Interpreting Child Sexual Abuse: The Impact of Victim Response |
| |
Authors: | Inge Sarah Hempel Nicole Maria Leonarda Buck Hjalmar Johan Carel van Marle |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands;2. Het Dok Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient and Day Treatment Centre, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsI.Hempel@erasmusmc.nl;4. Forensic Psychiatric Center De Kijvelanden, Rhoon, the Netherlands;5. Het Dok Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient and Day Treatment Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands |
| |
Abstract: | There is little empirical knowledge about whether the interpretation process of child sex offenders is offense-supportive in nature and contributes to the offending process. Vignettes were developed to compare child sex offenders’ and nonoffenders’ interpretations of child molestation incidents after ambiguous and nonambiguous victim responses. Results showed that child sex offenders’ (N = 60) interpretations did not differ from nonoffenders’ (N = 40) interpretations. Overall, the more ambiguous the child responses, the more child complicity and child benefit was seen. Our results indicate that offense-supportive interpretations are not unique to child sex offenders. The mechanisms that are responsible for whether or not to commit a sexual offense should be unraveled and treated, to prevent deviant processes to be activated. |
| |
Keywords: | child sexual abuse sex offending offense-supportive cognitions interpretation process child sex offenders |
|
|