Abstract
Sexually aggressive behavior is often facilitated and justified by distorted thinking and affective deficits. However, there is no clear conceptual model that accounts for the mechanisms which generate these phenomena and informs treatment goals. Sex offenders frequently demonstrate a number of underexplained features such as denial or minimization of offending, victim blaming, passivity, covert planning, dependence on immediate consequences, empathy and other emotional regulation deficits, intimacy and other social competency deficits, and, finally, alcohol and other drug problems. These features are usually seen as offense precursors. We argue that Baumeister's construct of cognitive deconstruction, the process by which people attempt to reduce the negative implications of self-awareness, provides both a middle-level theoretical explanatory framework that integrates these puzzles in a parsimonious way and a mechanism that suggests that these features may be consequences of, as well as precursors to, an offense. Suggestions for research and clinical practice are offered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abel, G. G., Becker, J. V., & Cunningham-Rathner, J. (1984). Complications, consent and cognitions in sex between children and adults.International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 7, 89–103.
Baumeister, R. F. (1989). Masochism as escape from self.Journal of Sex Research, 25, 28–59.
Baumeister, R. F. (1990). Suicide as escape from self.Psychological Review, 97, 90–113.
Baumeister, R. F. (1991).Escaping the self. New York: Basic Books.
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (1981).Attention and self-regulation: A control-theory approach to human behavior. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Erikson, E. H. (1968).Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.
Festinger, L. (1964).Conflict, decision, and dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Goleman, D. (1985).Vital lies, simple truths: The psychology of self-deception. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Groth, A. N., Hobson, W. F., & Gary, T. S. (1982). The child molester: Clinical observations. In J. Conte & D. Shore (Eds.),Social work and child sexual abuse (pp. 129–142). New York: Haworth.
Heatherton, T. F., & Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Binge eating as escape from self awareness.Psychological Bulletin, 110, 86–108.
Lanyon, R. I. (1986). Theory and treatment in child molestation.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 176–182.
Laws, D. R. (Ed.) (1989).Relapse prevention with sexual offenders. New York: Guilford Press.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Progress on a cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion.American Psychologist 46, 819–834.
Lo Piccolo, J. (1978). Direct treatment of sexual dysfunction. In J. Lo Piccolo & L. Lo Piccolo (Eds.),Handbook for sex therapy (pp. 1–18). New York: Plenum.
Marlatt, G. A. (1989). Feeding the PIG: The problem of immediate gratification. In D. R. Laws (Ed.),Relapse prevention with sex offenders (pp. 56–62). New York: Guilford Press.
Marlatt, G. A., & Gordon, J. R. (1985).Relapse prevention: Maintenance strategies in the treatment of addictive behaviors. New York: Guilford Press.
Marshall, W. L. (1989). Invited essay: Intimacy, loneliness, and sexual offenders.Behavior Research and Therapy, 27, 491–503.
Marshall, W. L., & Barbaree, H. E. (1989). Sexual violence. In K. Howells & C. R. Hollin (Eds.),Clinical approaches to violence. New York: John Wiley.
Marshall, W. L., & Barbaree, H. E. (1990). An integrated theory of the etiology of sexual offending. In W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, & H. E. Barbaree (Eds.),Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender (pp. 257–275). New York: Plenum.
Marshall, W. L., Hudson, S. M., & Hodkinson, S. (1993). The importance of attachment bonds in the development of juvenile sex offending. In H. E. Barbaree, W. L. Marshall, & S. M. Hudson (Eds.),Juvenile sex offending (pp. 164–181). New York: Guilford Press.
Marshall, W. L., Jones, R. L., Hudson, S. M., & McDonald, E. (1993). Generalized empathy in child molesters.Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2, 61–68.
Masters, W. H., & Johnson, V. E. (1970).Human sexual inadequacy. Boston: Little, Brown.
Meichenbaum, D. (1977).Cognitive-behavior modification: An integrative approach. New York: Plenum Press.
Mischel, W. (1968).Personality and assessment. New York: Wiley.
Murphy, W. D. (1990). Assessment and modification of cognitive distortions in sex offenders. In W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, & H. E. Barbaree (Eds.),Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender (pp. 331–342). New York: Plenum.
Murphy, W. D., & Stalgaitis, S. J. (1987). Assessment and treatment considerations for sexual offenders against children: Behavioral and social learning approaches. In J. R. McNamara & M. A. Appel (Eds.),Critical issues, developments, and trends in professional psychology, Vol. 3 (pp. 177–210). New York: Praeger.
Pennebaker, J. W. (1989). Stream of consciousness and stress: Levels of thinking. In J. S. Uleman & J. A. Bargh (Eds.),Unintended thought (pp. 327–350). New York: Guilford Press.
Pithers, W. D. (1990). Relapse prevention with sexual aggressors: A method for maintaining therapeutic gain and enhancing external supervision. In W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, & H. E. Barbaree (Eds.),Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender (pp. 343–361). New York: Plenum.
Pithers, W. D., Kashima, K. M., Cumming, G. F., & Beal, L. S. (1988). Relapse prevention. A method of enhancing maintenance of change in sex offenders. In A. C. Salter (Ed.),Treating child sex offenders and victims: A practical guide. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Powers, W. T. (1973).Behavior: The control of perception. Chicago: Aldine.
Salter, A. C. (Ed.) (1988).Treating child sex offenders and victims: A practical guide. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Scarry, E. (1985).The body in pain: The making and unmaking of the world. New York: Oxford University Press.
Segal, Z. V., & Stermac, L. E. (1990). The role of cognition in sexual assault. In W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, & H. E. Barbaree (Eds.),Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender (pp. 161–172). New York: Plenum Press.
Sherman, S. T., Judd, C. M., & Park, B. (1989). Social cognition.Annual Review of Psychology, 40, 281–326.
Simon, L. M. J., Sales, B., Kaszniak, A., & Kahn, M. (1992). Characteristics of child molesters: Implications for the fixated-regressed dichotomy.Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 211–225.
Stermac, L. E., & Segal, S. V. (1987, November).Cognitive assessment of child molesters. Paper presented at the 21st Annual Convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Boston.
Vallacher, R. R., & Wegner, D. M. (1987). What do people think they're doing: Action identification and human behavior.Psychological Review, 94, 3–15.
Ward, T., Louden, K., Hudson, S. M., & Marshall, W. L. (in press). A descriptive model of the offense chain for child molesters.Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Weary, G., Stanley, M. A., & Harvey, J. H. (1989).Attribution. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Wegner, D. M., & Vallacher, R. R. (1986).Handbook of cognition and motivation (pp. 550–582). New York: Guilford Press.
Western, D. (1991). Social cognition and object relations.Psychological Bulletin, 109, 429–455.
Weiner, B. (1986).An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The order of the first two authors does not reflect their relative contributions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ward, T., Hudson, S.M. & Marshall, W.L. Cognitive distortions and affective deficits in sex offenders: A cognitive deconstructionist interpretation. Sex Abuse 7, 67–83 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02254874
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02254874