Myths and Misconceptions about Sex Offenders
By J Paul Fedoroff, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto and Beveley Moran, Whitby Mental Health Centre, Whitby, Ontario.

This paper critically evaluates and challenges nine prevalent, but questionable, public perceptions about the nature of sex offenders. These popular views suggest that sex offenders are all socially deprived men; sex offenders are the result of childhood abuse; sex offenders shouldn't masturbate; sex offenders have too much testosterone; sex offenders can't be cured; sex offenders always lie to stay out of treatment; sex offenders are sex maniacs; public notification of sex offender release protects the community; sex offenders are all the same. Studies which call these views into question are presented, as are suggestions for appropriate treatment and future research.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 263-276)

The Relationship between Sexual Problems, Communication, and Sexual Satisfaction
By Sheila MacNeil and E. Sandra Byers, Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick.

This study examined the relationships between sexual problems, sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction in a community sample. Fifty-three women and 34 men in long-term, heterosexual relationships returned completed questionnaires. A majority of the men and women reported that they had experienced one or more sexual concerns or problems in the past 18 months. For both men and women, an increasing number of sexual concerns and problems for self and for partner was associated with decreased sexual satisfaction. Both better communication in general, and disclosure of specific sexual likes and dislikes in particular, were associated with increased sexual satisfaction. However, the quality of communication did not alter the relationship between sexual problems and concerns and sexual satisfaction. Implications for sex therapy and future research are discussed.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 277-284)

The Use of Normalization as a Strategy in the Sexual Exploitation of Children by Adult Offenders
By Shelly Young, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor.

Most of the literature on child sexual assault focuses on either the victim, the offender or on one specific type of assault (i.e., incest). Few studies have examined the social context in which sexual exploitation of children occurs. This study identified the routine activities, aspects of lifestyle and presentations of self that are used by adults to normalize sexually exploitive interactions with children. Criminal events theory guided by the qualitative analysis of 45 child sexual assault case-files from the Victim-Witness Assistance program (V.W.A..P.) in Windsor, Ontario. This research moves beyond previous studies by exploring how offenders manipulate normative social roles, positions, activities and social expectations to sexually exploit children. Normalization of sexually exploitive  sexual activity with children is achieved by a variety of means, such as desensitization through gradual exposure to sexual material and behaviours disguised as education, by presenting the sexual interaction as an acceptable form of punishment or reward, or by representing the activity as an appropriate way to repay favours.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 285-296)

Counselling the Partners of Heterosexual Male Cross-Dressers
By Kathleen V. Cairns, Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Calgary.

This paper addresses the characteristics, concerns, and coping styles of women married to cross-dressing men. Academic and community-based research and resource materials are reviewed and critically assessed. Process and content suggestions for counselling women married to cross-dressing men are presented, along with recommendations for further research and resource development.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 297-306)

Gender Differences in the Emotional Tone of Written Sexual Fantasies By Stephanie L. Dubois, Department of Counselling Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.

The limited body of research on the emotional tone of women's and men's written sexual fantasies has relied on qualitative and/or subjective measures of affect. In this study, the Dictionary of Affect in Language (Whissell, 1989) was used to obtain two quantitative measures, Activation and Evaluation, of the emotional tone of sexual fantasies written by male (n=71) and female (n=119) university students. It was hypothesized that men would score higher than women on Activation, which is associated with  arousal and action, and women higher than men on Evaluation, which is associated with pleasant feelings. Only the latter hypothesis was confirmed. Men scored higher on a measure of erotophilia-erotophobia than did women (although not on a measure of sex guilt), but controlling for erotophilia did not eliminate the observed affective difference in written fantasy. Limitations of the study and other possible uses of the Dictionary in sex research are discussed.
(The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 307-316)

The Scripting of Sexual Behaviour: Canadian University Students on Spring Break in Florida
By Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Windsor and Edward Herold, Department of Family Studies, University of Guelph.

This study used scripting theory (Simon & Gagnon, 1987) to examine the sexual behaviour of Canadian University students on spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida. Analyses are based on focus groups, interviews, on-site observations and surveys conducted both before (n=151) and during or immediately following (n=681) spring break. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified four factors that comprised the spring break cultural script: partying/alcohol use; sexual arousal; sexual pressuring; and participation in the sexual environment. Two sets of discriminant function analyses were used to identify the relative importance of each of these factors in the sexual scripts of those who engaged in no sexual activity (n=255), "fooling around in a sexual way" (n=256), sexual intercourse with someone met on spring break (n=39), and sexual intercourse with a relationship partner who came on spring break vacation (n=44). The four factors carried different importance in the spring break sexual scripts of those who did not engage in sexual activity, those who engaged in sexual intercourse with a partner who came to Daytona Beach, and those who engaged in "fooling around" or sexual intercourse with someone they met in Daytona. It was concluded that there are three distinct sexual scripts: those which include no sexual activity; those which include either fooling around or intercourse with someone met in Daytona; and those which include intercourse with a relationship partner. The degree of participation in the sexual environment proved consistently important in differentiating among these three scripts for both men and women.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1997; 6: 317-328)