Sexualization and Lifestyle Impulsivity: Clinically Valid Discriminators in Sexual Offenders

• NCJ Number: 201925
• Journal: InternationalJournal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2003 Pages: 452-467
• Author(s): Reinhard Eher; Wolfgang Neuwirth; Stefan Fruehwald; Patrick Frottier
• Date Published: August 2003
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses a comparison between the non-sexualized types of rapists, the sexualized types of rapists, and pedophilic child molesters in terms of psychometric measures, criminological data, and DSM-IV diagnoses.

Abstract

There are three hypotheses to this study. The first is that non-sexualized rapists differ in respect of psychiatric co-morbidity and criminal history. The second is that sexualized rapists and sexualized child molesters are more similar as regards to psychiatric co-morbidity and psychometric measures on anxiety, depression, and aggression than non-sexualized and sexualized rapists. The third hypothesis is that sexualized rapists and sexualized child molesters are more similar as regards to criminal history variables than non-sexualized and sexualized rapists. The population studied was composed of 118 imprisoned adult male sexual offenders at a medium-security institution in Vienna, Austria. All were classified as mentally ill but competent, and mandated to participate in a residential treatment program. Sex offenders were separated according to the existence of a paraphilia and/or paraphilia-related disorder (sexualized) and whether offenders had transgressed minors or adults. Paraphilic and sexualized sex offenders were found to generally exhibit many similarities regardless whether they had offended against minors or adults. Striking differences were found between paraphilic and sexualized sex offenders on one hand -- regardless whether they had offended against minors or adults -- and the group of non-sexualized offenders exhibiting a history of high lifestyle impulsivity on the other hand. Paraphilic and highly sexualized rapists could be shown to resemble more the pedophilic child molesters. Helping the offender to overcome avoidant personality traits by psychotherapy and the application of serotonergic medication to properly manage deviant urges should be the main focus of treatment for the sexualized and paraphilic group. 4 tables, 32 references