Who’s afraid of the bogeymen?

Journal title PSICOBIETTIVO
Author/s Carla Maria Xella, Francesca Mosiello
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/1 Language Italian
Pages 13 P. 21-33 File size 163 KB
DOI 10.3280/PSOB2021-001003
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

The stigma in sex offenders’ social perception and treatment SUMMARY. Public opinion, media and policy makers see child molesters as monsters, "bogeymen" or untreatable freaks that have nothing to do with "normal" people. The hate for the bogeyman has serious consequences: it hinders the possibility of contrasting the spread of sexual abuse within the so-called trust circles ( family, school, juveniles sport club and associations, etc.) contributing to the denial of the abuse. At the policy making level, long sentences remain the only answer for sexual offending. In treatment, denial and minimization, as well as a passive identification with the stigma, are fostered preventing accountability.

Keywords: Sexual abuse; paedophilia; denial; treatment; stigma.

  1. Becker H.S. (1987) Outsiders. Saggio di sociologia della devianza, Edizioni Gruppo Abele, Torino
  2. Becker-Blease K., Friend D., Freyd J.J. (2006) Child Sex Abuse Perpetrators among Male University Students (Poster presentato al 22° Incontro Annuale International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies), Hollywood, CA, 4-7 Nov. 2006
  3. Bolen R. (2001) Sexual Abuse: Its Scope and Our Failure, Pluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York
  4. Brière J., Runtz M. (1989) “University males’ sexual interest in children: Predicting potential indices of ‘paedophilia’ in a nonforensic sample”, Child Abuse &Neglect, 13(1): 65-75
  5. Cancrini M.G., Harrison L. (1990) “I regali di Bateson”, Ecologia della Mente, 9.
  6. Cortoni F., Hanson R.K., Coache M.E. (2010) “The recidivism rates of female sexual offenders are low: a meta-analysis”, Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research and Treatment, 22(4): 387-401. DOI: 10.1177/107906321037214
  7. Daniel T., Julius P., Karen H., Richard K., Peer B. (2019) “Pharmacological treatment of patients with paraphilic disorders and risk of sexual offending: An international perspective”, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 20(8): 616-625. DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1395069.DOI:10.1016/0145-2134(89)90030-
  8. De Leo G. (1996) Psicologia della responsabilità, Laterza, Roma-Bari
  9. De Leo G., Patrizi P. (1992) La spiegazione del crimine. Bilancio critico e nuove prospettive teoriche, Il Mulino, Bologna
  10. De Leo G., Patrizi P. (2002) Psicologia della devianza, Carocci, Roma
  11. Felitti V.J., Anda R.F. (2010) “Il rapporto tra esperienze sfavorevoli infantili e malattie somatiche, disturbi psichiatrici e comportamento sessuale nell’adulto: implicazioni per la politica sanitaria”, in Lanius R., Vermetten E., Pain C. (a cura di), L’impatto del trauma infantile sulla salute e sulla malattia. L’epidemia nascosta (trad. it.: Giovanni Fioriti, Roma, 2012, pp. 131-150)
  12. Foti C. (2010) “Cultura della perversione, soggetti perversi ed intelligenza emotiva”, in Foti C., Iacoella S. (a cura di), Psicoterapia dei sex offenders e cura delle emozioni, Sie edizioni, Moncalieri (TO)
  13. Freud S. (1896) “Etiologia dell’isteria”, in Opere, vol. II, trad. it. a cura di C. Musatti, Bollati Boringheri, Torino, 1972, pp. 333-360
  14. Freud S. (1897) Lettere a Wilhelm Fliess 1887-1904, Bollati Boringheri, Torino, 2008
  15. Freud S. (1905) “Tre saggi sulla teoria sessuale”, in Opere, vol. IV, trad. it. a cura di C. Musatti, Bollati Boringheri, Torino, 1972
  16. Gallo A., Abracen J., Looman J., Jeglic E., Dickey R. (2018) “The Use of Leuprolide Acetate in the Management of High-Risk Sex Offenders”, Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research and Treatment, 31(8)
  17. Giulini P. (2011) “Il reato sessuale. Problematica, epidemiologia e principi generali di
  18. trattamento”, in Giulini P., Xella M.C. (a cura di), Buttare la chiave? La sfida del trattamento per gli autori di reati sessuali, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, pp. 3-19
  19. Giulini P., Pucci C. (2011) “La negazione e la minimizzazione nel trattamento degli autori di reati sessuali”, in Giulini P., Xella M.C. (a cura di), Buttare la chiave? La sfida del trattamento per gli autori di reati sessuali, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, pp. 35-62
  20. Giulini P., Scotti A. (2014) “Il campo del trattamento del reo sessuale tra ingiunzione terapeutica e controllo benevolo”, Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, XXXV (4-2013): 1-22
  21. Giulini P., Xella C.M. (2011) Buttare la chiave? La sfida del trattamento per gli autori di reati sessuali, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  22. Goffman I. (1970) Stigma. L’identità negata, Laterza, Roma-Bari
  23. Greenberg D.M., Bradford J.M.W. (1997) “Treatment of the Paraphilic Disorders: A review of the Role of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors”, Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research and Treatment, 9(4): 349-360
