Sexual coping,general coping and cognitive distortions in incarcerated rapists and child molesters |
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| Authors: | Steven Feelgood Franca Cortoni Anthony Thompson |
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| Institution: | 1. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , Technical University , Dresden, Germany steven.feelgood@arcor.de;3. Research Branch , Correctional Service of Canada , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;4. School of Social Sciences , Charles Sturt University , Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Sexual coping, general coping and cognitive distortions were investigated in 25 rapists, 36 child molesters and 25 violent offenders. Rapists did not report more support for rape-supportive distortions than the violent offender comparison group. Child molesters scored higher than the other groups on the measure of molestation-supportive distortions, although mean scores were at the low end of the scale. Consistent with previous research, all offender groups reported ineffective coping styles and child molesters reported using more emotion-oriented coping than the non-sexual offenders. Child molesters but not rapists scored higher than violent offenders on deviant aspects of sexual coping, although mean scores were at the low end of the sub-scales. Evaluation of these comparisons was aided by effect sizes. The effect sizes reveal that there may indeed be differences between rapists and the comparison group with respect to cognitive distortions and sexual coping. Modest correlations were found between deviant sexual coping and cognitive distortions. The findings are interpreted in terms of etiological development and the sexual offence process. |
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| Keywords: | Cognitive distortions coping sexual coping sexual offenders |
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