TY - JOUR
T1 - Personality impairment in male pedophiles
AU - Cohen, Lisa J.
AU - McGeoch, Pamela G.
AU - Watras-Gans, Sniezyna
AU - Acker, Sara
AU - Poznansky, Olga
AU - Cullen, Ken
AU - Itskovich, Yelena
AU - Galynker, Igor
PY - 2002/10/1
Y1 - 2002/10/1
N2 - Background: Despite the large body of literature on the psychological sequelae of childhood sexual abuse, the literature on the psychopathology of pedophiles is surprisingly underdeveloped. The present article explores the hypothesis that pedophiles evidence deficits in interpersonal functioning (lack of assertiveness and empathy, passive-aggressiveness) and in self-concept, which might contribute to the motivation for pedophilic acts, as well as elevated sociopathy, impulsivity, and propensity for cognitive distortions, which might underlie the inhibitory failure. Method: Twenty male heterosexual pedophiles (DSM-IV criteria) recruited from an outpatient clinic for sex offenders were compared with 24 demographically similar, healthy male controls using 3 personality instruments: the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II, the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Impairment-Questionnaire, and the Temperament and Character Inventory. Results: The data suggested that pedophiles have impaired interpersonal functioning, specifically, reduced assertiveness and elevated passive-aggressiveness, as well as impaired self-concept. Regarding disinhibitory traits, pedophiles demonstrated elevated sociopathy and propensity for cognitive distortions. Conclusion: Our data are consistent with previous reports of pathologic personality traits in pedophiles and lend support to a hypothesis that such pathology is related to both motivation for and failure to inhibit pedophilic behavior. Such information could potentially have important treatment implications.
AB - Background: Despite the large body of literature on the psychological sequelae of childhood sexual abuse, the literature on the psychopathology of pedophiles is surprisingly underdeveloped. The present article explores the hypothesis that pedophiles evidence deficits in interpersonal functioning (lack of assertiveness and empathy, passive-aggressiveness) and in self-concept, which might contribute to the motivation for pedophilic acts, as well as elevated sociopathy, impulsivity, and propensity for cognitive distortions, which might underlie the inhibitory failure. Method: Twenty male heterosexual pedophiles (DSM-IV criteria) recruited from an outpatient clinic for sex offenders were compared with 24 demographically similar, healthy male controls using 3 personality instruments: the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II, the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Impairment-Questionnaire, and the Temperament and Character Inventory. Results: The data suggested that pedophiles have impaired interpersonal functioning, specifically, reduced assertiveness and elevated passive-aggressiveness, as well as impaired self-concept. Regarding disinhibitory traits, pedophiles demonstrated elevated sociopathy and propensity for cognitive distortions. Conclusion: Our data are consistent with previous reports of pathologic personality traits in pedophiles and lend support to a hypothesis that such pathology is related to both motivation for and failure to inhibit pedophilic behavior. Such information could potentially have important treatment implications.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036775378&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4088/JCP.v63n1009
DO - 10.4088/JCP.v63n1009
M3 - Article
C2 - 12416601
AN - SCOPUS:0036775378
SN - 0160-6689
VL - 63
SP - 912
EP - 919
JO - Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
IS - 10
ER -