Offense-Related Interpretative Bias in Female Child Molesters: A Preliminary Study

Gannon, Theresa A., Rose, Mariamne R. (2009) Offense-Related Interpretative Bias in Female Child Molesters: A Preliminary Study. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 21 (2). pp. 194-207. ISSN 1573-286X. (doi:10.1177/1079063209332236) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided)

Abstract

Although female child molesters are hypothesized to hold offense-supportive cognitions that facilitate their sexual offenses, there have been no implicit social-cognitive studies used to investigate this. Using an implicit memory recognition paradigm, it is shown that female child molesters—relative to female offender controls—are more likely to interpret ambiguous information about males in a threatening manner. These results suggest that female child molesters hold a series of beliefs about men's dangerousness and power. The authors discuss these results and explore the possibility that these beliefs about male dangerousness are related to a risk of abusing children.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1177/1079063209332236
Uncontrolled keywords:	female child molesters, implicit schemas, offense-supportive cognition, treatment
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Psychology > Centre of Research & Education in Forensic Psychology Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	Theresa Gannon
Date Deposited:	05 Sep 2013 12:58 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 11:01 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/35111 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)