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Perceived Parental Attachment, Personality Characteristics, and Cognition in Male Incest

NCJ Number
240083
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2012 Pages: 557-572
Author(s)
Yi-Ching Lu; For-Wey Lung
Date Published
June 2012
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the multiple pathways of perceived child-rearing practices, cognitive-executive functions, and personality characteristics in incest and other sexual offenders.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the multiple pathways of perceived child-rearing practices, cognitive-executive functions, and personality characteristics in incest and other sexual offenders. The participants consisted of 217 male sexual offenders who were in custody in southern Taiwan. Participants were divided into 2 groups of 25 incest and 192 nonincest sexual offenders. The incest offenders tended to be less extraverted and worse in abstract reasoning ability, and to have more perseverative thinking, and perceived less parental care than other sexual offenders. Moreover, the structural equation model showed that the effect of parental care on the type of sexual offense is mediated by cognitive-executive functions and personality traits. This finding suggests that the personality traits, cognitive function, and parental attachment of incest offenders differ from other sexual offenders. This result can be a helpful reference in sexual-offender intervention programs for relapse prevention. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.