| Description: | Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialização de Psicologia Clínica apresentada no ISPA – Instituto Universitário |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/6845 |
| Designation: | Psicologia |
| Appears in Collections: | PCLI – |
http://repositorio.ispa.pt/handle/10400.12/6845
Saramago, Mariana Filipa de Amaral.
Pornography consumption can be a motivating factor that leads to the perpetration of sexual violence by some individuals. Despite this, few studies have sought to better understand the characteristics associated with the usage of pornography, specifically by individuals who have committed sexual assaults. At the same time, there is a lack of information on the phenomenon of those sexual offenders that cross over in their choice of victims of different age groups, of both genders and with whom they have different relationships. These individuals usually have a greater number of victims, which is a risk factor associated with sexual recidivism. Furthermore, offenders’ criminal versatility is related to a greater risk of recidivism, and it also common for sexual offenders to perpetrate other types of crimes.
This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of these dynamics with sexual offenders. In particular, we intended to: (a) characterize various aspects of pornography consumption by sex offenders at the time of the index offense and to identify features that were able to distinguish between those who used these types of materials and those who did not; (b) to examine the prevalence of crossover sexual offenders victim’s choice among a Portuguese sample, as well as to verify if a set of sociodemographic and criminogenic variables contributed to the classification of an offender as being crossover; and (c) to test two theoretical models on the etiology of criminal behaviors applied to the context of criminal specialization / versatility among sex offenders.
To carry out the research, an initial retrospective sample was drawn from the official prison records of 261 male inmates that were serving sentences for sexual crimes. Only 146 inmates agreed to participate in the assessment studies, which included an interview protocol about their history of pornography usage, and measures that assessed sexual fantasies, impulsivity, and moral reasoning. Those measures not previously adapted for the Portuguese context were subsequently validated in the present research. The results of the pornography consumption analysis indicated that 43% of the sex offenders attempted to reproduce the content visualized in pornography at the time of the index offense, and that sexual fantasies contributed to them having used pornography at the time.
The results of the second study revealed that age at the index offense, alcohol abuse, being divorced / separated / widowed, and being employed contributed to the probability of a sexual offender having crossed over in general.
In the third article, moral reasoning was the sole significant predictor of criminal specialization / versatility among sexual offenders. Thus, this research contributed with important empirical evidence, allowing for a better understanding of the state of the art pertaining to several aspects of sexual offending.
The results may have also an impact for professionals working in this area, either in risk assessment or in the development of treatment programs tailored specifically to the characteristics of these individuals.
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