NCJ Number
147457
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 37 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1993) Pages: 287-296
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article explores the hypothesized link between childhood sexual victimization and adult offending, as well as the role that empathy plays in the treatment of child molesters.
Abstract
The theory that child sexual abuse victims later become offenders in disproportionate numbers is challenged by the fact that girls are sexually abused more often than boys but are far less likely to become offenders. Other explanations involve the child's homosexual tendencies and a social learning analysis of the victim-offender link. While some therapists believe that promoting cognitive and emotional empathy might inhibit arousal to sexual abuse, there is no clear evidence yet linking a lack of empathy with offending. Some experts have even suggested that treatment promoting cognitive empathy could increase the likelihood of recidivism among psychopathic offenders. Several case descriptions presented here demonstrate that child molesters can acquire cognitive empathy for their victim yet continue with abusing behavior that is apparently inconsistent with that empathy. They reconcile their attitudes and behavior using cognitive distortions, including justification, minimization, and rationalization. 1 table, 1 note, and 37 references