cues and past suicidal behaviors were the only significant predictors of suicide risk. The findings of this study provide preliminary support for the use of the EST as part of a suicide risk screening battery that could add to the detection of suicide risk.
Journal of School Violence
Journal of Correctional Health Care
Current Psychiatry Reports
Purpose of Review Sex trafficking is a significant global problem that results in millions of ind... more Purpose of Review Sex trafficking is a significant global problem that results in millions of individuals being sexually exploited annually. This paper will provide an overview of recent research in the field of sex trafficking and evaluate findings to provide recommendations for future research and policy work. Recent Findings In recent years, there has been an increase in research focused on understanding sex trafficking and how it can be prevented. Specifically, recent studies have explored characteristics of sex trafficking cases, risk factors for experiencing sex trafficking, recruitment and maintenance processes, identification and intervention techniques, and treatment approaches. Summary While there have been significant strides to better understand sex trafficking across the globe, numerous areas require further exploration. Additional research conducted internationally and with adults who have experienced sex trafficking is needed to better understand methods that can identify individuals at risk for being trafficked, enhance early detection, and provide services to trafficked individuals.
Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice
Sexual Abuse
Educator sexual misconduct is a serious problem in the United States (U.S.), with a 2004 Departme... more Educator sexual misconduct is a serious problem in the United States (U.S.), with a 2004 Department of Education report estimating that 9.6% of K-12 students in the U.S. had experienced either verbal, visual, or physical educator misconduct at some point during their school career. However, since that report almost 20 years ago, there have been few large-scale studies examining the extent of the problem. As such, the current study, which uses a large sample from recent high school graduates in four U.S. states, offers updated data on the nature and scope of sexual misconduct in educational settings. Overall, 11.7% of the 6632 participants reported having experienced at least one form of educator sexual misconduct during Grades K-12, with 11% reporting sexual comments and less than 1% reporting other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g., receiving sexual photos/messages, being kissed, touched sexually, or engaging in sexual intercourse/oral sex). Those who reported misconduct showed sign...
Journal of Correctional Health Care
Sexual Abuse, 2022
Following the exposure of child sexual abuse (CSA) within the U.S. Catholic Church, it was postul... more Following the exposure of child sexual abuse (CSA) within the U.S. Catholic Church, it was postulated that many of these cases went unreported because sexual grooming was involved. The present study examined the prevalence of sexual grooming behaviors of clergy through the lens of the content-validated Sexual Grooming Model (SGM). The study used archival data from a victim survey of 10,667 cases of alleged CSA within the U.S. Catholic Church. Results revealed the accused clergy frequently used tactics in the gaining access and isolation, trust development, and desensitization stages of the SGM. From the limited data available for the victim selection and post-abuse maintenance stages, the findings showed these tactics were relatively less common. Overall, clergy who were alleged to have committed CSA used tactics consistent with sexual grooming in general, although there were unique aspects of sexual grooming given their institutional role and position.
New Frontiers in Offender Treatment, 2018
This chapter will review the history of evidence-based practice within corrections. We will then ... more This chapter will review the history of evidence-based practice within corrections. We will then address the evidence-based practice movement within the general psychotherapy treatment field and how there remains a disjoint between what we know works, and what is being practiced within corrections. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of how this divide is being bridged by the contributors to this edited book, and how they are applying and adapting cutting-edge evidence-based treatments for use in forensic settings.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2020
Internet use among adolescents and children has steadily increased since 1992 in the United State... more Internet use among adolescents and children has steadily increased since 1992 in the United States (U.S.), resulting in high numbers of minors currently engaging in Internet-related activity. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that close to 97% of children and adolescents aged three to 18 have access to home computers (U.S.
Sexual Abuse, 2021
Providing treatment to those who have committed sexual offenses can be difficult and challenging ... more Providing treatment to those who have committed sexual offenses can be difficult and challenging work. Older studies have suggested that service providers may experience changes in mood, symptoms of trauma, and countertransference reactions due to their work. Recent research has found that effective coping and self-care strategies may mitigate these negative outcomes. Given the relative dearth of recent empirical studies, we assessed the prevalence of self-reported mood, trauma symptoms, and countertransference reactions and their relation to coping styles and self-care practices in a sample of 32 male and 52 female therapists who provided treatment to individuals convicted of sexual offenses. As expected, we found minimal levels of clinically significant depressive (4%) and trauma symptoms (9%). Some countertransference reactions to clients were reported, including intense anger, retributive fantasies, sexual attraction, and arousal. A problem-solving coping style was associated wi...
