Implicit Theories and Personality Patterns in Child-victim Sex Offenders

• Published in: Sexual abuse in Australia and New Zealand Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 58 - 65
• Main Authors: Jones, Jennifer, Vess, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Haymarket, N.S.W Australia and New Zealand Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers 01.02.2010; Australia and New Zealand Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuse (A NZATS A)
• Subjects: Child sexual abuse; Children; Children & youth; Cognitive therapy for children; Emotions; Implicit theories; New Zealand; Personality; Psychology; Rehabilitation; Sex crimes; Sex offenders; Sexually abused children; Treatment methods
• ISSN: 1833-8488

Research has suggested that child sex offenders hold thematically distinct cognitive distortions, which Ward and Keenan (1999) call Implicit Theories. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the relationship between offenders’ Implicit Theories and their personality related cognitions. The variables were measured using the Implicit Theory Questionnaire and Millon’s (1990) MCMI-III personality scales. Subjects were 28 male sex offenders against children serving a custodial sentence in New Zealand, who elected to participate in a treatment program. A majority of participants had personality scale scores that reached the clinical threshold. Results found that dependant, depressive and schizoidal personality patterns significantly correlated with Implicit Theories. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.