Preliminary Findings on Men's Sexual Self-Schema and Sexual Offending: Differences Between Subtypes of Offenders

Available literature suggests that sexual self-schemas (i.e., cognitive generalizations about sexual aspects of oneself) influence sexual behavior. Nonetheless, there is a lack of research regarding their role in sexual offending. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the men's sexual self-schema dimensions (passionate-loving, powerful-aggressive, and open-minded-liberal) and different types of sexual-offending behavior. A total of 50 rapists, 65 child molesters (21 pedophilic, 44 nonpedophilic), and 51 nonsexual offenders answered the Men's Sexual Self-Schema Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Socially Desirable Response Set Measure (SDRS-5). Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression, controlling for age, school education, psychological distress, and social desirability. Results showed that rapists as well as nonsexual offenders were more likely to hold the powerful-aggressive sexual self-view compared to pedophilic and nonpedophilic child molesters. Overall, findings seem to be consistent with both a sociocultural component of aggression and the general cognitive profile of offenders. If further research corroborates these preliminary findings, sexual self-concept may be integrated into a comprehensive multifactorial approach of offending behavior.     

The use of sexually explicit stimuli by rapists,child molesters,and nonoffenders

Retrospective recall provided the basis for estimating the use of sexually explicit materials by sex offenders (voluntary outpatients) and nonoffenders during pubescence, as well as currently. Offenders were also asked about their use of such materials as incitors to offend. The sexual materials of concern were restricted to magazines, films, or videotapes depicting very explicit consenting sex between adults, a man forcing sex upon a woman, and sex between an adult male and a child. Twenty‐three rapists and 51 men who molested children other than their own (i.e. child molesters) reported significantly greater use of materials than was indicated by either incest offenders or nonoffender controls. Rapists and child molesters reported frequent use of these materials while preparing themselves to commit an offense. Current use was significantly related to the chronicity of their sexual offending (as revealed by number of victims) amongst the child molesters and to laboratory‐assessed sexual preferences for children in the heterosexual child molesters.     

Heterosocial competence of rapists and child molesters: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 119 effect sizes from 14 papers examined the heterosocial competence of sex offenders. Rapists had significantly lower heterosocial competence than non-sex-offenders, but this effect was relatively small. Rapists in prison differed from non-sex-offenders who were not in prison; however, they did not differ from non-sex-offending prisoners. When unreliable measures were excluded from the analysis, nonincarcerated students and other volunteers who reported committing rape did not differ from nonincarcerated non-sex-offenders. The difference in heterosocial competence between child molesters and non-sex-offenders was significantly larger than the difference between rapists and non-sex-offenders. Also, child molesters had significantly less heterosocial competence than rapists. Findings clarify the relationship between heterosocial competence, rape, and child sexual abuse. Implications for the research and treatment of sex offenders are discussed.     

Heterosocial competence of rapists and child molesters: A meta‐analysis

A meta‐analysis of 119 effect sizes from 14 papers examined the heterosocial competence of sex offenders. Rapists had significantly lower heterosocial competence than non‐sex‐offenders, but this effect was relatively small. Rapists in prison differed from non‐sex‐offenders who were not in prison; however, they did not differ from non‐sex‐offending prisoners. When unreliable measures were excluded from the analysis, nonincarcerated students and other volunteers who reported committing rape did not differ from nonincarcerated non‐sex‐offenders. The difference in heterosocial competence between child molesters and non‐sex‐offenders was significantly larger than the difference between rapists and non‐sex‐offenders. Also, child molesters had significantly less heterosocial competence than rapists. Findings clarify the relationship between heterosocial competence, rape, and child sexual abuse. Implications for the research and treatment of sex offenders are discussed.     

Childhood sexual experience and adult offending: an exploratory comparison of three criminal groups

The study explored the links between adult offending and exploitative sexual experiences during childhood. A questionnaire was administered to three criminal groups (child molesters, rapists and non‐sexual offenders) with the aim of investigating the statistical relationships between the men's early childhood sexual experiences. The sample comprised a total of 125 males. Fifty‐eight were in prison for non‐sexual crimes, 23 were serving sentences for rape and the remaining 44 were undergoing therapeutic treatment for their child molestation crime at a special treatment programme within the prison. Significant differences were found across the groups with respect to family context: education, subsequent occupation, religious family background and levels of abuse experienced during childhood. The two sex offending groups reported higher levels of physical and sexual abuse. The rapists reported significantly higher levels of emotional abuse and neglect. The child molester group was more likely to report both consenting and non‐consenting activity with other children and there was significance across the range of sexual behaviours. Higher abuse reporting by the child molester and rapist groups suggests that early experience may influence developmental trajectories and offending pathways. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sexual offenders' perceptions of their early interpersonal relationships: An attachment perspective

The present study examined the perceptions of early interpersonal experiences of sexual offenders (child molesters and rapists) and two criminal comparison groups. A grounded theory approach was applied to a comprehensive list of responses provided by the participants to questions about their early interpersonal experiences. The raw data was collapsed into 14 basic categories by grouping together responses of similar meanings. The categories were responsiveness, consistency, acceptance, boundaries, emotional regulation, autonomy, self‐evaluation, developmental trauma sexual abuse and deviation, physical abuse, loss, conflict, safety, and positive mediating interactions. In the second part of the study, the four groups were compared using the categories and the differences noted. All four groups experienced significantly negative early interpersonal experiences.     