International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 2021
Abstract Sex trafficking constitutes a severe international issue, affecting 4.8 million victims ... more Abstract Sex trafficking constitutes a severe international issue, affecting 4.8 million victims worldwide, with those affected in the United States numbering in the thousands (Global Slavery Index, 2016). Despite this, little is known about the characteristics of sex traffickers, especially female sex traffickers. This paper aimed to increase our knowledge of female sex traffickers in the United States. 44 criminally prosecuted cases of sex trafficking involving female sex traffickers were examined, obtained through the Case Law Database within the Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The study sought to explore characteristics of female sex traffickers in the United States with regards to the roles they hold, duties they perform and the makeup of their operations. Overall, findings demonstrated that women permeate the entire spectrum of sex trafficking crimes, from aiding and abetting to being ringleaders of sex trafficking rings.
Victims & Offenders, 2021
ABSTRACT There has yet to be universally-accepted model of child sex trafficking recruitment tact... more ABSTRACT There has yet to be universally-accepted model of child sex trafficking recruitment tactics. Research suggests that child sex traffickers may use strategies to recruit and retain minors that mirror the tactics used by child abusers when sexually grooming minors. Based on a thorough review of the child sex trafficking literature and integrating it with a content validated model of child sexual grooming, we propose the Sexual Grooming Model of Child Sex Trafficking (SGM-CST), which includes five overarching stages: 1) victim selection; 2) gaining access and isolation; 3) trust development; 4) desensitization to touch; and 5) post-abuse maintenance.
Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2020
Disclosure rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) to both social supports and law enforcement are conc... more Disclosure rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) to both social supports and law enforcement are concerningly low, although more research is needed to understand factors that impact disclosure. Thus, the present study examined rates of informal (i.e., to a social support) and formal (i.e., to law enforcement) disclosure of CSA, as well as victims' self‐reported experiences with telling others about their own abuse and their perceptions of the overall advantages and disadvantages of disclosure. In all, 76 undergraduate women (who collectively experienced 105 instances of abuse) participated in a semi‐structured interview regarding their history of CSA. Results revealed that approximately 50% of cases involved the victim informally disclosing, and only 10% of cases being formally disclosed to authorities. The quantitative and qualitative data shed light on a number of factors that lead victims to not disclose, as well as the identification of factors that may promote a victim to share...
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2020
Sexual grooming has been deemed an integral part of the child sexual abuse process. However, ther... more Sexual grooming has been deemed an integral part of the child sexual abuse process. However, there has yet to be a universally accepted model for this process and, as a consequence, there is no clear understanding of which behaviors constitute sexual grooming. One proposed model of in-person sexual grooming outlined five stages of the process: 1) victim selection, 2) gaining access and isolating a child, 3) trust development, 4) desensitization to sexual content and physical contact, and 5) maintenance following the abuse. The present study sought to validate this Sexual Grooming Model (SGM) and identify behaviors that may be employed during each stage of the process. First, a thorough review of the literature was conducted to generate a comprehensive list of sexual grooming behaviors (n = 77). Second, 18 experts in the field completed a survey which asked them to rate the extent to which each of the five stages and potential grooming behaviors were relevant to the sexual grooming process. Results provided support for the SGM and produced 42 behaviors that were considered to be grooming tactics within these stages. From this, the first validated, comprehensive model of in-person sexual grooming is proposed. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications and future directions in the field.
Psychology, Public Policy and Law, Feb 1, 2021
We examined statewide data of persons evaluated for Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) commitment an... more We examined statewide data of persons evaluated for Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) commitment and compared risk-relevant data of three groups: those committed as SVPs (n = 374), those not recommended for commitment (n = 2,707), and those nearly committed (recommended for commitment but ultimately not committed; n = 117). Consistent with legal language for SVP commitment, binary and multinomial regression analyses revealed risk scores predicted SVP commitment recommendations in addition to some historical factors (e.g., psychiatric history, never being married, prior sex offenses). For those recommended for commitment, prior sexual offenses predicted ultimate commitment. Those nearly committed had significantly higher sexual recidivism rates than others who were not committed; however, these recidivism rates were still low (11.5%). Findings suggest evaluators' SVP decisions incorporate risk data and follow empirically supported trends; however, the observed recidivism rates of a subset of those SVP commitment appears to target suggests SVP commitment's potential for reducing sexual recidivism effectively and efficiently appears to have a low ceiling.
