title: The psychological profiles of internet, contact, and mixed internet/contact sex offenders.
abstract: A sample of 526 contact offenders, 459 internet offenders, and 143 mixed contact/internet offenders was compared on a range of self-report psychological measures assessing offense-supportive beliefs, socioaffective functioning, emotional management, and socially desirable responding. A multivariate general linear model found a mixed offender profile that was similar to internet offenders rather than contact offenders. The contact group demonstrated lower victim empathy, a greater level of pro-offending attitudes, an externalized locus of control, more assertiveness, a diminished ability to relate to fictional characters, and greater impulsivity than the internet and mixed offender groups. The mixed offender group demonstrated a higher level of empathic concern than the other two groups. The mixed offender group could also be distinguished from the internet group by increased personal distress and perspective-taking ability. A discriminant function analysis highlighted the key linear factor distinguishing between the groups to be one relating to offense-supportive attitudes and identification with fictional characters. A second factor was related to higher levels of empathic concern and poor self-management. These findings are discussed in the context of the potential pathways between internet and contact sexual offenses.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. ian@iaelliott.com
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Beech
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mandeville-Norden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D004882:Erotica / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D007389:Internal-External Control; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*