Sexual offenders' perceptions of their early interpersonal relationships: an attachment perspective

The present study examined the perceptions of early interpersonal experiences of sexual offenders (child molesters and rapists) and two criminal comparison groups. A grounded theory approach was applied to a comprehensive list of responses provided by the participants to questions about their early interpersonal experiences. The raw data was collapsed into 14 basic categories by grouping together responses of similar meanings. The categories were responsiveness, consistency, acceptance, boundaries, emotional regulation, autonomy, self-evaluation, developmental trauma, sexual abuse and deviation, physical abuse, loss, conflict, safety, and positive mediating interactions. In the second part of the study, the four groups were compared using the categories and the differences noted. All four groups experienced significantly negative early interpersonal experiences.     

Cognitions of child sexual abusers

The role of cognition in child sexual abuse is an important, yet virtually ignored area of inquiry. Data from the role construct repertory grid technique (rep grid; Kelly, 1955) were collected from 10 child sexual abusers and 10 “sexually normal” individuals in an attempt to replicate a study by Howells (1979) on child molesters’ thoughts about their victims and other people. Replicated were the findings concerning the tendency of the combined offender groups to think of females, relative to males, in sexual and physical appearance terms. More importantly, however, tendency of child molesters to use more egoistic constructs than non‐sex offenders was not replicated. Brief discussion of the failure to find significant between‐group differences is presented.     

Generalized Empathy in Child Molesters

Two studies are reported that examined generalized empathy in child molesters. Incarcerated child molesters were not found to be deficient in general empathy, but outpatient offenders displayed deficits in general empathy compared with matched non-offenders. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of the context in which child molesters are evaluated and in terms of the specificity of the empathy deficits.     

Toward a Neuropsychology of Personality in Sex Offenders Against Children: An Exploratory Psychometric Study

Little is known about the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and normal personality in sex offenders. The aim of this study was to examine the relations between personality traits and executive functioning in child molesters. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory was used to assess personality, and the Trail Making Test (parts A and B) was used to assess executive functioning in a sample of child molesters (n?=?33). We found the time required to complete Trail Making Test part A significantly predicted Extraversion scores, whereas the time to complete Trail Making Test part B significantly predicted Openness scores. Brief measures of executive functioning can thus predict the score in Extraversion and Openness in child molesters. These personality traits may be related to the functioning of brain areas implicated in having to complete the Trail Making Test.     

I Knew It All Along: The Sexual Grooming Behaviors of Child Molesters and the Hindsight Bias

Recent high profile cases of child sexual abuse have increased interest in the grooming behaviors of child molesters and why these offenders are not identified sooner. This study examined one possible explanation—the hindsight bias. Five hundred and twenty-six undergraduates were randomly assigned to read one of six vignettes and asked to rate the likelihood the person in the story is a child molester. Results supported the presence of the hindsight bias, with participants who were given outcome information overestimating the likelihood they would have predicted that the person was a child molester. Also, participants were able to recognize sexual grooming behaviors when the potential child molester was a relative and nonrelative. Findings indicated that sexual grooming behaviors may be more easily identified than previously proposed, but individuals greatly overestimate the likelihood they would have predicted a person was a child molester once they are given outcome information.     

Repeat rape and multiple offending among undetected rapists

Pooling data from four samples in which 1,882 men were assessed for acts of interpersonal violence, we report on 120 men whose self-reported acts met legal definitions of rape or attempted rape, but who were never prosecuted by criminal justice authorities. A majority of these undetected rapists were repeat rapists, and a majority also committed other acts of interpersonal violence. The repeat rapists averaged 5.8 rapes each. The 120 rapists were responsible for 1,225 separate acts of interpersonal violence, including rape, battery, and child physical and sexual abuse. These findings mirror those from studies of incarcerated sex offenders (Abel, Becker, Mittelman, Cunningham-Rathner, Rouleau, & Murphy, 1987; Weinrott and Saylor, 1991), indicating high rates of both repeat rape and multiple types of offending. Implications for the investigation and prosecution of this so-called "hidden" rape are discussed.     

