Childhood Maltreatment Experiences, Attachment, Sexual Offending: Testing a Theory

Abstract

The aim of this study was to empirically examine the theoretical model proposed by Grady, Levenson, and Bolder used to explain the relationships between experiencing trauma, attachment styles, and risk factors associated with sexual offending. The specific risk factors tested were emotional, behavioral, and cognitive regulation deficits. The research questions were as follows: (1) What specific childhood traumatic experiences (physical and sexual abuse and/or other domestic trauma events) are associated with anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant attachments? (2) Are anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant attachment styles differentially linked to dysregulation outcomes (emotional, behavioral and cognitive shift, and inhibitions)? (3) Do insecure attachment styles explain why childhood trauma is associated with dysregulation? and (4) Do these early life experiences contribute to sexual offending behavior? The sample included 200 male youth adjudicated for either a sexual or nonsexual crime and living in the community or a residential facility. The average age of the youth was 17.17 years ( SD = 1.81 years). Structural equation modeling was used to determine the direct and indirect relationships between abuse and traumatic experiences, anxious-avoidant and ambivalent-anxious attachment styles, and regulation deficits. Authors found a direct relationship between physical abuse and both of the attachment styles, separately. Both anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant attachment styles related similarly to regulation deficits. Separately, anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant attachment styles served as mediators between physical abuse and regulation deficits. Sexual abuse predicted the later commission of sexual crimes with no influence from attachment style. Finally, domestic trauma independently predicted regulation deficits in the model that included anxious-ambivalent attachment but had no effect on deficits in the model that included anxious-avoidant attachment. Implications for treatment include the need to consider using attachment-based interventions and prevention strategies, and a trauma-informed approach when working with justice involved youth. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Life on “the List” is a Life Lived in Fear: Post-Conviction Traumatic Stress in Men Convicted of Sexual Offenses

“…For people who sexually offend, early adversity may have contributed to emotional congruence with children, or hostile feelings or behaviors directed toward women (Levenson et al, 2017). Early relational traumas can lead to a tendency to seek out or exploit others who are more vulnerable and less threatening (Ardino, 2012;Grady et al, 2016;Grady et al, 2018).…”

Criminogenic Needs as Intervening Factors in the Relation Between Insecure Attachments and Youth Sexual Violence

“…Given that a large meta-analysis designated self-regulation and antisocial traits as supported and promising risks for sexual recidivism (Mann, Hanson, & Thornton, 2010), they may be critical to include as mediators in model testing. Researchers who tested the Grady et al (2017) model (Grady et al, 2018) found that the relationship between maltreatment, attachment, and sexual violence is characterized by both direct and indirect relationships, and may be best explained by intermediated factors such as behavioral regulation. Other studies have revealed how insecure attachments can create vulnerabilities for compensatory reactions—including inhibited emotional, neurological, and cognitive processing—that then contribute to behavioral responses including sexual violence (Marshall & Marshall, 2000).…”

How Background Relates to Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Policies Related to Individuals Convicted of Sex Crimes

“…There now exists a substantial amount of literature that demonstrates that ICSCs have experienced significantly more traumatic experiences than either the general population or individuals who have committed nonsexual crimes (e.g., Grady, Yoder, & Brown, 2018; Levenson, Willis, & Prescott, 2014a, 2014b; Yoder, Grady, & Dillard, 2018). Therefore, for many ICSCs, they could be categorized as both a “victim” and an “offender.” This research also demonstrates that not only there is a strong correlation between trauma histories and subsequent sexual offending but also higher rates of trauma are associated with other difficulties such as substance abuse (Levenson, 2016; Levenson & Socia, 2016), interpersonal relationship difficulties, and emotional dysregulation (Grady, Levenson, & Bolder, 2017; Grady & Shields, 2018; Grady et al, 2018). Given their dual identities, many researchers in the field have noted that treatment designed to address recidivism among this population needs to also use a trauma-informed approach (Levenson, 2014, 2017) to address the potential root cause of sexual violence (Grady et al, 2017).…”