published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1986. / Leaves 175-182 incorrectly numbered 174-181. Bibliography: leaves 174-181 [i.e. 175-182].

No description available.

No description available.

It has only been within the past two decades that a new etiological model of sex offending has emerged that embraces attachment theory in order to provide a more comprehensive understating of how early attachment disruptions may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior. Although there is much theoretical support for the insecure attachment-sex offending paradigm, very little work has been done in the area of empirical validation. Furthermore, the majority of the research that has been conducted in this area focuses on adult offenders and primarily relies on self-report measures of attachment. Therefore, this study examined patterns of attachment in a sample of juvenile sex offenders utilizing a projective instrument, The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). This new measure assesses the unconscious aspects of one’s representational model of attachment, such as defenses and underlying expectations concerning relationships. In addition to examining the implicit facet of the attachment construct, this study also explored individuals’ conscious perceptions of attachment needs and experiences by means of a self-report measure. Twenty-five male adolescent sex offenders participated in this study. All subjects were administered the AAP and the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment. A brief interview was also conducted in order to gather more detailed descriptive information concerning the adolescents’ family relationships and history of sexual offenses. Results from this study indicated that 100% of the adolescents were classified as insecure on the AAP. The majority of subjects were judged to be dismissing (52%), followed closely by the unresolved attachment status (44%). These findings were discussed in terms of the disorganized attachment-sex offending model and in regards to the attachment concept of “failed mourning.” Qualitative data from the subjects’ interviews and AAP stories were used to provide further support for these theories. The divergent objective-projective test scores that emerged from this study were discussed in terms of their utility and the ways in which they complement each other. Overall, results from this study suggested that insecure attachment may play an important role in sexually aggressive behavior and that attachment-based intervention models may be useful when working with this population. / text

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Standard psychological assessment instruments have not produced consistent results by which decisions can be made regarding the appropriate placement and legal disposition of an individual who has committed a sexual offense. The purpose of the present study was to systematically investigate deception and dissimulation as measured by three assessment instruments commonly utilized with sex offenders. A denial classification system was utilized in order to classify offenders into categories based on their level of admission to the legal system. The four group classification system did not produce significant differences on all measures of deception and dissimulation. Contrary to previous research, admitters were found to respond more defensively than deniers on one of the assessment instruments. In addition, partial deniers were identified as responding significantly differently from both admitters and deniers on a separate instrument. The differences found suggest that sex offenders' level of deception is multifaceted. Difficulties in identifying classificatory strategies and implications for theoretical conceptions of denial within this population are discussed.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been recognized as a widespread and devastating problem in our society. Definitional challenges result in a broad range of prevalence rates for CSA varying from 60/0 to 62% for females and 30/0 to 31 % for males (Finkelhor, Araji, Baron, Browne, Peters, & Wyatt, 1986). Although CSA affects our nation's children in epidemic proportions, researchers have found little conclusive evidence regarding CSA precursors. One promising area for exploring the etiology of CSA may be the differential patterns of sexual fantasies in juvenile and adult sex offenders. Abel, Becker, Mittleman, Cunningham-Rathner, Rouleau and Murphy (1987) found that more than 40% of non-familial child molesters reported the development of deviant sexual fantasies prior to sexually offending. Despite variations in offender subgroups, Marshall, Barbaree and Eccles (1991) found that 22% of the offenders experienced deviant fantasies prior to their first sexual offense. Unfortunately, the literature in this area has been quite limited despite its potential. Understanding offender similarities and differences in adult and juvenile populations may be important due to the large proportion of the offender population who begin sexually offending as juveniles and due to the treatment modalities that may be implemented for developmentally different offenders. As many as 500/0 of adult sex offenders have reported sexually deviant behavior beginning in adolescence (Becker, 1988; Ferhenbach, Smith, Monastersky & Deisher, 1986; Marshall, Barbaree, & Eccles, 1991). Juveniles have also been identified as perpetrators in more than half of all cases (Fehrenbach, Smith, Monastersky, & Deisher, 1986). This study investigates the relationship between offenders' sexual fantasies and their use of physical force to sexually offend. This investigation was also designed to examine the similarities and differences between adult and adolescent sexual offenders on these dimensions. Findings reveal an empirical relationship between offenders' fantasies and behaviors in sexual offending. It is anticipated that additional knowledge regarding potential relationships between fantasies and behaviors will assist in assessing and intervening with accused and convicted sexual offenders. Potential implications for clinical assessment and intervention into sexual abuse are discussed as well as the potential for understanding maintenance factors in the continuation of sexual abuse.