Sexual Offenders' State-of-Mind regarding Childhood Attachment: A Controlled Investigation

• Published in: Sexual abuse Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 289 - 302
• Main Authors: Stirpe, Tania, Abracen, Jeffrey, Stermac, Lana, Wilson, Robin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-07-2006
• Subjects: Attachment; Interviews; Methodological Problems; Sex Offenders; Theoretical Problems
• ISSN: 1079-0632
• DOI: 10.1007/s11194-006-9022-3

Attachment experiences have been regarded as significant by researchers & clinicians attempting to explain the etiology of sexual offending. Although initial studies have revealed some promising evidence, there are a number of theoretical & methodological problems with this preliminary body of work. While addressing these limitations, the goal of the present study was to investigate state-of-mind regarding childhood attachment among subtypes of sexual offenders, comparing them to both a sample of nonsexual offenders & to the documented patterns of nonoffenders. Sixty-one sexual offenders (extrafamilial child molesters, incest offenders, & rapists) & 40 nonsexual offenders (violent & nonviolent) were administered the "Adult Attachment Interview." Results indicated that the majority of sexual offenders were insecure, representing a marked difference from normative samples. Although insecurity of attachment was common to all groups of offenders, there were important differences in regard to the specific type of insecurity. Most notable were the child molesters, who were significantly more likely to be Preoccupied. Rapists, violent offenders, and, to a lesser degree, incest offenders were more likely to be Dismissing. Although still most likely to be Dismissing, nonviolent offenders were comparatively more Secure. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.