  24. Hanson R.K., Babchishin K.M., Helmus L., Thornton D. (2012) “Quantifying the Relative Risk of Sex Offenders”, Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research and Treatment, 25(5): 482-515. DOI: 10.1177/107906321246906
  25. Hanson K.R., Bussière M. (1998) “Predicting Relapse: A Meta-Analysis of Sexual Offender Recidivism Studies”, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(2): 348-362
  26. Harris A.J.R., Hanson R.K. (2010) “Clinical, actuarial and dynamic risk assessment of sexual offenders: Why do things keep changing?”, Journal of Sexual Aggression, 16(3): 296-310
  27. Lasch C. (2020) La cultura del narcisismo. L’individuo in fuga dal sociale in un'età di disillusioni collettive, Bompiani, Milano
  28. Lemert E.M. (1981) Devianza, problemi sociali e forme di controllo, Giuffré, Milano
  29. Levenson J.S. (2008) Sex offense recidivism, risk assessment, and the Adam Walsh Act. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from http://www.leg.state.vt.us/workGroups/sexoffenders/AWA_SORNsummary.pdf
  30. Levenson J.S., Willis G.M. (2016) “Trauma-Informed Care with Sexual Offenders”, in Handbook of Sexual Abuser Assessment and Treatment, in Carich M. (ed.), Safer society handbook of adult sexual offending assessment and treatment, Safer Society Press, Brandon, VT, pp. 244-269
  31. Levenson J.S., Willis G.M., Prescott D.S. (2014) “Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Lives of Male Sex Offenders”, Sexual Abuse: a Journal of Research and
  32. Treatment, 28(4): 340-359. DOI: 10.1177/107906321453581
  33. Levenson J.S., Willis G.M., Prescott D. (2018) “Incorporating Principles of Trauma-Informed Care Into Evidence-Based Sex Offending Treatment”, in Jeglic E.L., Calkins C. (eds.), New Frontiers in Offender Treatment, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2nd ed., vol. 10, pp. 171-188. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-01030-0_
  34. Marshall W.L., Anderson D., Fernandez Y.M. (1999) Il trattamento cognitivo-comportamentale degli aggressori sessuali (trad. it.: Centro Scientifico Editore, Milano, 2001)
  35. Marshall W.L., Barbaree H.E. (1990) “An integrated theory of the etiology of sexual offending”, in Marshall W.L., Laws D.R., Barbaree H.E. (eds.), Applied clinical psychology. Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender, Plenum Press, New York, pp. 257-275
  36. Masson J. (1984) Assalto alla verità, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, New York (trad. it.: Mondadori, Milano, 1984)
  37. McKartan K., Ableman M., Birgersson A., Harris A., Harris D., Jung S., Laws M.A., Shanee N., Uzieblo K. (2018) International Approaches to Professional, Public and Policy Maker Engagement. Panel presentato alla 37a Conferenza ATSA (Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers). Vancouver, 17-20 Ott. 2018
  38. Pham T., Ducro C. (2006) “Evaluation du risque de récidive”, in Pham T. (cur.), L’évaluation diagnostique des agresseurs sexuels, Editions Mardaga, Sprimont, Belgique, pp. 111-136
  39. Reavis J., Looman J., Franco K., Rojas B. (2013) “Adverse childhood experiences and adult criminality: How long must we live before we possess our own lives?”, The Permanente Journal, 17: 44-48. DOI: 10.7812/TPP/12-07
  40. Smiljanich K., Briere J. (1996) “Self-reported sexual interest in children: Sex differences and psychosocial correlates in a university sample”, Violence and Victims, 11: 39-50
  41. Sykes G., Matza D. (1957) “Techniques of neutralization: a theory of delinquency”, American Sociological Review, 22: 664-670
  42. Van der Hart O., Nijenhuis E., Steele K. (2006) Fantasmi nel Sé. Trauma e trattamento della dissociazione strutturale (trad. it.: Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2011)
  43. Ward T., Beech A. (2006) “An integrated theory of sexual offending”, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 11(1): 44-63.
  44. Ward T., Mann R.E., Gannon T.A. (2007) “The good lives model of offender reha bilitation: Clinical implications”, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12(1): 87-107.
  45. Ward T., Siegert R.J. (2002) “Toward a comprehensive theory of child sexual abuse: A theory knitting perspective”, Psychology, Crime and Law, 8(4): 319-351
  46. Xella C.M. (2014) “La valutazione del rischio di recidiva per gli autori di reati sessuali”, Rivista Italiana di Medicina Legale, XXXV (4-2013): 1-20
  47. Xella C.M. (2020) “Sex offenders: valutazione del rischio e rischi della valutazione”, Rassegna Italiana di Criminologia, XIV (2): 195-201.
  48. Yates P.M., Ward T. (2006) “Good Lives, Self-Regulation, and Risk Management: An Integrated Model of Sexual Offender Assessment and Treatment”, Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand, 1(1): 3-20
  49. Zara G. (2018) Il diniego nei sex offender. Dalla valutazione al trattamento, Raffaello Cortina, Milano

Carla Maria Xella, Francesca Mosiello, Chi ha paura dell’orco cattivo? Lo stigma nella percezione sociale e nel lavoro trattamentale con l’autore di reato sessuale in "PSICOBIETTIVO" 1/2021, pp 21-33, DOI: 10.3280/PSOB2021-001003