Journal of Sexual Aggression, Sep 10, 2015
Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Sep 23, 2016
Detecting suicide risk among nonclinical populations is challenging due to low base rates and the... more Detecting suicide risk among nonclinical populations is challenging due to low base rates and the help-negation tendency of at-risk individuals. The current longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of the modified emotional Stroop task (EST) by conducting a follow-up study of 197 students who participated in a study by Chung and Jeglic (2016). The EST latencies for suicide-related cues and past suicidal behaviors were the only significant predictors of suicide risk. The findings of this study provide preliminary support for the use of the EST as part of a suicide risk screening battery that could add to the detection of suicide risk.
Journal of School Violence
Journal of Correctional Health Care
Current Psychiatry Reports
Purpose of Review Sex trafficking is a significant global problem that results in millions of ind... more Purpose of Review Sex trafficking is a significant global problem that results in millions of individuals being sexually exploited annually. This paper will provide an overview of recent research in the field of sex trafficking and evaluate findings to provide recommendations for future research and policy work. Recent Findings In recent years, there has been an increase in research focused on understanding sex trafficking and how it can be prevented. Specifically, recent studies have explored characteristics of sex trafficking cases, risk factors for experiencing sex trafficking, recruitment and maintenance processes, identification and intervention techniques, and treatment approaches. Summary While there have been significant strides to better understand sex trafficking across the globe, numerous areas require further exploration. Additional research conducted internationally and with adults who have experienced sex trafficking is needed to better understand methods that can identify individuals at risk for being trafficked, enhance early detection, and provide services to trafficked individuals.
Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice
Sexual Abuse
Educator sexual misconduct is a serious problem in the United States (U.S.), with a 2004 Departme... more Educator sexual misconduct is a serious problem in the United States (U.S.), with a 2004 Department of Education report estimating that 9.6% of K-12 students in the U.S. had experienced either verbal, visual, or physical educator misconduct at some point during their school career. However, since that report almost 20 years ago, there have been few large-scale studies examining the extent of the problem. As such, the current study, which uses a large sample from recent high school graduates in four U.S. states, offers updated data on the nature and scope of sexual misconduct in educational settings. Overall, 11.7% of the 6632 participants reported having experienced at least one form of educator sexual misconduct during Grades K-12, with 11% reporting sexual comments and less than 1% reporting other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g., receiving sexual photos/messages, being kissed, touched sexually, or engaging in sexual intercourse/oral sex). Those who reported misconduct showed sign...
Journal of Correctional Health Care
Sexual Abuse, 2022
Following the exposure of child sexual abuse (CSA) within the U.S. Catholic Church, it was postul... more Following the exposure of child sexual abuse (CSA) within the U.S. Catholic Church, it was postulated that many of these cases went unreported because sexual grooming was involved. The present study examined the prevalence of sexual grooming behaviors of clergy through the lens of the content-validated Sexual Grooming Model (SGM). The study used archival data from a victim survey of 10,667 cases of alleged CSA within the U.S. Catholic Church. Results revealed the accused clergy frequently used tactics in the gaining access and isolation, trust development, and desensitization stages of the SGM. From the limited data available for the victim selection and post-abuse maintenance stages, the findings showed these tactics were relatively less common. Overall, clergy who were alleged to have committed CSA used tactics consistent with sexual grooming in general, although there were unique aspects of sexual grooming given their institutional role and position.
New Frontiers in Offender Treatment, 2018
This chapter will review the history of evidence-based practice within corrections. We will then ... more This chapter will review the history of evidence-based practice within corrections. We will then address the evidence-based practice movement within the general psychotherapy treatment field and how there remains a disjoint between what we know works, and what is being practiced within corrections. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of how this divide is being bridged by the contributors to this edited book, and how they are applying and adapting cutting-edge evidence-based treatments for use in forensic settings.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2020
Internet use among adolescents and children has steadily increased since 1992 in the United State... more Internet use among adolescents and children has steadily increased since 1992 in the United States (U.S.), resulting in high numbers of minors currently engaging in Internet-related activity. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that close to 97% of children and adolescents aged three to 18 have access to home computers (U.S.