A study of the cycle of abuse among child molesters

The current study was designed to determine whether there is support for the cycle of abuse theory among child molesters. A group of 147 sex offenders on probation were used in this study. The victims of 32 of these offenders were under the age of 10, and 19 of these offenders reported a history of childhood sexual abuse. Results indicate that being abused as a child is related to being a child molester. It was also found that the MMPI-2 did not predict the status of the subjects in regard to being abused as a child and having a victim under 10-years-old.     

Substantiation of Sexual Abuse Allegations

Professional practices and decision-making procedures in investigation of child sexual abuse were studied by interviewing child protection professionals in the southeastern U.S. regarding 175 allegations of abuse. Investigation procedures used, factors associated with the decision to substantiate, and the child protection workers' degree of confidence in their decisions were recorded for each allegation. It was found that substantiated cases: (a) involved significantly older children; (b) were more likely to involve intrusive types of abuse and children of minority race; and (c) were less likely to involve a visitation or custody dispute. Characteristics of the child's disclosure served as the primary basis for substantiation decisions, although medical evidence and affective and behavioral indicators also contributed to the decisions. Case workers were less certain of their decisions when allegations involved young children and adolescents and when allegations were made in the context of custody disputes. In terms of investigatory procedures, anatomical dolls and drawings were rarely used, alleged offenders were interviewed in fewer than one quarter of the cases, and medical and law enforcement consultations were obtained at a higher rate than mental health consultations.     

The Construct of Grooming in Child Sexual Abuse: Conceptual and Measurement Issues

There have been claims that some child molesters engage in a “seduction stage” prior to committing abuse. These behaviors, commonly known as “grooming,” are understood as methods child molesters use to gain access to and prepare future victims to be compliant with abuse. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding exactly what this process entails and how it is clearly distinguished from normal adult–child interactions. It is important to devise an accurate definition of grooming for scientific, clinical, and forensic purposes. We critically evaluate the various definitions and reveal problematic heterogeneity. Furthermore, there are no methods of known psychometrics to validly assess grooming. We review the empirical literature regarding the occurrence of grooming and propose future directions for research.     

Pictures in the classroom: can teachers and mental health professionals identify maltreated children's drawings?

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether teachers and mental health professionals are able to identify drawings produced by maltreated children, at a level greater than chance, when these drawings are presented to them at the same time as drawings created by non‐maltreated matched control children. In a relatively small study, a group of 33 mental health practitioners (MHPs) and a group of 10 teachers were shown sets of drawings and asked whether they could identify the maltreated children's drawings. It was found that there was no significant difference between mental health practitioner and teacher groups in identifying child maltreatment from Favourite Kind of Day Drawings (FKDs) (Manning, 1987) and Kinetic Family Drawings (KFD) (Burns and Kaufman, 1970). The results also point to the KFD as a more reliable drawing technique, but only when it is known that maltreatment is definitely present, and in a situation with no a priori knowledge it should not be used for the identification of maltreatment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“We have to take these guys out”: Motivations for Assaulting Incarcerated Child Molesters

We know very little about how incarcerated men justify assaults against at‐risk inmates such as child molesters. For this article, we fill this gap in the literature by examining how men describe these assaults as a way to align their own violent behavior with more conventional mores. We find that formerly incarcerated men justify violence as a way to raise their own social status and promote cultural norms against child abuse. When inmates attack someone convicted of child molestation, they do so to punish him and provide a “service” to their community. Furthermore, they elevate their own social status and distance themselves from these offenders. Theoretically, this work broadens our understanding of verbal justifications for violent action.     

A SOCIOLOGICAL, OFFENDER-BASED, STUDY OF RAPE

This study contributes to the etiological research on rape by expanding the range of predictor variables and by including comparable violent offender and non-offender populations. The study is based on interview data from 38 convicted rapists, 59 convicted nonsexually violent offenders, and 65 non-offenders matched on age, race, and neighborhood of residence during adolescence. Discriminant analysis is employed with these three populations and four sets of discriminating variables: (1) demographic and family background variables, (2) affective experiences, (3) school and dating experiences, and (4) legal and offense-related experiences. The results show that, in general, we are better able to discriminate between offenders and non-offenders than between rapists and other violent offenders. However, affective experiences, in particular a history of sexual abuse, clearly predict sexually violent behavior. The results are discussed in light of existing rape research and the more general predictive research on antisocial behavior.     

Male University Students' Attitudes Toward Rape and Rapists

This qualitative study investigated male humanities university students' attitudes and beliefs about rape and rapists. Twenty male social work and psychology students participated in a semi-open interview in which they were asked about their perceptions of rape, rapists, and their own capacity for rape. The results indicated that these students perceived rapists as aggressive, mentally disturbed, impulsive individuals, yet saw rape as a planned act. The findings further indicated that, in contrast to their initially expressed abhorrence of forced sex and rape, 30% of the subjects later admitted that under specific circumstances they would be capable of forcing sexual relations or raping.