NCJ Number
159125
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 22 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1995) Pages: 21-32
Date Published
1995
Length
12 pages
Annotation
In examining the level of moral development and empathy of adult male sex offenders in Canada, research found that this offender category had a significantly lower capacity for principled moral thinking than adult males in the general population.
Abstract
The study involved 21 male sex offenders and 30 male physical assaulters who were assessed using the Defining Issues Test and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Nearly all male sex offenders and male physical assaulters were incarcerated in provincial correctional institutions. Results indicated significant differences between group means and norm group means on dimensions of empathy and showed adult male sex offenders and physical assaulters had a significantly lower level of moral reasoning than the general adult male population. Further research is recommended to explore the moral development capacity of offenders, and the creation of additional assessment instruments to evaluate various dimensions of moral development is suggested. 46 references and 7 tables