Denial and Minimization Among Sexual Offenders

Abstract

The relationship between sexual recidivism and posttreatment denial and minimization was examined among 436 sex offenders followed up for an average period of more than 5 years. Treatment completion status and psychopathic traits, both established predictors of sexual recidivism also associated with denial and minimization, were included in survival analyses to remove their confounding influence on the focal relationships. The potential role of actuarial risk as a moderating variable was also investigated. A dichotomous variable reflecting denial and minimization failed to predict sexual recidivism. However, among a subset of 102 sex offenders who received no additional treatment after completing an initial program, the interaction between actuarial risk and scores on a continuous measure of minimization predicted sexual recidivism. Implications for assessment, particularly the need to move beyond dichotomous operationalizations of denial and minimization, and treatment were discussed.

An Exploration of Responsivity among Violent Offenders: Predicting Access to Treatment, Treatment Engagement and Programme Completion

“…A copy of the coding protocol is available from the authors on request. Levels of acceptance of responsibility for offending behaviour were coded using the Denial and Minimization Checklist -Third Edition (DCML-III; Langton et al, 2008), which was adapted for use with a violent offender population. The DCML-III consists of three categories of denial and seven categories of minimisation, with associated exemplars to assist coding, and can be scored from file information alone when used for research purposes.…”

“…The DCML-III consists of three categories of denial and seven categories of minimisation, with associated exemplars to assist coding, and can be scored from file information alone when used for research purposes. Each item is rated on a 3-point scale (0 D not evident, 1 D partially evident, 2 D evident) to assess the degree to which an offenders' account of his violent index offence was irreconcilable with official documentation (Langton et al, 2008). Denial scale scores represent the highest single category rating across the three items (range 0 to 2).…”

The impact of pre-treatment responsivity and treatment participation on violent recidivism in a violent offender sample

“…Affective reactions to violent offending were coded using dichotomous ratings of feelings of Guilt and Shame (0=present, 1=absent). Level of acceptance of responsibility pertaining to violent index offences was coded using an adapted version of the DCML-III (Langton et al, 2008). The three denial items and seven minimisation items were coded using a 3-point rating scale (0=not evident, 1=partially evident, and 2=evident), designed to assess the extent to which an offenders' account of his violent index offence was irreconcilable with official records or documentation, and thus considered to indicate denial or minimisation of violence.…”

Leugnen bei inhaftierten Sexualstraftätern

“…Leugnen kann also durchaus als ein "gesunder" Bewältigungsversuch gesehen werden, der ausdrückt, dass jemand sich eben nicht mit seiner Tat identifizieren will, sondern an einem nichtkriminellen Selbstkonzept festhalten möchte. Möglicherweise ist bei dieser Teilgruppe von Leugnern nicht das Abstreiten der Tat das Problem, das dem therapeutischen Erfolgen im Weg steht, sondern vielmehr das Abstreiten einer sexuellen Devianz, die sich hinter dem Tatleugnen verbirgt [28].…”