NCJ Number
172952
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: July 1998 Pages: 211-226
Date Published
1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between denial and a number of demographic, adjudication, and personality variables in a sample of 114 adult male sexual offenders who targeted children.
Abstract
Study participants included adult males evaluated at an outpatient facility for the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. The mean age of the sample was 36.7 years, and all participants were accused of exclusively victimizing children. Alleged extrafamilial child molesters made up 55 percent of the sample, while alleged incest perpetrators accounted for 40 percent of the sample. Participants were assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Multiphasic Sex Inventory, and other measures of sexual interest. Results showed deniers displayed a fake-good style of responding and demonstrate a greater degree of defensiveness than admitters. Deniers also endorsed less pathology on MMPI clinical scales. These differences held after controlling for intelligence quotient and degree of defensiveness, suggesting that deniers approached the assessment situation differently than admitters. Deniers were younger and scored lower on intelligence tests than admitters. A logistic regression that predicted admitting status and employed two MMPI special scales and a stimulus category as independent variables resulted in an overall correct prediction rate of 73 percent. Implications of the findings for future research on adult sexual offenders are discussed. 30 references and 5 tables