Skip to main content
Log in

An Exploration of Child Sexual Abusers' Sexual Fantasies Before and After Treatment

  • Published:
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment

Abstract

Although there is a substantial literature looking at the relationship between deviant sexual fantasies and child sexual abuse, there is scant previous work that focuses upon the actual content of such fantasies. The present study looks at child sexual abusers' deviant fantasies both pre- and postintervention. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, a description of the frequency and content of, and triggers for, child sexual abusers' deviant fantasies is reported both pre- and postintervention. The implications of this information for subsequent intervention programs is explored.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Beckett, R. (1994). Assessment of sex offenders. In T. Morrison, M. Erooga, & R. C. Beckett (Eds.), Sexual offending against children: Assessment and treatment of male abusers (pp. 55–79). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, R., Beech, A., Fisher, D., & Fordham, A. S. (1994). Community-based treatment for sex offenders: An evaluation of seven treatment programmes. London: HMSO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen-Hustan, A. L. (1984). Comparisons of sex offenders with non-offenders on attitudes toward masturbation and female fantasy as related to participation in human sexuality sessions. Journal of Offender Counselling, Services and Rehabilitation, 8, 13–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epps, K. (1996). Sex offenders. In C. R. Hollin (Ed.). Working with offenders: Psychological practice in offender rehabilitation (pp. 150–179). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howitt, D. (1995). Paedophiles and sexual offences against children. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, R. A., Prentky, R. A., & Cerce, D. D. (1994). The development, reliability and validity of an inventory for the multidimensional assessment of sex and aggression. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 21, 72–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laws, D. R., & Marshall, W. L. (1991). Masturbatory reconditioning with sexual deviates: An evaluative review. Advances in Behavior Research and Therapy, 13, 13–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leitenberg, H., & Henning, K. (1995). Sexual fantasy. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 469–496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Looman, J. (1995). Sexual fantasies of child molesters. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 27, 321–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marquis, J. N. (1970). Orgasmic reconditioning: Changing sexual choice through controlling masturbatory fantasies. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 1, 263–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, W. L. (1985). Aversive conditioning. In A. S. Bellack & M. Hersen (Eds.), Dictionary of behavior therapy techniques (pp. 15–21). New York: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, W. L., & Barbaree, H. E. (1989). Sexual violence. In K. Howells & C. R. Hollin (Eds.), Clinical approaches to violence (pp. 205–246). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, W. L., Barbaree, H. E., & Eccles, A. (1991). Early onset and deviant sexuality in child molesters. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 6, 323–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuire, R. J., Carlise, J. M., & Young, B. G. (1965). Sexual deviations as conditioned behaviour: A hypothesis. Behavior, Research and Therapy, 2, 185–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKibben, A., Proulx, J., & Lusignan, R. (1994). Relationships between conflict, affect and deviant sexual behaviors in rapists and paedophiles. Behavior Research and Therapy, 32, 571–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichols, H. R., & Molinder, I. (1984). Multiphasic Sex Inventory. Tacoma, WA: Authors.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plaud, J. J., & Bigwood, S. J. (1997). A multivariate analysis of the sexual fantasy themes of college men. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 23, 221–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokach, A., Nutbrown, V., & Nexhipi, G. (1988). Content analysis of erotic imagery: Sex offenders and non-sex offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 32, 107–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, F., Cordier, B., & Kuhn, J. M. (1996). Gonadotrophin hormone releasing hormone agonist in cases of severe paraphilia: A lifetime treatment? Psychoneuroendocrinology, 21, 411–419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, G. (1978). The secrets of sexual fantasy. London: J. M. Dent.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Swaffer, T., Hollin, C., Beech, A. et al. An Exploration of Child Sexual Abusers' Sexual Fantasies Before and After Treatment. Sex Abuse 12, 61–68 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009516005210

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009516005210

Navigation