Sexual Abuse, 2021
Providing treatment to those who have committed sexual offenses can be difficult and challenging ... more Providing treatment to those who have committed sexual offenses can be difficult and challenging work. Older studies have suggested that service providers may experience changes in mood, symptoms of trauma, and countertransference reactions due to their work. Recent research has found that effective coping and self-care strategies may mitigate these negative outcomes. Given the relative dearth of recent empirical studies, we assessed the prevalence of self-reported mood, trauma symptoms, and countertransference reactions and their relation to coping styles and self-care practices in a sample of 32 male and 52 female therapists who provided treatment to individuals convicted of sexual offenses. As expected, we found minimal levels of clinically significant depressive (4%) and trauma symptoms (9%). Some countertransference reactions to clients were reported, including intense anger, retributive fantasies, sexual attraction, and arousal. A problem-solving coping style was associated wi...
International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 2021
Abstract Sex trafficking constitutes a severe international issue, affecting 4.8 million victims ... more Abstract Sex trafficking constitutes a severe international issue, affecting 4.8 million victims worldwide, with those affected in the United States numbering in the thousands (Global Slavery Index, 2016). Despite this, little is known about the characteristics of sex traffickers, especially female sex traffickers. This paper aimed to increase our knowledge of female sex traffickers in the United States. 44 criminally prosecuted cases of sex trafficking involving female sex traffickers were examined, obtained through the Case Law Database within the Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The study sought to explore characteristics of female sex traffickers in the United States with regards to the roles they hold, duties they perform and the makeup of their operations. Overall, findings demonstrated that women permeate the entire spectrum of sex trafficking crimes, from aiding and abetting to being ringleaders of sex trafficking rings.
Victims & Offenders, 2021
ABSTRACT There has yet to be universally-accepted model of child sex trafficking recruitment tact... more ABSTRACT There has yet to be universally-accepted model of child sex trafficking recruitment tactics. Research suggests that child sex traffickers may use strategies to recruit and retain minors that mirror the tactics used by child abusers when sexually grooming minors. Based on a thorough review of the child sex trafficking literature and integrating it with a content validated model of child sexual grooming, we propose the Sexual Grooming Model of Child Sex Trafficking (SGM-CST), which includes five overarching stages: 1) victim selection; 2) gaining access and isolation; 3) trust development; 4) desensitization to touch; and 5) post-abuse maintenance.
Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2020
Disclosure rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) to both social supports and law enforcement are conc... more Disclosure rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) to both social supports and law enforcement are concerningly low, although more research is needed to understand factors that impact disclosure. Thus, the present study examined rates of informal (i.e., to a social support) and formal (i.e., to law enforcement) disclosure of CSA, as well as victims' self‐reported experiences with telling others about their own abuse and their perceptions of the overall advantages and disadvantages of disclosure. In all, 76 undergraduate women (who collectively experienced 105 instances of abuse) participated in a semi‐structured interview regarding their history of CSA. Results revealed that approximately 50% of cases involved the victim informally disclosing, and only 10% of cases being formally disclosed to authorities. The quantitative and qualitative data shed light on a number of factors that lead victims to not disclose, as well as the identification of factors that may promote a victim to share...
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2020
Sexual grooming has been deemed an integral part of the child sexual abuse process. However, ther... more Sexual grooming has been deemed an integral part of the child sexual abuse process. However, there has yet to be a universally accepted model for this process and, as a consequence, there is no clear understanding of which behaviors constitute sexual grooming. One proposed model of in-person sexual grooming outlined five stages of the process: 1) victim selection, 2) gaining access and isolating a child, 3) trust development, 4) desensitization to sexual content and physical contact, and 5) maintenance following the abuse. The present study sought to validate this Sexual Grooming Model (SGM) and identify behaviors that may be employed during each stage of the process. First, a thorough review of the literature was conducted to generate a comprehensive list of sexual grooming behaviors (n = 77). Second, 18 experts in the field completed a survey which asked them to rate the extent to which each of the five stages and potential grooming behaviors were relevant to the sexual grooming process. Results provided support for the SGM and produced 42 behaviors that were considered to be grooming tactics within these stages. From this, the first validated, comprehensive model of in-person sexual grooming is proposed. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications and future directions in the field.