Although the content of sexual fantasy has been extensively researched, very little contemporary research has investigated the function of sexual fantasy within the context of offending. In this study, a qualitative analysis was used to develop a descriptive model of the phenomena of sexual fantasy during the offence process. Twenty-four adult males convicted of sexual offences provided detailed retrospective descriptions of their thoughts, emotions and behaviours before, during and after their offences. A data-driven approach to model development (grounded theory) was undertaken to analyse the interview transcripts. A preliminary model was developed to elucidate the function of sexual fantasy in the process of sexual offending, as well as the physiological and psychological variables associated with it. The sexual fantasy function model (SFFM) comprises four categories that describe the various functions of sexual fantasy in the offence process. These categories are affect regulation, sexual arousal, coping, and modelling. The strengths of the SFFM are discussed and its clinical implications are reviewed. Finally, the limitations of the study are presented, and future research directions discussed.
Although the phenomenon of sexual fantasy has been extensively researched, little contemporary inquiry has investigated the content of sexual fantasy within the context of sexual offending. In this study, a qualitative analysis was used to develop a descriptive model of the phenomena of sexual fantasy during the offence process. Twenty-four adult males convicted of sexual offences provided detailed retrospective descriptions of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors before, during, and after their offences. Using Grounded Theory, a model was developed to elucidate the content and themes of sexual fantasy for sexual offenders, as well as the way fantasy content was used in the process of sexual offending. The Sexual Fantasy Content Model (SFCM) comprises of three higher-order (level 1) and five second-order (level 2) categories that describe the content of sexual fantasy across the offence process. The level 1 categories are general sexual fantasy, nonspecific offence fantasy, and offence-specific fantasy, whereas the level 2 categories included demographic, behavioral, relational, situational, and self-perceptual considerations. The strengths of the SFCM are discussed and its clinical implications are reviewed.
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