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

Abstract

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.

Psychological treatment and therapeutic change in incarcerated rapists

“…Some rapists are versatile offenders, in the sense that their criminal behaviour is not restricted to sexual offences but may extend to theft, physical assault, and so on. This versatility may contribute to consolidating and stabilising the rapist's criminal career, since sexual and nonsexual crimes may interact reciprocally as a part of a more general, chronically deviant life style (Lussier, 2005;Piquero, Farrington, Jennings, Diamond, & Craig, 2012;Seto & Lalumière, 2010;Sewall, Krupp, & Lalumière, 2013;Sigre-leirós et al, 2016).…”

Mathematics self-schema, motivation, and subject choice intention: A multiphase investigation.

“…Individuals who hold a self-schema often act consistently with the self-conception that defines their identity in a specific domain. Such a pattern of schema-behavior consistency has been examined and verified in studies related to healthy-eater schema (Kendzierski & Costello, 2004), exercise self-schema (Banting et al, 2009), drinker schema (Lee et al, 2018), sexual self-schema (Sigre-Leirós, Carvalho, & Nobre, 2016), and self-schemas in other applied domains. For example, Lee et al (2018) found that individuals who held a drinker self-schema drank and smoked more than those who were aschematic; Nowosielski, Kurpisz, and Kowalczyk (2019) found that Polish women’s sexual self-schemas affected their choice of contraceptive methods; Kendzierski and Costello (2004) found that female undergraduates who held a heathy-eater schema had a daily dietary consumption characterized by less fat but more fiber; Banting et al (2009) found that individuals who held an exercise self-schema, compared to nonschematics, had stronger intention to exercise and did more actual exercises.…”

“…The use of self-report questionnaires in assessing self-schema has gained momentum, probably due to its economical nature and easiness in administration. In the past two decades, questionnaire instruments, such as Appearance Schemas Inventory (Cash & Labarge, 1996) and Sexual Self-schema Scale (Sigre-Leirós et al, 2016), have been developed in different domains assessing self-descriptiveness and perceived importance. The development of these self-schema questionnaires highlights the domain-specific nature of self-descriptiveness.…”

A Chip Off the Old Block: The Impact of Fathers on Sexual Offending Behavior

“…Finally, seven studies investigated the ability of paternal attachment to predict types of sexual offenders (Bogaerts et al, 2000; Craissati et al, 2002; Giotakos et al, 2004; McCormack et al, 2002; Sigre-Leirós et al, 2016; Simons et al, 2008; Smallbone & McCabe, 2003). Of those seven, five found that rapists reported poorer relationships with their fathers than did men who molested children (Giotakos et al, 2004; McCormack et al, 2002; Sigre-Leirós et al, 2016; Simons et al, 2008; Smallbone & McCabe, 2003). The remaining two studies again produced results that conflict with the general trends (Bogaerts et al, 2000; Craissati et al, 2002).…”