The endorsement of cognitive distortions: comparing child pornography offenders and contact sex offenders

Abstract

This study examined the endorsement of cognitive distortions in child pornography offenders (CPOs), using an established assessment tool, the Abel and Becker Cognition Scale. The scale was expanded to include cognitions specific to child pornography offending, extracted from Howitt and Sheldon's Children and Sexual Activities Inventory (C&SA). Three samples of CPOs, child sex offenders and offenders with both offence types responded to the cognition items. An exploratory Principal Component Analysis suggested six main components of the scale. CPOs were significantly less likely to endorse these statements in general, and this was more pronounced on items that project blame onto the child or other people, describe a need for power and consider children as sexually active. The statements extracted from C&SA did not differentiate between the groups. These findings are discussed under consideration of the relationship between cognitive distortions and contact sex offending, and in reference to the general criticism concerning the definition and appropriate measurement of cognitive distortions.

Gateway to offending behaviour: permission-giving thoughts of online users of child sexual exploitation material

“…Results from the C&SA (Howitt & Sheldon, 2007) highlighted some potential differences in the cognitions between CSEMOs and CSOs, such as the finding that CSEMOs were more likely to endorse items relating to the implicit theory of Children as Sexual Beings. However, these findings were not confirmed in a recent study on the C&SA; Merdian et al (2014) found little support of these items amongst CSEMOs, with contact sex offenders scoring significantly higher on items relating to Justification, Children as Sexual Agents, and Power and Entitlement. In addition, both the IBAQ and the C&SA presented with poor psychometric properties, which do not allow for firm conclusions at this stage.…”

“…Using items from Howitt and Sheldon's cognitive distortion measure, Merdian et al (2014) found that CSEMOs scores were generally lower on these items than CSOs, and significantly so on items relating to Justification (e.g. "A man is justified in having sex with his children or step-children, if his wife does not like sex"), Children as Sexual Agents (e.g.…”

“…With regards to the former, measures used in the research to date include the MOLEST Scale (Bumby, 1996;in Neutze, Seto, Schaefer, Mundt, & Beier, 2011), the Abel and Becker's Cognitions Scale (ABCS; Abel et al, 1984;in Merdian et al, 2014), the Victim Empathy Distortion Scale (Beckett & Fisher, 1994;in Elliott, Beech, Mandeville-Norden, & Hayes, 2009) and the Children and Sex Cognitions Questionnaire (Beckett, 1987;). Overall, in these studies, CSEMOs were found to endorse permission-giving statements to a lower degree than CSOs (see also Howitt & Sheldon, 2007).…”

“…Specifically, professionals were asked about CSEM-specific "thinking patterns", which will later be validated in a CSEMO sample (not part of the current study). In order to enhance the understanding of the cognitions of CSEMOs, the research focus was on professionals rather than offenders themselves, to complement and extend the existing work that employed CSEMO samples (Howitt & Sheldon, 2007;Merdian et al, 2014) and given that people do not always have insight into their own cognitions (Wilson, 2004). Gaining an initial qualitative understanding from professionals represents the first stage in a structured development process, followed by its validation with a CSEMO sample.…”

Kinderpornografie

“…B. überstei-gertes Selbstbewusstsein, Verzerrungen bei Opferempathie, kognitive Impulsivität) festgestellt, bei den Internetpornografietätern eher erhöhte Werte bei der Identifikation mit fiktionalen Charakteren, Selbstunsicherheit und motorischer Impulsivität (Elliott et al 2009;Bates und Metcalf 2007). Täter, die ausschließlich wegen Kinderpornografie verurteilt waren, wiesen außerdem eine signifikant geringere Wahrscheinlichkeit der Zustimmung zu typischen kognitiven Verzerrungen von Missbrauchstätern auf als Tä-ter, die auch sexuelle Übergriffe begangen haben (Merdian et al 2014). Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Gruppen wurden auch in einer Metaanalyse bestätigt, die zeigte, dass Internettäter eine höhere Opferempathie, weniger Selbstdarstellungsbedürfnis, aber eine stärker ausgeprägte sexuelle Devianz aufweisen (Seto et al 2001;Malamuth et al 2000).…”