Attachment styles and psychological profiles of child sex offenders in Ireland.
When 29 child sex offenders, 30 violent offenders, 30 nonviolent offenders, and 30 community controls were compared, a secure adult attachment style was 4 times less common in the child sex offender group than in any of the other three groups. Ninety-three percent of sex offenders had an insecure adult attachment style. Compared with community controls, the child sex offender group reported significantly lower levels of maternal and paternal care and significantly higher levels of maternal and paternal overprotection during their childhood. Compared with all three comparison groups, the child sexual offenders reported significantly more emotional loneliness and a more external locus of control. With respect to anger management, the child sexual offenders' profile more closely approximated those of nonviolent offenders and community controls than that of violent offenders.
Trinity College Dublin.
Fiona
F
Marsa
Gary
G
O'Reilly
Alan
A
Carr
Paul
P
Murphy
Maura
M
O'Sullivan
Anthony
A
Cotter
David
D
Hevey
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007494:Ireland; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology