Sex crimes: The role of early childhood trauma, cognitive distortions, and psychopathy on the risk of recidivism

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Giuseppe Craparo, Silvia Fasciano, Antonia Tomasello, Angela Micciché, Giulia Costanzo, Valentina Costantino, Simona Grilli, Silvestro Lo Cascio, Vincenza Cannella, Irene Petruccelli, Alessio Gori
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2016/3 Language Italian
Pages 20 P. 11-30 File size 284 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2016-003002
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The aim of this paper is to evaluate, starting from analysis of scientific literature, the relationship, in sex offenders, between recidivism proneness and the following variables: early trauma, cognitive distortions, and psychopathy. In order to investigate the association among these variables, we subject two sex offenders to tests using the following instruments: PCL-R, PBI, TEC and MDS. We obtained positive and clinically significant associations among early trauma, presence of psychopathic traits, and risk of recidivism as per their stories and their test score. As we cannot generalize these data, we are led to maintain a suitable caution in evaluating them. Apart from this we hope that future studies are able to consider how early relationship traumas and psychopathic traits affect the risk of recidivism for sex offenders.

Keywords: Sex offenders, early childhood trauma, psychopathy, recidivism

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Giuseppe Craparo, Silvia Fasciano, Antonia Tomasello, Angela Micciché, Giulia Costanzo, Valentina Costantino, Simona Grilli, Silvestro Lo Cascio, Vincenza Cannella, Irene Petruccelli, Alessio Gori, Reati a sfondo sessuale: il ruolo dei traumi infantili, delle distorsioni cognitive e della psicopatia sul rischio di recidiva in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 3/2016, pp 11-30, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2016-003002