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Predicting Sexual Offenders' Specialization/Versatility: The Role of Impulsivity and Moral Reasoning.
- Source :
-
Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment [Sex Abuse] 2020 Dec; Vol. 32 (8), pp. 986-1011. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Sep 25. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
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.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1573-286X
- Volume :
- 32
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31551009
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063219878164