Abstract
Sex-offenders are at risk of criminal recidivism. For the treatment to be truly effective, it must be individualized. For this purpose, an accurate assessment should focus on criminological, psychological, and psychopathological features. The present study compared sex offenders with other offenders on historical experiences (i.e., problems with violence, anti-social behaviors, problems with personal relationships, problems with substance use, traumatic experiences, and parenting style). In addition, given the association between life events and psychopathy, we explored whether the relation between life events and crime type (sexual crime vs. other types of crime) might be moderated by psychopathy traits (interpersonal and affective deficits and antisocial behavior). Eighty-eight sex offenders (76% of whom child molesters) and 102 other offenders were included. The Historical, Clinical and Risk Management - 20 item Version 3 (HCR-20V3) and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were administered. The scores of the HCR-20V3 Historical scale items were computed to assess life events. The scores of the PCL-R factors, F1 Interpersonal affective deficits and F2 Antisocial behavior, were recorded. The presence of a history of problems with non-intimate relationships was the only significant risk factor for sexual crime compared with other crimes. Interpersonal and affective deficits provided an increased likelihood of being sex offenders as compared with other offenders when problems with non-intimate relationships were possibly/partially or certainly present.
Highlights
The history of criminal perpetrators, the developmental pattern of their careers, and the risk factors for criminal behaviors have always been considered a central topic in criminological research.The relationship between the traumatic experiences of the sexually abused victims and the arising of dysfunctional sexual behaviors was investigated by several scholars, with the conclusionCriminal Career of Sex Offenders that additional causes underlying sexual offenses must be searched and that the so-called Victim/Perpetrator Paradigm is too reductive (Burton, 2008; Rasmussen, 2012).Psychiatric disorders play an important role as well
The aim of this study was to explore the relevance of life events in criminal outcome, comparing sex offenders with other offenders about historical experiences assessed by the HCR20V3 related to problems with violence, anti-social behaviors, problems with personal relationships, problems with substance use, traumatic experiences, and parenting style
Given the association between life events and psychopathy, we explored whether the relation between certain life events measured by the HCR-20 V3 and the type of crime might be moderated by psychopathy traits, i.e., interpersonal and affective deficits and antisocial behavior
Summary
The history of criminal perpetrators, the developmental pattern of their careers, and the risk factors for criminal behaviors have always been considered a central topic in criminological research.The relationship between the traumatic experiences of the sexually abused victims and the arising of dysfunctional sexual behaviors was investigated by several scholars, with the conclusionCriminal Career of Sex Offenders that additional causes underlying sexual offenses must be searched and that the so-called Victim/Perpetrator Paradigm is too reductive (Burton, 2008; Rasmussen, 2012).Psychiatric disorders play an important role as well. The history of criminal perpetrators, the developmental pattern of their careers, and the risk factors for criminal behaviors have always been considered a central topic in criminological research. Criminal Career of Sex Offenders that additional causes underlying sexual offenses must be searched and that the so-called Victim/Perpetrator Paradigm is too reductive (Burton, 2008; Rasmussen, 2012). Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Carabellese et al, 2012; Pozza et al, 2019, 2020) and mood and personality disorders (Dunsieth et al, 2004; Coluccia et al, 2020) were detected in sex offenders. In their research on a sample of 1346 sex offenders, Eher et al (2019) found that 50.1% of them suffered from personality disorders. Carabellese et al (2012) confirmed these results, highlighting the role of schizoid, narcissistic, and avoidant personality disorders In their research on a sample of 1346 sex offenders, Eher et al (2019) found that 50.1% of them suffered from personality disorders. Carabellese et al (2012) confirmed these results, highlighting the role of schizoid, narcissistic, and avoidant personality disorders
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