Personality of Sex Offenders: An Application of Five - Factor Model
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Abstract
Increased concerns about the incidence of sex offenders, and desire to develop better treatment and intervention programs for sex offenders, has instigated research examining personality profiles of sex offenders. Public fear of repeat sexual and violent offending has warranted attention towards recidivism and evaluation of treatment programs. However, there is little evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of treatment programs for sex offenders. If successful treatment programs are to be developed, a greater understanding of an offender's behavior and personality are required. Pioneering work conducted by Eysenck (1967) has instigated subsequent research examining the importance of personality, as measured by "normal" dimensional traits, to sexual behavior. Recently there has been increasing interest in the applicability of Big Five model and NEO PI–R (Costa, McCrae, 1992) to assess personality pathology. This is based on the idea that personality traits of offender may be influencing factor in conducting crime and in rehabilitation outcomes.
The present study assessed personality traits in male prisoners incarcerated for sexual offences, using short version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI –R; Costa and McCrae, 1992). The aim of current research was to examine whether normal personality variation provides useful theoretical insight into the nature of sex offences. It is anticipated that a comparison of the "Big 5" personality traits of sex offenders to a non–offending population may provide insight into specific maladaptive traits that contribute to their offending behavior.
The principal finding of this study was that men incarcerated for sexual offence recorded different personality profiles compared to controls, suggesting that there are unique and characteristic stable personality traits in this group. In particular, the results showed a considerable number of differences between the personality features of sexual offenders and non–offenders. Sexual offenders, in comparison with not offenders, showed up higher indexes of such factors as Neuroticism (N) and Conscientiousness (C), and lower indexes of Extraversion (E). Both, sexual offenders and non–offenders picked the resembling indexes in the scale of Openness to a new experience (O), but it is not possible to affirm this strictly as the compatibility of subscales of this indicator is rather low. Sex offenders in general appeared to have a high level of emotional instability and maladjustment, and were low in extraversion. However, these conclusions are limited by the small sample of sexual offenders. Replication of these results is required with a larger sample size. This would assist in creating the profile of sexual offender with regard to the target of sexual crime.
Overall, the research revealed, that the NEO PI–R could be useful in the evaluation of a personality. However there is a necessity of the additional investigations, searching for the differences of the personality features between the groups of sexual offenders (incest offenders, child molesters and rapists).
The present study assessed personality traits in male prisoners incarcerated for sexual offences, using short version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI –R; Costa and McCrae, 1992). The aim of current research was to examine whether normal personality variation provides useful theoretical insight into the nature of sex offences. It is anticipated that a comparison of the "Big 5" personality traits of sex offenders to a non–offending population may provide insight into specific maladaptive traits that contribute to their offending behavior.
The principal finding of this study was that men incarcerated for sexual offence recorded different personality profiles compared to controls, suggesting that there are unique and characteristic stable personality traits in this group. In particular, the results showed a considerable number of differences between the personality features of sexual offenders and non–offenders. Sexual offenders, in comparison with not offenders, showed up higher indexes of such factors as Neuroticism (N) and Conscientiousness (C), and lower indexes of Extraversion (E). Both, sexual offenders and non–offenders picked the resembling indexes in the scale of Openness to a new experience (O), but it is not possible to affirm this strictly as the compatibility of subscales of this indicator is rather low. Sex offenders in general appeared to have a high level of emotional instability and maladjustment, and were low in extraversion. However, these conclusions are limited by the small sample of sexual offenders. Replication of these results is required with a larger sample size. This would assist in creating the profile of sexual offender with regard to the target of sexual crime.
Overall, the research revealed, that the NEO PI–R could be useful in the evaluation of a personality. However there is a necessity of the additional investigations, searching for the differences of the personality features between the groups of sexual offenders (incest offenders, child molesters and rapists).
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Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
