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Identifying violence-proneness in sex offenders

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Annals of sex research

Abstract

A total of 118 sex offenders were compared on two measures of violence-proneness (the Clarke Violence Scale or CVS and the Forensic Assessment of Violence or FAV) and the AECOM Coping Scales. The sex offenders were divided into 29 violent and 89 nonviolent cases, based on their criminal histories of sexual and assault offences. Both the CVS and FAV discriminated violent and nonviolent cases but improvements in the measures are needed. The AECOM Minimization, Mapping, and Reversal Coping Scales discriminated the two groups as well. The FAV results, especially, were influenced by test-taking response set. Distinctions between ‘self-perceptions of violence’ and ‘violent behavior’ are highlighted and discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Ron Langevin Ph.D.

  2. Institute of Psychology & Law, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Reuben A. Lang Ph.D.

  3. Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Percy Wright MA, Lorraine Handy & Vicky Majpruz

Authors
  1. Ron Langevin Ph.D.
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  2. Reuben A. Lang Ph.D.
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  3. Percy Wright MA
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  4. Lorraine Handy
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  5. Vicky Majpruz
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Langevin, R., Lang, R.A., Wright, P. et al. Identifying violence-proneness in sex offenders. Annals of Sex Research 2, 49–66 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00850679

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