Predicting Sexual Offenders’ Specialization/Versatility: The Role of Impulsivity and Moral Reasoning

Abstract

The main purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the predictive ability of impulsivity and moral reasoning on offending specialization/versatility. The latter was measured using the diversity index which calculates the amount of variation within an individual’s criminal history. The sample consisted of 88 individuals convicted of sexual offenses incarcerated in a Portuguese prison. Group comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses on untransformed and corrected versions of the diversity index were conducted. Overall, the different versions of the diversity index presented disparate results. Individuals were found to be generally alike, but those convicted of rape tended to be more versatile than those who molested extrafamilial children. Moral reasoning was the strongest predictor of offending specialization/versatility, while impulsivity was mostly not statistically significant. A better understanding of these predictors’ roles on offending specialization/versatility, as it relates to recidivism, is important to tailor successful interventions.

Understanding the Criminal Personality of Convicted Rapists in Pakistani Prisons

“…As revealed by the results of this study, rape convicts as children have witnessed the suppression of women in their households leading to the sensitization of violence towards women and the perception of women as worthless, vulnerable, and weak. This misperception clouds their judgment and rationality during and after their crime (Saramago et al, 2019).…”

A novel approach to examining personality risk factors of sexual offending in clergy applicants.

“…Impulsivity is a personality characteristic that prompts individuals toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli, without regard to the negative consequences (Moeller, Barratt, Dougherty, Schmitz, & Swann, 2001). Increased impulsivity has been linked to sexual offending and recidivism perpetrators, with some facilitating factors being low self-control, irresponsible decision-making, and antisocial tendencies (Boisvert, Wright, Knopik, & Vaske, 2012; de Vries Robbé, Mann, Maruna, & Thornton, 2015; Duckworth & Kern, 2011; Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990; Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005; Saramago, Cardoso, & Leal, 2019). Individuals who are high in impulsivity and low in self-control are less likely to adhere to societal norms, are less moralistic, and are prone to more aggressive behaviors—all of which are correlated with sexual offending (Palucka, 1998).…”